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Blu-Ray laser safety/damage??

mith

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Hi everyone,

I'm unclear on the safety level of a Blu-Ray laser and I was hoping someone could help me clarify because I had some recent exposure to it by accident and I'm kind of worried. Here's what happened: last night we had a power outage, and one of the people I was hanging out with pulled out a laser pointer he made from a Blu-Ray dvd player. No one had eye protection, and he was just waving it around in the dark. It was way too bright and I ended up closing my eyes mostly, but it still gave me a slight headache. I couldn't look at it for too long anyway, but I did see it from the side or pointed at surfaces.

Would looking at the beam from the side or watching it in the air/on the wall damage my eyes? It was never pointed directly in my eyes, and I don't know how dangerous it is otherwise.

So far, the specs I've been able to find are that it's a 405-407nm wavelength, at 1-7mW power (please correct me if i'm wrong!!). So it falls in the class IIIb range, and while 1mW power is usually okay (sun level), 2-5 is significantly more dangerous, and I don't know how powerful that laser was.

Would looking at it like I did damage my retina? How would I know? Are the effects instantaneous or could I have slow degeneration in vision?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
 
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permanent damage doesn't happen by viewing the dot of a 7mW laser :)

It's only 2-5 is significantly more dangerous if you point the entire beam directly into your eye, but as you were just viewing the dot as it reflected of various materials the exposure to your eye is minimal.

And you will not have a slow degeneration in vision from a laser :D (Unless it was an extremely high power laser..)

You will be fine lol (Y)
 
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May 25, 2008
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If it was just diffuse reflections you'll be absolutely fine.

You wouldn't see the beam from a 7mW blu-ray.
 
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You would be fine even if it was 70mw or 700mw (if there were such a BR). It takes an extremely poweful laser (in the multiple watt range) before diffuse reflections would start to pose an eye hazard.
 

Grix

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I kinda doubt the laser really was 1-7mW if the beam was visible though. But if you didn't get the laser in your eyes, you'll be fine.
 
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Oct 11, 2008
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dont worry even 200mw of blu ray reflected and thus unfocused may not blind you due to the blink reflex
 
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Did you say anything to the guy who was waving the laser around? It seems to be a rather irresponsible action of his...

Believe me when I tell you this, we here at the forum do not encourage laser use around those who are not wearing goggles.

Next time, tell him to put it away, or have him buy you goggles.

Because if you saw the beam, you were either encased in fog, or it was much more powerful.

If the laser is more than 10mw, the blink reaction from a direct hit to the eye will be too slow, and can allow permanent damage.

405nm light is a color your eyes are not used to focusing on, and so it can induce headaches for some people.

I hope this answers your question, and I hope your future experiences with lasers are safer!

-Tyler
 
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If he made the pointer out of a drive, it's most likely a phr diode, 130mW~

Anyway, the danger is to get the laser inside your eye, not to look at it!
 

mfo

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Sounds like you need to kick someones ass and teach them a lesson on laser safety...
 
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Deleted member 8382

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Sounds like you need to kick someones ass and teach them a lesson on laser safety...

why?

one of the people I was hanging out with pulled out a laser pointer he made from a Blu-Ray dvd player. No one had eye protection, and he was just waving it around in the dark. It was way too bright and I ended up closing my eyes mostly, but it still gave me a slight headache. I couldn't look at it for too long anyway, but I did see it from the side or pointed at surfaces.

He didn't do anything wrong!
 

mfo

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why?



He didn't do anything wrong!

He didn't do anything wrong?

Hi everyone,

Here's what happened: last night we had a power outage, and one of the people I was hanging out with pulled out a laser pointer he made from a Blu-Ray dvd player. No one had eye protection, and he was just waving it around in the dark. It was way too bright and I ended up closing my eyes mostly, but it still gave me a slight headache.

You call that nothing wrong Albert? I'm sorry, but my eyes belong to me, and only me. I would get pissed if someone if someone shined a 5mW laser at me, and I have. In the long run if something ends up happening, guess who's the one that suffers. You! And even if you sue, get money, etc. there's no replacing your eye site (Unless you get a transplant which is unlikely)! I highly doubt this laser was 1-7mW. If I had to bet, I'd say it was a PHR. And as I said even if it was a 5mW....

Edit: And also, no 5mW has EVER given me a headache, which is also why I'd bet it's a lot more than 5mW.
 
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my phr hasn't given me any headache neither, and as long as he didn't pointedit at anyone's eyes or near them I see no problem with it...
 

mfo

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my phr hasn't given me any headache neither, and as long as he didn't pointedit at anyone's eyes or near them I see no problem with it...

So what you're basically saying Albert is that I can point a gun into a crowd of people and squeeze the trigger, but as long as I don't hit anyone with a bullet all is good and well! The moron was waving the thing around aimlessly which means he could have hit someone directly in the eye with it.
 
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i'm siding with mfo..

it was not the smartest idea to wave a laser around in the dark...
 
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Admittedly guys, i do use my green lasers to see in the dark sometimes :can:

but.. i always hold the laser above my head and point it at our white ceiling, lights up the area nice and safely then :D
 




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