Why do they use red lasers as aiming beams for surgical lasers?

[Av8or]

Why do they use red lasers as aiming beams for surgical lasers, instead of green, which the eye is more sensitive to?

All surgical lasers have a treatment beam (either IR or some visible wavelength), and an aiming beam, which is <5mw red. This aiming beam is used like a "laser sight" to align the area to be treated before firing the treatment beam.

What I want to know is why 5mw red? If the point of a aiming beam is to be able to see what you want to hit, why not use a more visible wavelength, like 532nm @ 5mw?

Thanks

 

[Ablaze]

I suspect it is probably because red was the cheapest back in the day and they just got used to using it. There isn't a strong need to switch, since red is visible enough to see in a well lit room.

Green lasers use more power, not that that is likely a concern. I think it is due to lazyness combined with a lack of a real need to switch.

There may be something about permits and certifications in there too. Hospital equipment uses a lot of red tape.

:crackup: Get it? Red tape? Ohh man, I'm so punny, I crack myself up.

 

[Av8or]

Thanks

 

[Trevor]

It just needs to be a laser whose wavelength will pass through the goggles associated with a another wavelength.

Can't use a green aiming laser for a 120W 532nm doubled Nd:YAG surgical laser.

Trevor

 

[Trevor]

It just needs to be a laser whose wavelength will pass through the goggles associated with a another wavelength.

Can't use a green aiming laser for a 120W 532nm doubled Nd:YAG surgical laser.

Trevor

 

[Cyparagon]

It has its roots in the days before diode lasers. HeNe was the aiming beam. Even with modern equipment, diode lasers are more reliable than DPSS.

 

[SRESAL]

It just needs to be a laser whose wavelength will pass through the goggles associated with a another wavelength.

Can't use a green aiming laser for a 120W 532nm doubled Nd:YAG surgical laser.

Trevor

It just needs to be a laser whose wavelength will pass through the goggles associated with a another wavelength.

Can't use a green aiming laser for a 120W 532nm doubled Nd:YAG surgical laser.

Trevor

Repeated for emphasis...