IRis Safety Wand
Make the invisible visible
Portable high-power infra-red laser detector for fibre optic network engineers
How can network engineers be sure high-power IR lasers, that are invisible to the un-aided eye, are turned off? The IRis Safety Wand is a novel device that provides a fast and reliable final safety check before starting work on fibre cables.
An extension of our Visualize Range, the IRis Safety Wand is designed to selectively detect high-power lasers that operate at wavelengths between 1460 and 1600nm. This enables network engineers to validate if all standard safety controls were successful or if one or more controls have failed and a high-power laser remains on.
IRis... Infra-Red Intelligent Scintillator
Scintacor already manufacture a range of products, on plastic cards, that are used to locate otherwise-invisible laser beams in both the Infra-Red and Ultra-violet parts of the spectrum. While these highlight the presence of the laser beams, they do not discriminate between high and low power lasers. The key to this unique detector was a design that uses wavelength to identify which laser beam is present.
Combining an optical long-pass filter with Scintacor’s phosphor coating on a glass substrate, the Infra-Red Intelligent Scintillator will only glow under a specified wavelength range, detecting high-powered lasers without producing false-positive alerts from low-power lasers, and without damage to the detector.
Simply hold the wand active area in front of the exposed fibre for an instant safety test to protect engineers from the risks that working in high-powered laser applications can pose. These include minor burns to the skin, eye damage or even loss of sight.
1. Robust acrylic wand, in a black matt finish to minimise reflections, is lightweight and comfortable to hold to reduce drop risk, but tough to withstand potential impacts.
2. Infra-Red Intelligent Scintillator emits visible light when irradiated by high-power lasers that operate at wavelengths in the 1460 to 1600nm range.
3. Lanyard clip aperture to wear wand around the neck, increasing ease and readiness of use, and safety awareness.
4. Anti-reflection coating on the outer glass surface minimises any stray reflections.
5. Custom branding options available.
Product options
As standard, the wand is branded Scintacor and is supplied with a brightly coloured lanyard (various colours) and protective storage pouch.
Custom branding with your company logo is available on the wand and/or lanyard.
Lanyard colours can be selected to suit your company.
Speak with our sales team for more details on how to customise the IRis Safety Wand to your requirements.
Specification
Specification
| IR Detection Range | 1460-1600nm |
| Minimum Stimulation Power | 120 kW/cm2, 1540nm, 8.4ns pulses, 20 Hz |
| Laser Damage Threshold | 40 MW/cm2, 1540nm, 8.4ns pulses, 20 Hz |
| IR Intelligent Scintillator | Anti stokes phosphor with optical long pass filter |
| Scintillator Substrate | Glass |
| Anti-reflection | <2% reflection (at normal, 0 degrees incidence) in 1100-2000nm range |
| Active Area | 35mm square |
| Wand Dimensions | 140 x 45 x 5mm |
| Wand Weight | 35g |
High-power laser applications
Fibre optic networks transmit huge quantities of information using pulses of laser light from many different lasers simultaneously. Some of these lasers operate at a low power, but some run at higher powers that can cause burns to the skin or eye damage. Because the laser radiation is in the infra-red part of the electromagnetic spectrum, it is invisible to the un-aided human eye. Despite good working procedures that require high power lasers to be turned off before maintenance work proceeds, there remains a real risk that employees maintaining the network infrastructure could be exposed to high power laser radiation that could cause burns.
The IRis Safety Wand was developed to specifically answer the needs of data centres, for a final laser safety check as part an overall safety program.
Operating at such a large scale, data centres will see and identify system failures and potential safety risks, therefore often leading to innovations to solve these problems.
The requirement for a portable, fail-safe design to allow network engineers to detect high-powered and harmful lasers, but not safe low-power lasers, led Scintacor to develop this innovative and unique detector that will positively impact the industry.
High-powered laser applications are used across multiple industries from telecoms and manufacturing to medical equipment, and Scintacor believe that companies that utilise high-powered lasers would benefit from this elegant, cost effective solution to a very high-risk safety problem.
For further details see our IRis Satefy Wand presentation.
Why Scintacor?
Scintacor’s expertise in wavelength detection and phosphor selection delivers a laser detecting wand that ticks all the boxes for network engineer’s work and safety processes, bringing to market a highly effective product for the benefit of the fibre optic networking industry.
IRis Safety Wand Patent Application Numbers
UK: 2118955.0 | International: PCT/GB2022/053212
IRis is a UK Registered Trademark
Benefits & Features
- Large Active Area
Accommodates fibre bundles up to 34mm diameter - Portable
Lightweight but robust, the wand is easily carried
and comes with a lanyard so it is always within reach - Non-reflective
Surface properties chosen to minimise the risk of injury
from stray reflections - Ready to use
No batteries or power needed - Storage Pouch
Soft interior protective pouch for safe storage - Branding Options
Add your company logo to the wand and/or lanyard – ask our sales team for more details
