Rabbit corneal damage threshold induced by a tunable laser system at 254 nm

Abstract

Low-pressure mercury lamps, with a main emission of about 254[Formula: see text]nm, have been used for disinfecting air, water and surfaces for nearly a century. However, only a few studies on the corneal damage threshold at the wavelength of 254[Formula: see text]nm exist. In this paper, the in vivo corneal damage threshold was determined in chinchilla rabbit model using a laser system at 254[Formula: see text]nm. The irradiance of the laser spot was nearly flat-top distributed and the beam diameter on the animal corneal surface was about 3.44[Formula: see text]mm and 3.28[Formula: see text]mm along the horizontal and vertical directions. Damage lesion determinations were performed at 12[Formula: see text]h post-exposure using fluorescein sodium staining. The ED[Formula: see text] was 17.7[Formula: see text]mJ/cm 2 with a 95% confidence interval of 15.3–20.1[Formula: see text]mJ/cm 2 . The obtained results may contribute to the knowledge base for the refinement of the UV hazard function.