Volume 2, Issue 2
- Editor: Vasant Oswal
Newsletter distribution: courtesy of
Springer,
publishers of Lasers in Medical Science
Inside this issue
New dates for the
Joint ASLMS / BMLA / ELA conference:
Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd September 2003.
Pre-conference
Workshop / courses:
Sunday, 21 September
2003
Edinburgh International
Conference Centre
Have you got news? Send it to the Editor
at: Voswal@aol.com
The tragic events of September the 11th certainly had far
reaching consequences for many, and the BMLA was not spared.
After considerable deliberations to hold the first-ever
joint conference and agreeing to a suitable date for September
2002 - which itself was not an easy task - we were obliged
to take some action. Nobody wanted to even entertain the
idea of cancellation. So the organising committee went back
to the drawing board, looked into possible financial losses
due to contractual obligations, the new dates, and so on.
Fortunately, there were no financial losses, and the new
dates were also quickly agreed. So get your diary out, you
have no excuse that you were not given adequate notice.
By now you all would have had the first notification in
the mail. Clansman Monarch who have been appointed as Professional
Organisers for the event will make further information available
on a regular basis. We are fortunate to have Cheryl Goff
at their office taking active interest to make the conference
a huge success - if you have any queries, contact her at:
Clansman Monarch: lasers2003@clansman.com
The success of any event much depends upon the enthusiasm
of the participants. And at a time when there is such a
glut of events of all sorts, your active support is vital.
It is not limited to take part in the conference, but publicising
it widely amongst your colleagues both here and abroad.
Promotion material for displaying at other conferences etc
is available, please contact Cheryl.
Vasant Oswal
E-mail address
The quickest, and the cheapest way to communicate are,
without a doubt, by e-mail. We wish to create a database
of e-mail for member benefit. Please e-mail me with your
contact address and also area of interest. The information
then can be dissipated to focus groups etc. A good example
of this mode of discussion appears below, an abstract of
the discussion on eye safety that recently took place by
e-mail between the members.
E-browser - Eye Protection
Colm Saidléar of The Children's University Hospital,
& Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin asked:
What is the experience of list members in relation
to eye safety of staff and members of the public accompanying
patients for treatment in an outpatient ophthalmic clinic?
The laser in question is a Nd-YAG Class 3B laser (1064nm)
mounted on a slit lamp with max. output of 25mJ and a pulse
rate of 7nsec. In most circumstances there is only the patient
and ophthalmologist in the room. But if a nurse is asked
to hold the head of the patient should she be wearing goggles?
I believe so! Secondly, during ophthalmic laser surgery
the fellow eye is normally taped shut and a surgical drape
covers the entire face except for the eye being operated
on. A practice (rather controversially) has developed where
moistened eye pads are taped to the fellow/unaffected eye
under the drape. Question is, is this necessary? It increases
prep time and also the possibility of infection. It is stated
in most standards that wet gamgee/pads should be placed
around surgical sites especially in ENT surgery, does this
also apply to ophthalmic surgery as in this case. What is
the experience of other members?
Bill Davies (Bill.Davies@SWANSEATR.WALES.NHS.UK):
Yes the nurse should wear goggles. What about using an opaque
eye shield and just seat it comfortably over the eye. Any
light "leakage" is not going to be significant.
Wet pads are great where CO2 lasers are used which is often
the case for ENT upper airway surgery.
Harry Moseley (h.moseley@DUNDEE.AC.UK):
If the patient is being treated using a slit-lamp, I don't
think there is a significant risk to the fellow eye.
Regulation of Social Care and Private
and Voluntary Health Care Services
From the 1st April 2002 the National Care Standards Commission
will regulate social care and private and voluntary health
care services throughout England. The commission will be
responsible for the registration of lasers and 'intense
light sources' used in private healthcare under The Private
and Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations 2001.
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20013968.htm
The IPEM Ultrasound and Non-ionising Scientific Interest
Group (UNIRSIG) set up a working party to provide
* input to the DoH consultation process and
* guidance to the IPEM membership.
The guidance document is nearing completion and is intended
to be published in the May edition of the IPEM Newsletter,
and will also be posted on the medical physics, SRP and
BMLA mailbases.
Sudi Saimbi, Chairman of Working Party on the Private Use
of Lasers and Intense Light Sources.
Mr S Saimbi, Medical Physicist, RRPPS, P O Box 803, Edgbaston,
Birmingham B15 2TB, Tel: 0121 627 2090/91 Fax: 0121 472
0393
Email: Sudi.Saimbi@university-b.wmids.nhs.uk
New Book:
Principles and Practice of Lasers in Otorhinolaryngology
and Head and Neck Surgery - (Ed: V. Oswal et al). -
Pp 480. Published by Kuglers
E-mail: kugler.spb@wxs.nl
Meetings
Photo02: Sept 2002 - terry.king@man.ac.uk
BMLA AGM: Sept 2002 - prof.barr@themail.co.uk
Newsletter Archive
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Theo
Maiman demonstrated the first visible light
laser, the ruby laser, in 1960 |
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