Angela 
Had some difficulty getting this into the system.
Bill

Dear Angela

I concur with the view of Bill.

Visible laser radiation is used for Laser Therapy where the radiation does
have effects on cells (a intended postive one) but the effect on heavily multiplying cells is not yet 
studied - therefore people recomend not to "treat" cancers and the belly region of
pregnant women with low level laser therapy.  
+
However, the dose (energy per area) that would be received for a 
bar code scan with a Class 1 laser system would be a factor of, I would very roughly estimate,
at least a factor of 1000 lower than the doses needed to see an effect in Low Level Laser Therapy. 

 best regards, Karl

____________________________________
Dr. Karl Schulmeister
Laser and Optical Radiation - Test House and Consulting
ARC Seibersdorf research GesmbH
A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
Tel +43 50550 2533    fax 2502 
www.healthphysics.at/laser_e 



-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Bill Davies [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 5. April 2006 16:50
An: [log in to unmask] 
Cc: Schulmeister Karl
Betreff: Re: laser safety advice wanted by HFEA


>>> [log in to unmask] 04/04/06 14:24:44 >>>
The email below was received by a colleague who sits on the IOP physics
group. She has passed it to me and I wondered if anybody on this list
could help?
Thanks
Angela Cotton
Head of Non-Ionising Radiation Support
Southampton General Hospital
Southampton
SO16 6YD
tel 023 8079 8616
fax 023 8079 4117
email: [log in to unmask] 

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) principal
tasks
are to licence and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro
fertilisation, donor insemination and human embryo research. We also
regulate the storage of gametes (sperm and eggs) and embryos. We
licence
around 110 treatment and storage centres and a number of these centres
have started to explore the use of technologies such as bar coding and
radio frequency identification to help with tracking and identifying
gametes and embryos in the laboratory and to aid witnessing
procedures.

Our Advisory Group on Safety and New Technologies (SANT) is currently
looking into the use of these technologies in the IVF laboratory. 

SANT are currently in the process of assessing the safety ofbar code
scanners which use laser light. The main issue under consideration is
the potential for laser light to cause damage to gametes and embryos,
as
these scanners would be used to read bar codes attached to dishes and
straws containing gametes and embryos.

In order to fully understand the technology we are hoping to consult a
medical physicist, with knowledge in the area of lasers and damage to
human material, for some advice.

I would be very greatful if you could recommend someone within the
Medical Physics Group.

Many thanks in advance,

Hannah Darby

Policy Officer

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

21 Bloomsbury Street

London

WC1B 3HF

Tel     0207 291 8200

Fax    0207 291 8201

 

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