Does anyone have any information on making a cold laser. In medicine these are called Low Level Laser treatments.

I understand there are two different methods. Both utilize a wavelength of 600-1000nm (red to IR).

One uses a power of 1-500 mW and, I think, is not pulsed. The other uses a power of 1-100W and 200nS pulses (rep rate??).

I have no idea of the duration of the treatment.

Jack

 

Sounds like very high powered LED laser diodes, where the word "cold" comes in I'm not sure.

 

Are you talking about light therapy?

I have heard of low-powered laser diodes being used in medical treatment.

For instance, cancer seems to replicate slower under a 400nM wavelength light. (I pulled the number out of a hat I dont even own)

Observers noticed when using filters used under microscope, that the speed and duration of different medical oddities changed with the color of the light subjected to the malady.

Is this the type of laser treatment you are talking about?

 

Yes. My wife is having our old dog treated with the cold laser treatment by a Vet. The first treatment actually made the dog feel better. It isn't cheap so I wondered about making my own.

It seems like the proper frequency laser and a multivibrator to pulse it should be fairly easy to make. However, I don't know about the rep rate and pulse width (or should it be constant). That's what I'm tryin to learn.

 

Jack,
While you're certainly well intentioned, what you're attempting to do is far beyond the scope of these forums.

Even lasers that output <5mW power (the legal limit for things like laser pointers, etc) can adversely affect vision if shone in someone's eyes for more than a moment.

Even the "low power" laser you're talking about is 100x more powerful than what's legal for over-the-counter sales.

Besides, you want to experiment on an ill pet. It's much more likely that an untrained amateur will cause harm than good.

Gas gauges are one thing. Medical lasers are a completely different ballgame; something that I certainly wouldn't attempt without direct supervision from an MD.

Please don't pursue this.

 

I am sure you don't want to hurt your dog. But would you consider doing such experiments on your wife? Ah, maybe your mother is a better question.

In any event, veterinary medicine is quite complex and sophisticated. I suspect it is less regulated than human medicine is, but there are still regulations (including Federal law) that apply to experiments on animals. Do you know what the proper review processes are? You mention a 100W pulsed IR laser. That is not trivial power!

If you believe in light therapy, you should leave it to your vet.

John

Oops, I was a slower typist. BTW, it is usually (almost exclusively) a DVM, not MD that treats animals.

 

I certainly was not considering a 1-100 watt laser! I probably can't afford to buy something like that anyway.

 

Have you considered just trying a heat lamp. We have a very old Golden Retriever. She likes just the warmth of our hands on her old joints.

John

 

Wow. CAN-OF-WORMS.

I can understand your urge to want to help your pet, and save some money.

I would ask the VET if there are any "lower-power" alternatives that are good for at-home, between-visit treatment.

I have seen heat-pads for humans that use IR and RED leds to shine light and heat the lower back.. And according to (my grandma) she can feel a difference with the light on or off.

The photons emitted from the light "somehow" trigger a response in the body. This can help with inflammation (apparently).

Ask your VET. Dont shoot your dog with lasers that are not properly tuned and optically stabilized.

Even 100mW can cook the skin. Be careful.

Ask the VET for the wavelength used, and procure the same wavelength LEDs. Anything more than that would be cruel if administered by an untrained tech.

 

Even lasers that output <5mW power (the legal limit for things like laser pointers, etc) can adversely affect vision if shone in someone's eyes for more than a moment.

And therein lies the problem of this project - safety for you and the patient.

I think you might be able to get where you want technically, although I'm not so sure you can easily buy laser diodes with the needed output. (I like to think you can't, but I've heard nightmare stories in the news lately.)

But think of the time you'll spend testing etc. - which inevitably includes making mistakes - and the risks if something you can't even anticipate happens while you're working on or using the device.

Maybe you can do enough research to alleviate the fears and reduce the risks, but it's raising the hair on the back of our necks.

I know your frustration; it wasn't long ago I was attempting interferon treatments on a cat with terminal leukemia. Not easy to accept your inability to do anything.

 

I think you might be able to get where you want technically, although I'm not so sure you can easily buy laser diodes with the needed output.

Yea, if I recall someone's selling a 50W blue laser diode somewhere.

 

Hello,

This page might interest you:
http://www.easypha-max.com/media/sap/faq/wellay_faq.html

Bertus

 

Yea, if I recall someone's selling a 50W blue laser diode somewhere.

Ugg.. There goes the vision of countless kids.

50W blue.... Even indirect, reflected radiation will cause blindness.

You need a culinary license to buy Nitrous Oxide cartridges, but anyone with the money (or credit) can buy a laser diode and start some real damage.

 

There are plenty of 50 - 200 mW diodes available. Too bad they're too expensive.

 

This page might interest you:
http://www.easypha-max.com/media/sap...ellay_faq.html

That's what I'm talking about. That's why I asked about cold lasers.

 

Your link is broken.. This might be what you were talking about:
http://www.easypha-max.com/productdetails.php?id=&pid=2826

 

I saw that. It uses not just one, but 4 lasers. It must really be good. Documentation included only "in-house studies" in 2008, but claims over 2500 published studies showing how good it works. I guess they must have been "out-house studies."

Another laser scam. Magnets work just as well.

John

 

I saw that. It uses not just one, but 4 lasers. It must really be good. Documentation included only "in-house studies" in 2008, but claims over 2500 published studies showing how good it works. I guess they must have been "out-house studies."

Another laser scam. Magnets work just as well.

John

Yes, don't forget your Q-Link pendant with its zero ohm resistor and "unconventional use of electronics."

http://www.badscience.net/2007/05/the-amazing-qlink-science-pedant/

 

You need a culinary license to buy Nitrous Oxide cartridges, but anyone with the money (or credit) can buy a laser diode and start some real damage.

Tell me about it. A lot of the simple chemicals I used to be able to buy as a kid (under 16 at that) now take three hoops to jump through. I suppose some have found some use in the synthesis of ilegal drugs. I won't mention that last thing I bought but it can be used to make explosives if you really wanted to go through all the trouble. No way could you make drugs from it (that I know of) but you can sure do some fancy selective metal etching with it.

I'm sure the fire marshal loves my NFPA placards if he ever wants to venture upstairs at our business :
From the left (blue) 4 - (red) 1 - (yel) 3 + OXY + COR