What is the main cause of laser-induced tissue damage?

The main cause of laser-induced tissue damage is thermal effects. When laser radiation interacts with biological tissue, it can produce significant heat, which leads to a rise in temperature within the affected area. This thermal increase can cause cellular damage, denaturation of proteins, and coagulation of tissues, resulting in various degrees of injuries, ranging from minor burns to significant tissue destruction.

Understanding thermal effects is crucial in laser safety because the extent of tissue damage depends on both the laser's power and the duration of exposure. High-powered lasers can rapidly raise tissue temperatures, causing immediate and severe injury. Even lower-powered lasers can produce thermal effects if the exposure is prolonged or if the energy is focused on a small area.

Electrical hazards, collateral radiation, and non-beam optical hazards do present risks in laser environments but are not the primary mechanisms through which lasers cause damage to tissues. Electrical hazards typically relate to equipment malfunction or improper use and do not directly involve laser interaction with tissues. Collateral radiation may refer to scattered or diffuse emissions from the laser system that could potentially pose risks but are not the main pathway for causing damage. Non-beam optical hazards pertain to risks from reflections or stray light but again do not lead to the direct thermal damage caused by the primary laser beam