Will a <5mW laser Class IIIa become less dangerous to the eye if I supply it with less current/voltage? Or is there something about the laser itself that makes it dangerous?
Electronic – Laser – damaging to your eyes
laser
Related Solutions
I see a fundamental units problem in your math. You are using the symbol m which stands for milli (10^-3). The actual energies are µ (10^-6). You are off by a factor of 10^-3. Since most keyboards do not have a symbol for µ (micro), people often revert to an m (milli), and end up confusing the units. Hey, they both start with the same letter, right? :)
Additionally, there is the question of "wall plug efficiency". While a diode may 60mW, even military grade lasers only have a 10-15% wall plug efficiency. Thus that means an output of around 6mW. Then any optical element will reduce power by around 50% for each element. Assuming at most 2 optical elements (nu-naturally low number), that means the output can at max be 1.5mW.
In the answer you quoted, use this paragraph as a point of comparison:
For the sake of comparison, sunlight is one kilowatt per square meter and perhaps 5% of that is near infrared i.e. 700 to 1000 nanometers. Just going outside will expose you to much greater power densities of SWIR than the Kinect.
Also, remember that even though the generator is 60 mW (yes, I used the correct units), there is a series of diffusers, optics, and such so that at the very extreme of the exit aperture, the power density is <25 μW (again, note the symbol). The series of steps required to get at the 60 mW generator would indicate a willful intent to cause self harm, and be beyond simple mechanical failure.
Your initial assumption is incorrect.
My approach is as follows: - Assume 60mW output power is correct - Diffuser efficiency is 50% and therefore 50% of the energy is lost
The diffusers and optics reduce the power to <25 μW at the aperture. Run your math with that figure and you'll have an accurate representation.
1) Is it really as simple as grabbing a laser drive chip and a three-terminal diode from digikey and hooking them up according to the datasheet? Should the laser drive chip be able to handle all protection mechanisms necessary, or is there typically another device that's needed to handle some other form of protection?
The laser drive chips I'm familiar with are more about applying rapid modulation to the laser than providing DC power. Usually there's an additional power circuit required; and that power circuit is where the protection is normally implemented.
If you have a different type of drive chip in mind, please link the datasheet in your question.
2) Is there a central regulatory body that does any testing to determine what class of laser you have, and whether your product follows all the necessary regulations?
In the US, it's up to the laser manufacturer to self-certify their product. You may be able to find a consultant to assist you with that process if you don't have the expertise.
3) Are there any known issues using lasers with 1mm core plastic optical fiber? I know that POF has very different transmission windows vs. glass fiber, and I know that one of these optimal windows is 650nm.
Would the beam stay narrow inside the fiber, or would it begin to disperse?
The fiber is a waveguide, and the laser power will remain confined within the fiber core. It will attenuate (lose power over distance). There is also a process called dispersion which means different components of the laser power taking different amounts of time to traverse the fiber---but if you're not switching the signal quickly that's not likely to affect you.
Edit: A major difference between POF and glass fiber is that even in its transmission window, POF has much higher attenuation than glass. Attenuation in glass fiber is measured in tenths of dB per km. Attenuation in POF (last time I worked with it, several years ago) is measured in tenths or whole dB per meter.
Would it still be coherent and collimated after going through, say, 15 meters > of POF?
The signal will still be coherent, but the dispersion effect I mentioned above may reduce the coherence length if you've gone through a very long fiber.
The output beam will diverge at a substantial angle (not strictly collimated) when it exits the fiber. The divergence is a diffraction effect and the angle is inversely related to the fiber core diameter --- meaning POF will have a lower divergence angle than smaller-core fibers. In multi-mode fiber like POF the output divergence angle also depends on details of the fiber construction. In general the output divergence angle will be similar to the input acceptance angle.
I am investigating the laser approach, because it seems like most LEDs aren't even capable of 500 uW.
It doesn't matter much what most LEDs can do --- if you can find one LED that meets your needs, that is enough. And I think you should be able to find an LED to produce 1 mW and couple into POF, if you look long enough. But a laser should be able to do it more efficiently (but maybe more expensively).
Edit: Be aware that using an LED does not reduce your safety concerns. 1 mW is still 1 mW and can still be dangerous. You will want the same safety precautions (you mentioned open-fiber control) whether you use a laser or LED. Regulations have not all kept up with the improved capabilities of LEDs in recent years, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't protect yourself and your users.
Related Topic
- Electronic – Driving a laser module from 5V supply
- Electronic – 500mw laser diode: What’s the point of a driver and will it need a lens to focus
- Laser Multiplexing
- How to make a safe homemade 3D laser rangefinder
- Marking laser position with glow in the dark material
- Electronic – How should I use this laser diode from eBay
Best Answer
In general, the laser hazard depends on the laser power, the output beam diameter, and the laser wavelength. For a class IIIa or 3R laser (the "IIIa" designation is basically obsolete, although it remains in use for products certified before the new classes were defined), you're at low risk if you don't force yourself to stare into the beam. If the beam just happens to stray into your eye, you'll generally have a reflex response to look away from the painfully bright light. (Don't fight this reflex -- keep yourself safe). Note that the high end of the class 3R power limits is defined by the power where 50% of people will have an "aversion response" sufficient to avoid injury --- and the other 50% won't.
Reducing the current to a diode laser will reduce the output power, and thus make the output safer. However, most laser accidents don't happen when the laser is operated as intended or as planned. You also need to consider all the possible "fault conditions" or ways that things can go wrong.
Say you design a control circuit that regulates the laser output to always be less than 1 mW (in most cases, a "safe" level) using a feedback photodiode. For real safety, you should also consider things like
These are the kind of conditions that marketable laser products need to consider before they can pass regulatory requirements. Before you risk your eyesight with your laser system, you should at least consider doing this kind of analysis for yourself.
If you used a laser with less power capability, you would know that before any of these kind of hazards could lead to the laser producing a dangerous beam, the laser itself would burn itself up. If you use a laser capable of producing 5 mW before burning out, you'd be wise to treat it with a proportional level of respect.