Efficacy of corneal eye shields in protecting patients' eyes from laser irradiation

BACKGROUND: The continuing development of new types and applications of lasers has appeared to surpass the development of specific eye protection for these lasers. There are a variety of eye shields on the market, but few are specifically designed for laser protection. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to test a variety of eye shields by two parameters, light transmission and temperature rise, and to determine from these measurements the most protective shield for patients. METHODS: We tested four plastic shields, one metal shield, and two sets of tanning goggles for temperature rise and light transmission when irradiated with a beam from a flashlamp-pumped, pulsed-dye laser. RESULTS: The temperature rise at the surface of the shield opposite the laser impacts was no more than 0.2 degree C in any case. White light was transmitted at significant levels through several of the shields, but yellow light transmittance was noted only through the green eye shield. CONCLUSION: Our measurements indicate that all except the green shield appeared safe from transmission of the 585-nm radiant energy. However, the optimal laser eye shield, in our opinion, would be a composite of several different shields' characteristics.