Military Lasers & Law Enforcement

Military Lasers & Law Enforcement

In use by many governments all over the world, military lasers are often used to dazzle the enemy on the battlefield. Military lasers have a range of uses. One key application is to confuse and suppress enemy insurgents through shining exotic ultra high-powered army lasers.

Warn Lasers offer ultra high-powered solutions for RECON, CSAR, Urban-Warfare as used by special weapons and tactical response teams. Our lasers are used by military forces around the world as divergent capable dazzlers, target painting and distraction devices among other uses.

Army & Military Lasers have become an indispensable part of the arsenal used to combat bad guys on the battlefield, on the street or wherever they may slither and hide.

Its no mystery that many military organizations throughout the globe incorporate the use of various laser devices into their entourage of weapon systems. It seems the value and versatility of high power lasers has worked its way beyond contemporary science and astronomy, we now see laser pointers and other powerful laser devices at the forefront of the modern day battle field. There are many clear combat advantages military laser pointers provide to today's foot soldier. Whether mounting the laser diode as a laser sight, or a high power laser pointer for pointing out enemy locations, or even underwater reconnaissance, there is no more useful tool than a military laser pointer.

It makes good sense to provide funding to military personnel for standard issue military lasers, not only as a weapon, but also as a life saving device. Many times a high power laser pointer is the only "homing beacon" a platoon or squadron can rely on to be retrieved during a gunfight or a failed operation. A high power laser beam is clearly visible through daylight and the night sky, and the most popular military laser pointer in production produces a powerful green laser beam at a light frequency of 532nm. This is because the military finds the greatest use in the brightest laser color possible to the human eye, the green laser beam. Many military lasers are so powerful that they can actual light a fuse, temporarily blind an enemy, burn, and ignite, making them great for protection and intimidation.

There is, however, a bit of controversy surrounding the availability of military laser pointers on the open market through online shopping sources. The debate is that extremely powerful laser pens, which can be considered dangerous, are too easy to purchase and use despite clear health and safety hazards that they create for un-trained users. The problem is that many people were taking advantage of military grade technology from the comfort of their own home, receiving wonderfully packaged powerful laser pointers to their front doors. To some, this may seem harmless, but the media has created a shroud of fear surrounding the concept of laser pointers, most especially, high power military lasers. When news hit the nation that a laser pointer had been used to blind a pilot on his descent to land his filled aircraft on an international air strip, immediate action was demanded by the public from both the FDA and Home Land Security. The unfortunate truth was that the laser pointer that was actually used was a low power 5mw green laser pen, not your average high power military laser pointer. Despite this knowledge, leaps and bounds were made extremely quickly to keep powerful military lasers out of the homes of your average civilian.

But laser hobbyists around the world have not backed down at all, in fact, laser sales worldwide have steadily increased year to year since the wide scale release of the green laser pointer at the dawn of the millennium. More powerful military laser pointers are being sold today than ever before. But there is some difference surrounding the laser pointer scenario currently. It seems that your average laser pointer enthusiast has gotten smarter and is now taking standard safety precautions when using their powerful lasers. Simple things really, such as not aiming the laser at any person, animal, vehicle, or building. Things that really anyone with a little common sense should be able to grasp, but when you are holding a powerful laser pointer capable of blazing a beam of light over 65 miles, its easy to get carried away. The military will continue to use laser pointers, and laser providers around the globe will continue to provide military laser pointers to laser users as long as the desire for more power exists.

Practical Laser Uses

Practical Laser Uses

Our average Warn Laser customer is a laser hobbyist who wants a laser to use for entertainment. Don't be mistaken though, Warn Lasers have many legitimate practical uses including some of the following:

Military and Law Enforcement: Lasers are used by US forces in Iraq to paint (identify) targets and intimidate the enemy. Military professionals prefer Warn Lasers to typical laser dazzlers for its sheer power and performance in a size that is similar to a ballpoint pen case.

Astronomy: Because warn lasers are strong enough to see a beam of light, they are ideal for pointing out star constellations. The next time someone tries to show you Orion's belt or Zeus in the stars, hand them the Warn Laser and make them trace it out. They can even be velcro mounted to a telescope to help you aim better.

Search and Rescue: They are a highly visible flare that can be used over and over again; here they represent the power to save a life.

Outdoor Work Sites: Warn lasers can also be useful at outdoor work sites. Construction managers use lasers to align pipes, walls, signs or any piece of construction material. Write with light and guide others with precision.

PC Shops: Shops that require fiber optical maintenance tools, will appreciate the additional power to find fiber interruptions and line breaks in fiber optic technologies with lasers.

Arts and Entertainment: Used on CSI: NY, in laser shows and to illuminate artwork, Warn Lasers command attention and ignite imaginations.

Physics Labs: Students take notice when a teacher uses a laser with power far beyond anything they can buy in an office supply store.

Medical: Since 1967, healthcare professionals have used lasers to reduce pain and speed healing. [WARNING: Warn Lasers are not FDA approved for medical use in the US].

Other Uses: From dispersing birds and other animal intruders to identifying fiber optic circuits, uses for Warn Lasers products are limited only by your imagination.

Medical Applications

Medical Applications

532nm wavelength lasers have been used in medical research and development since the late 1960's. Medical lasers are in use worldwide and have contributed to countless successful surgeries and procedures. While Warn Lasers products are not directly designed for medical use, the 532nm wavelength is a very important part of the medical community and offers a wide range of applications.

Class IIIb lasers have long been licensed for medical use. Several medical professionals, including a chiropractor, who for various reasons prefer to remain anonymous, have been experimenting successfully with our lasers in the US. Read their testimonials below.

Relief of Chronic Pain and Swelling
"One patient of mine suffered a severe fracture of the left ankle five years ago. Surgical stabilization was required, using metal plates and screws. Ever since, this patient has suffered chronic pain, swelling, and the inability to walk properly. I used a 5mW laser on the ankle. One week later, he told me with amazement that his ankle pain was markedly diminished as well as the swelling (which was clearly visible). He even walked with less hesitation. I now use the 55mW on the ankle and it continues to respond favorably. The same can be said (again using your 55mW laser) for a 68-year-old female patient with tennis-ball-sized-swelling of an ankle, the result of altered venous drainage due to an old fracture of the tibia. The swelling was reduced to half after just one therapy laser session."

The Treatment
"I contact the edematous tissue (area of swelling) directly with the laser head and move the laser over the affected area at a speed of approximately 1 inch/second. For example, treating the ankle edema (swelling) would take approximately one and a half minutes."

Lasers in Medicine 
First used in 1967, medical use of lasers is now common for increasing the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair; relieving pain and inflammation; improving function of damaged neurological tissue and they are often used as an alternative to needles for acupuncture.

Why It Works
"There are several external stimuli that speed up the production of ATP (see sidebar), which is used in cellular/tissue respiration. In addition to lasers, these include ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Having used red lasers since the early 1980s, I now believe that I am getting better results with the green (532 nm) laser purchased from Warn Lasers. 

I believe there are two factors making the green light superior: 1) the green beam is more energetic, producing additional heat, which is known to be beneficial. 2) The color green itself has a positive life-enhancing effect, associated with photosynthesis and lush environments. Like photosynthesis, the correct wavelengths and power of light at certain intensities for an appropriate period of time can increase ATP production. 

The cell membrane could also be affected to improve permeability and second messenger activities that improve secretion and mobility. An appropriate dose of laser light can improve speed and quality of acute and chronic wound healing, soft tissue healing, pain relief and nerve regeneration, and also improve the immune system. 

Applications include treatment of venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, post herpetic neuralgia (PHN, shingles) and postoperative pain. Your laser really is a remarkable tool! I have been a practicing chiropractor since 1977 and have used just about every therapeutic "bell and whistle" invented. This medical lasers (532nm) beats them all in terms of pain and swelling reduction."

Sports Injuries 
The most popular medical use of lasers is for treating sports injuries. Many of the world's elite athletes use laser therapy to speed their recovery because: 
1. There is more published clinical and physiological evidence supporting the use of laser and LED photobiomodulation for soft tissue injuries and joint conditions than any electrotherapy modality as traditionally used by physicians and physiotherapists. 
2. It's considered the safest "electrotherapy" available by research experts. 
3. It's quick and simple to apply. 
4. It can be used immediately after injury, over pins, plates and bony prominences.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) 
"I contact the edematous tissue (area of swelling) directly with the laser head and move the medical laser over the affected area at a speed of approximately 1 inch/second. For example, treating the ankle edema (swelling) would take approximately one and a half minutes."

Acupuncture Substitute 
The same Chiropractor told us: "I also perform traditional needle acupuncture and have tried using the green laser for stimulation of acupuncture points. The Warn Lasers product is tolerated by patients better and is just, if not more, effective."

A Plea to the Medical Laser Community
Unfortunately, this laser is not FDA approved for medical use in the US. Physicians in many other countries are not so restrained. This type of treatment may be of particular interest to the Chinese medical community, which uses procedures such as acupuncture anesthesia for surgery and other procedures that are considered "alternative medicine" in the US, and are accepted only reluctantly.

Q-Switched Lasers

Q-Switched Lasers

lasers which emit optical pulses, relying on the method of Q switching. Q-switching , also known as giant pulse formation, is a technique by which a laser can be made to produce a pulsed output beam. A Q-switched laser is a laser to which the technique of active or passive Q switching is applied, so that it emits energetic pulses . Typical applications of such lasers are material processing (e.g. cutting, drilling, laser marking ), pumping nonlinear frequency conversion devices, range finding , and remote sensing. That's because Q-Switched lasers provide high energy, high peak power pulses at high repetition rates. As Q - switching combines both short and long pulses. So it can also be used as medical area. For example, laser surgery such as tattoo removal, pigmented lesions and hair removal applications.

Now we have Q-switched diode-pumped green lasers, it's using rapid, high pulsed Q- Switched technology. More than a decade ago, Q-Switched Alexandrite laser was introduced operating at a wavelength of 755nm. These lasers have become highly proficient tools for the skin care professionals and dermatologist. In recent years, Q-switched lasers are also used at measurement purposes by measuring the time it takes for the pulse to get to some target and the reflected light arriving.

The operation of a normal Q-switched laser is like this. In the resonator, blocking one of the mirrors with a modulator ( the Q-switch ). The energy gets no way to go but build up and cumulate until the modulator switched on. Then a few spontaneous photons quickly stimulate the laser to emit all the stored energy in a giant, Q-switched pulse. The duration of pulse is depends on resonator's length, output coupling , the repetition rate and the pump power, etc.

UV Lasers/Ultraviolet Lasers (violet laser )

UV Lasers/Ultraviolet Lasers (violet laser )

A violet laser has a wavelength bordering those of ultra-violet. Because the definition of ultra-violet is not clearly established, some people might call this a violet laser while others call it an ultra-violet laser.Actually,the wavelengths of violet light is 405nm. Yet other people call then Blu-ray lasers or HD-DVD lasers depending on the source and/or optical output of the diode. Usually a HD-DVD diode is incorrectly called a Blu-ray diode because it has became a commonly accepted term for the diodes of this color.

Ultraviolet laser products have many usage in scientific research, manufacturing, biotechnology and medical area. As we all know, the wavelength of Ultraviolet has characters of sterilization and disinfectant as lasers in the UV range have very destructive capabilities. The technology used in emitting Ultraviolet laser in laser pointers is very like micro-machining applications which often used in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards and consumer electronics.

Except the usage we talked at previous paragraph , UV lasers are also be used at OEM applications and other projects that require micro-precision machining. For example, in cosmetic dentistry UV lasers mainly used to facilitate chemical bonding and bleaching of organic enamels and other procedures. And also UV lasers are capable of performing experiments in atomic and molecular spectroscopy and chemical dynamics. Wavelengths emitted by UV lasers is shorter than blue lasers. So it's capable of producing 20 times as dense as the current Blu-ray lasers. In Japan, computer hardware manufacturers put UV lasers and ultraviolet diode emitters into computer data storage disk technology to increasing data storage capabilities drastically.

Now human beings spread Ultraviolet laser technology to a new generation of application in nanotechnology, material sciences, biology, chemistry, plasma physics and a myriad of other usages. Therefore, UV lasers become more and more important in humanal improvement.

Yellow Lasers - the color of the sun

Yellow Lasers - the color of the sun

Have you seen the yellow laser beam? It's amber. The wavelengths of yellow light is 589nm ~ 594nm. Because of its beautiful effect, yellow light laser pointer is produced. Yellow lasers are produced using the similar principles as green lasers which is pumping IR laser diodes into crystal and optical arrays to achieve a broader range of special lasing.

Yellow pointers appeared in laser market very currently. That means the technology about portable laser pointer format updates frequently. With the time goes, new technologies and innovations become more and more mature. Now laser enthusiasts don't need to pay lots to enjoy ambers and yellows beam. ( the color of the sun ) The amazing yellow wavelength is example how laser pointers can bring the nature to your life. And it's also your new choice of spectrums into your collection.

The birth of yellow laser beams and its industry are milestones to the achievement of laser history. As lasing technology improve, colorful laser beams are easy to get and affordable. Later,yellow lasers will migrate from diode pumped crystal arrays. I hope new lasing technology can make laser beams higher stability, increase output and longer laser diode life. Solid state diode can negate the need for MCA/ MOA configurations. No doubt yellow laser pointers will improve and time will tell how it can become to stand by along the key chain laser pointers.

Measuring Laser Power

Measuring Laser Power

It is often important to determine laser power output levels, and the optimal way to do this is by using accurately calibrated laser power meters.  There are a number of laser power meters available commercially, but if you can’t justify the cost for one, you might consider building your own, via methods described in the repair FAQ page.  If you only need to determine which of two lasers (of the same wavelength) is most powerful, or whether a laser power modification has made any changes, you can get some idea by using a silicon solar cell hooked to a volt meter.  The meter readings will only be comparative, and will give no indication of the actual laser power, but even this might be better than knowing nothing at all.  Any kind or size of silicon photovoltaic cell should do for this purpose.  Just cover its entire surface with some opaque material, leaving only a small opening for the laser beam to shine through.  Hook a voltmeter to the leads from the solar cell, put on your laser goggles, and fire away.  Here are some links related to power meters and measurement:

http://www.coherent.com/Lasers/index.cfm?fuseaction=show.page&id=250&loc=830
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserioi.htm#ioilpm3

When instrumentation is not available, some idea of a laser’s output power may be gleaned by doing simple tests, such as popping balloons, lighting matches, or cutting electrical tape and comparing the results with those produced by lasers of known power levels.  When reporting the results of such simple tests, it does little good to state that a laser will pop a balloon at a given distance without clearly specifying the voltage powering the laser, the distance from the laser’s lens to the focal point of the laser beam, the exact characteristics of the target, and so on.

In order for laser users to gain understanding about such things as power levels, it is important that those who post reports on various laser forums carefully document their experiments and results.  Here are some suggestions of how to inexpensively do this:

A -- Accurate volt meters are readily available and fairly inexpensive.  Always tell the total voltage powering a laser module, because the laser’s output power can be greatly affected by the voltage of its power supply.  An ammeter is also useful in order to measure the current being drawn by the module.  When using laser modules powered by batteries, it is good to record the battery voltage both before and after the experiment has been conducted.
B -- Accurate thermometers are readily available and inexpensive.  Always tell the approximate temperature of the environment in which the laser is being used.  Laser diodes put out less power as their temperature increases, so it is important to have some idea of what the ambient temperature is, in order to make accurate comparisons.
C -- In lasers with beams that have been focused, instead of collimated, always tell the distance of the beam’s focal point from the end of the laser’s lens.  There are a number of ways to quickly determine this distance. 

If the focal point is very close to the laser, one can often see this point by viewing the beam in a darkened area, particularly if the air contains some smoke or moisture.  Viewing the beam as it passes through a block of clear plastic is an even better way to find the focal point.  Plus, by passing the laser beam through clear plastic, its approximate size and shape can be seen - whether it is round or flat or oval - and is a helpful way to visually teach laser principals.  The plastic block used should be extremely clear (preferably acrylic) with flat, highly polished ends and sides, and at least several centimeters in length and thickness.

Another simple, and less expensive, way to find the focal point is to view the beam through a very thin sheet of translucent white plastic.  The little plastic rulers given away at trade shows and other places are excellent for this purpose because such rulers are only about a millimeter in thickness and have a scale printed on one side.  In order to use them, simply mount the laser in a stationary position, and place the ruler (with the scale facing away from the laser) into the laser beam, preferably near the end of the laser.  As the beam passes through the translucent plastic, it will create a bright spot who’s diameter can be measured by using the scale printed on the ruler.  As the ruler is moved away from the laser, the diameter of the beam will be seen to increase, decrease, or remain unchanged (in the case of a collimated beam).  If the beam is found to be decreasing in diameter as the ruler is moved further from the laser, it will at some point decrease to its smallest diameter and then begin increasing in diameter again as the ruler is moved even further away.  The point at which the beam is smallest in diameter is the laser’s focal point, and also the point of highest temperature anywhere along the length of the beam.  It is at this point where lasers will be most able to pop balloons, light matches, etc.

It should be obvious to all that it is imperative that quality laser goggles be worn when doing such measurements because the only way to accurately read the scale is to have your eyes very near the beam itself.  Remember the earlier warning that laser goggles are not designed to look directly into a laser beam, so do not risk your vision by doing so.  Note also that what is read on the ruler’s scale is not the actual diameter of the laser beam.  In reality the beam is much smaller, but because it becomes diffused as it passes through the plastic sheet, it appears quite large.  Also note that because of diffusion, the thicker the plastic, the larger in diameter the beam will appear to be.  If it becomes necessary to adjust the focal point of a laser module, remember that the further the lens is from the laser, the closer to the laser the beam’s focal point will be, and vise versa.

D -- Always describe as completely as possible the nature of the target used in the experiment or demonstration.  When using things like balloons as targets, remember that the greatest heating effects occur in colors which are contrasting to the color of the laser.   For instance, when demonstrating a red laser, a teacher might find it impossible to pop a red balloon, whereas a green balloon might be popped easily.  This is because the red balloon transmits most of the red light, while the green balloon tends to absorb it, thus heating quickly and popping.  The reverse is also true: A green laser will more readily pop red balloons than green ones.  Both color lasers might be able to easily pop black balloons because the black color readily absorbs both frequencies of light.  Balloons of any color can be made easier to pop by darkening a small portion of their surface with a black Sharpie marker, or something similar.  It is also well to note that the areas near the ends of a balloon have somewhat thicker rubber than the sides.  Although this thick area is darker and passes less light, its thickness also requires more heat to pop the balloon.  Even though the sides of a balloon are thinner and more transparent than the ends, it is normally requires less energy to pop a balloon by firing at its side.

When describing the effects of balloon-popping demonstrations and experiments, it is very important to tell what size a balloon is, its color, where the laser struck its surface, and (when possible) what brand balloon is used.  That way other people can more accurately replicate the experiment, and/or compare one laser to another.  The same care in documenting holds true when doing demonstrations of lighting matches, burning paper, cutting electrical tape, etc.  It’s a waste of time to say that a given laser will light a match, without first specifying the color and brand of the match, the color and power level of the laser, the distance of the focal point, etc.  It is also important to specify how the laser or module is mounted during the experiment.  Often a given demonstration of power cannot be accomplished unless the laser is held very still by being secured to a tripod or other stationary object.