Jason,
It depends what you want to know about the source and why. If you are looking for a perceived 'brightness' of the source, then a simple photometer of the sort used for QA of monitor screens will give you a number, though I don't know what you can do with it. If you want to know the spectrum, then find a friendly physicist with a spectroradiometer (Bradford?) and get a spectrum from the source. If you are looking for the risk of synchronising brain waves with the frequency of flashing of the source (you don't say if it flashes, but it's possible, I suppose) then a stop watch will do.
The questions I would be tempted to respond with are: what do you want to know and why? What should we be looking for in a source if you think it might disturb patients with epilepsy? What is it to be compared with (if anything)? Any known hazards in other sources that we should be looking for?
If you get sensible answers to any of these questions, you might be better placed to do the measurements.
By the way, our trainee physicists do this sort of measurement routinely during their training, and they use our Bentham spectroradiometer system to do it. We are usually looking for sources with prominent UV or blue light componenets that might exceed the AORD regulations, but I really don't know what you are being asked to look for, or why.
David.
______________________________________________________________________
David Taylor, MA CPhys MInstP MIPEM - Consultant Clinical Scientist
(Head of Non-ionising Radiation Physics / Laser Protection Adviser)
Medical Physics Department, Leadon House
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road
GLOUCESTER, GL1 3NN, UK
Tel: +44 (0)8454 225976
Fax: +44 (0)8454 226489
Secretary/Treasurer - British Photodermatology Group (www.BPG.org.uk)
______________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: British Medical Laser Association on behalf of Jason Britton
Sent: Mon 22/08/2011 10:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Measurements of Broadband Optical light source
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Dear List
We have been asked to measure the light output of a new broadband light source that will be used in the diagnosis of paediatric patients who may have Epilepsy. This is something that we have not attempted before at this centre.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else has done this before and if so what detector did they use. Would they also be willing to share their protocol either on or off list.
Regards
Jason
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
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