Peppers N A, Vassiliadis A, Dedrick K G, Chang H, Peabody R R, Rose H, Zweng H C
Appl Opt. 1969 Feb 1;8(2):377-81. doi: 10.1364/AO.8.000377.
A gaussian beam from a CO(2) laser emitting at 10.6 mu was used to measure damage thresholds on rabbit cornea at exposure times of 55 msec, 10 msec, and 3.5 msec. A theoretical model of the radiation-tissue interaction is presented and compared with experimental data. The comparison suggests that a critical temperature exists above which lesions are caused by protein denaturation. The model is useful for establishing safe exposure levels within a limited exposure range.
