Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Linköping, Sweden.
Scand J Work Environ Health. 1979 Sep;5(3):280-5. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3102.
A number of reports have appeared over the past few years with warnings about the wearing of contact lenses in certain trades involving exposure to are flash. In view of these reports and in light of knowledge on the marked absorption by contact lenses, within the infrared (IR) region, temperature changes were measured in soft contact lenses under radiation from IR heaters used, for example, in the motor industry for drying paint. The lenses were tested while free-hanging and when applied to rabbit eyes. Great increases in temperature were noted with one of the heaters at a distance corresponding to "safe." During 10 min of exposure the temperature of a free-hanging lens rose from 21 to 59 degrees C, whereas the temperature in the surrounding air increased only from 26 to 30 degrees C. The final temperature of the lens was thus 29 degrees C higher than that of the air. In lenses applied to rabbit eyes the temperature rose within only 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 min from approximately 33 degrees C to about 44, 49, and 51 degrees C, respectively; the air temperature rose from 25 to only 28 degrees C. In other words, the ultimate lens temperature was 23 degrees C higher than the ambient air temperature. In the rabbit experiments most of the lenses dried out completely. There would thus seem to be considerable risk of contact lenses drying and becoming adherent to and damaging the corneal surface among workers exposed to powerful radiation from IR radiators (IR heaters), unless they use efficient eye protectors. IR heaters appear to be associated with greater hazards than are flashes, since there is no warning from powerful visible light and because they are capable of causing a very rapid increase in temperature.
在过去的几年中，出现了一些报告，警告在某些涉及暴露于闪光的行业中佩戴隐形眼镜。鉴于这些报告以及隐形眼镜在红外线（IR）区域内明显吸收的知识，测量了在用于汽车行业干燥油漆的 IR 加热器辐射下的软性隐形眼镜的温度变化。测试时，镜片处于自由悬挂状态和贴附在兔子眼睛上的状态。在一个距离“安全”的加热器下，其中一个加热器会产生非常大的温度升高。在 10 分钟的暴露过程中，自由悬挂的镜片温度从 21 度升高到 59 度，而周围空气的温度仅从 26 度升高到 30 度。因此，镜片的最终温度比空气高 29 度。在贴附在兔子眼睛上的镜片中，温度仅在 0.5、1.0 和 1.5 分钟内从大约 33 度升高到大约 44、49 和 51 度，而空气温度仅从 25 度升高到 28 度。换句话说，镜片的最终温度比环境空气温度高 23 度。在兔子实验中，大多数镜片完全变干。因此，在接触强大的 IR 辐射（IR 加热器）的工人中，隐形眼镜变干并粘在角膜表面上并造成损伤的风险很大，除非他们使用有效的眼部保护器。IR 加热器似乎比闪光灯更危险，因为没有强大可见光的警告，而且它们能够导致温度迅速升高。
