New EYE-SAFE laser pump diode

Thought you guys might find this interesting QPC builds surface-emitting eye-safe diode
The first high-power eye-safe surface-emitting diode pump could be used for
military, industrial and medical uses.
http://optics.org/cws/article/industry/36055 rob

Looks very interesting, maybe i can stop shielding my eyes from now on I'm wondering if they can build a mirror into the chip could the manufacturer's build beam correction optics into a diode as well?

1.5um (1500nm) eye safe is a misnomer. It is a marketing term not an optical term. These wavelengths have been used in the military for years. Lasers operating at these wavelengths have replaced the older YAG based laser designators and range finders. These wavelengths operate on the border of damage caused by focused laser light on the retina and the surface damage caused by light not focused by the lens/cornea. This light kinda of does both. Some of the light is focused and some is absorbed by the surface of the eye. This effectively reduces the exposure incident on both structures but you are still being exposed to the full output power of the laser. How effective your eyes are at distributing the wavelength varies from person to person.

Use of these wavelengths in the military are a trade off of damage caused by laser exposure versus the need to use these systems to survive enemy contact. Never take what the military does as a sign that it is ok or "safe" to use in the civilian world.