Indirect Laser Viewing via Camera-Linked Goggles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High power lasers pose a risk of eye damage due to direct exposure, and existing protective goggles are limited by requiring specific design for wavelength, making it difficult to safely view laser beams across different wavelengths and often leading to unsafe alignment practices.
Innovation Solution
A laser viewing system with a camera sensitive to laser wavelengths connected to video displays worn as goggles, allowing indirect viewing of laser beams without direct eye exposure, enabling safe alignment and observation regardless of wavelength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If standard protective goggles are used to block laser light, then eye protection is provided, but the ability to view the laser beam path is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A camera acts as an intermediary device between the laser beam and the user's eyes. The camera captures the laser beam path and transmits the image to a display, allowing indirect viewing while the goggles block direct laser radiation. This mediator enables both protection and visibility simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of viewing the laser beam directly, the system creates a visual copy of the beam path using a camera. This copy is then displayed on a display device, allowing the user to see the beam path without direct exposure. The copy preserves the information while eliminating the hazard.
2Reliability
If goggles filter out high levels of laser light for safety, then eye damage is prevented, but viewing capability becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The camera serves as an intermediary that captures the visual information of the laser beam path, transferring it to the user through a display. This allows the goggles to maintain strong filtering for safety while the camera-transmitted image provides adequate viewing capability for alignment work.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the direct optical viewing mechanism (looking through filtered goggles) with an electronic imaging system (camera and display). This substitution allows for much stronger filtering to be applied while maintaining viewing capability through the electronic display, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If goggles are designed for a particular wavelength, then protection is effective for that wavelength, but versatility across different lasers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The camera-based viewing system provides universal functionality across different laser wavelengths. The camera can be equipped with appropriate filters or sensors to detect various wavelengths, and the goggles provide broad-spectrum protection. This multi-functional approach allows the same basic system to work with multiple different lasers, achieving both effective protection and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for parameter changes in the camera's spectral sensitivity through filter selection or sensor adjustment. By changing the camera's detection parameters rather than the goggles' protection parameters, the system achieves versatility across different laser wavelengths while maintaining effective protection through the fixed goggles design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures safe viewing of laser beams by blocking direct radiation and providing a clear, indirect view of the beam's path, reducing the risk of eye damage and eliminating the need for unsafe alignment practices across various laser wavelengths.
Implementation Method 1
a camera selectively sensitive to laser light wavelengths
Implementation Method 2
a viewing screen receiving images from the laser sensitive camera
Data Source
AI summary
A protective laser beam viewing system or device including a camera selectively sensitive to laser light wavelengths and a viewing screen receiving images from the laser sensitive camera. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the camera is worn on the head of the user or incorporated into a goggle-type viewing display so that it is always aimed at the area of viewing interest to the user and the viewing screen is incorporated into a video display worn as goggles over the eyes of the user.