Other viewing cards for infrared lasers exist, but they don't show the size and shape of the beam. Neither do they allow the beam to pass through the card so that adjustments can be made downstream, Equall and Rebane said. The Bozeman-based card does both. If widely adopted, the card could improve safety in labs that use infrared lasers. People frequently ignore the risk to their eyes when working with invisible beams, said Rebane, holding a pair of Roy Orbison-style safety glasses to his face.
Operators sometimes crank up the laser in order to better see the thin red glow.
Damage to the retina is immediate and irreversible, Rebane said. Sadly, eye damage is common in the industry and considerably more serious than an embarrassing smear of red lip gloss.