WHAT DO THE LASER CLASSIFICATIONS ACTUALLY MEAN?
Class IIIb: IIIb lasers are hazardous to the eye when viewed directly. For visible and infrared devices, emission power is limited to 0.5W. Protective eyewear, key switches, and safety interlocks are required safety features.
Class IV: Class IV includes all lasers that emit powers in excess of the IIIB limitation of one half of one- watt. Eye protection is needed to limit both direct and diffuse reflected exposure. Key switches and safety interlocks are also required safety features. The majority of scientific, industrial, military, and surgical lasers are in this category. Furthermore, Lightforce Therapy devices are the only Class IV laser classified as ‘low risk’ according to the EU Medical devices classification Power: Class IIIb lasers are limited to a maximum power of 0.5 watt. Class IV therapy lasers typically enable the user to select for powers greater than 0.5W, up to 40 watts. Increased power enables the clinician to treat a larger area in a shorter period of time, thus allowing a more efficient delivery of a therapeutic dose to target tissues. Treatment Strategies: Due to their power differences, class IIIb and class IV laser treatment strategies vary. Class IIIb lasers are often used to treat single points or a group of small points and are held in one place for the duration of the treatment time at each point. When treating with a class IV therapy laser, the clinician may treat a much larger area, the treatment head is moved throughout the duration of the treatment to ensure a therapeutic dose of energy is being delivered evenly to the entire target area and its associated soft tissue structures. Class IV laser therapy can also be administered using contact or non- contact treatment heads. Dosing Strategies: Relative to class IV lasers, class IIIb lasers are not able to deliver the same dose of energy to tissues without taking much more time. Further, these devices cannot achieve the higher irradiances needed for certain deep tissue conditions, especially chronic pain or musculoskeletal conditions. The foundation of class IV laser therapy is based on the delivery of a therapeutic dose of joules to a large area of target tissue, reducing variability in outcomes. Wavelengths: Different therapeutic lasers often have different treatment wavelengths ranging from 700 nm to 1064 nm. All wavelengths in this therapeutic window target the same photo-active chromophores. The main difference between wavelengths is the absorption of the light by tissue components such as water and melanin.
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