Ultrashort laser pulse retinal damage

Recent studies of retinal damage due to ultrashort laser pulses(2,3) have shown that less energy is required for retinal damage for pulses shorter than one nanosecond. Laser minimum visible lesion (MVL) thresholds for retinal damage from ultrashort (i.e. < 1 ns) laser pulses are produced at lower energies than in the nanosecond (ns) to microsecond (mu s) laser pulse regime. We review the progress made in determining the trends in retinal damage from laser pulses of one nanosecond to one hundred femtoseconds in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regimes. We have determined the most likely damage mechanism(s) operative in this pulse width regime and discuss implications on laser safety standards.