The LASER is an acronym for Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of radiation. The LASERS are classified in two types Therapeutic LASERS and Surgical LASERs.
The types of Laser is classified as Type I-IIIb which are cold LASERs and the Type IV is the surgical or High powered LASERs.
Class I - These lasers cannot emit laser radiation at known hazard levels.
Class I.A. - This is a special designation that applies only to lasers that are "not intended for viewing," such as a supermarket laser scanner. The upper power limit of Class I.A. is 4.0 mW.
Class II - These are low-power visible lasers that emit above Class I levels but at a radiant power not above 1 mW. The concept is that the human aversion reaction to bright light will protect a person.
Class IIIA - These are intermediate-power lasers (cw: 1-5 mW), which are hazardous only for intrabeam viewing. Most pen-like pointing lasers are in this class.
Class IIIB - These are moderate-power lasers.
Class IV - These are high-power lasers (cw: 500 mW, pulsed: 10 J/cm2 or the diffuse reflection limit), which are hazardous to view under any condition (directly or diffusely scattered), and are a potential fire hazard and a skin hazard. Significant controls are required of Class IV laser facilities.
By definition, low energy laser therapy uses irradiation intensities that induce minimal temperature elevation (not more than 0.1 to 0.5°C), if any. For practical purposes, this restricts treatment energies to a few J/cm2 and laser powers to 500 mW or less thus this is known as a Cold LASER or Low Level Light Energy Therapy or Low Level LASER treatment and is abbreviated as LLLT. While the high powered LASERs are (class IV therapeutic lasers); (not to be confused with class IV surgical lasers) have power output of up to 7,500 mW; and supposedly offer more power, deeper penetration (can penetrate up to 10 cm2 instead of 0.5 to 2.0 cm2 for class III lasers) and a larger surface treatment area (cover up to 77 cm2 instead of 0.3 to 5.0 cm2 for class III lasers).
The surgical LASERS are of another category.
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