Apparently, lasers are either a food or drug now.

[Zofryer]

I was googling for the Romisen L-A030 because I'm considering modding one, and I came across this page:

DealExtreme: $20.34 Romisen L-A030 30mW Mini Green Laser (CR123A 3.6V)

Which contains this warning:

United States Customers Only: due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers units shipped to the United States are no longer accepted. Orders that were previously accepted and unshipped will be cancelled and refunded to customers.

This affects United States orders only.
Important FDA Warning for all >5mW Lasers: FDA advices all customers that these lasers may be purchased only if you are NOT a citizen of the United States and you are NOT currently living in the United States.


Exactly what the **** does the FDA have to do with lasers? Anybody else think this is getting a little ridiculous?

[LuckySevens4U]

You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG

[Casey C]

I was googling for the Romisen L-A030 because I'm considering modding one, and I came across this page:

DealExtreme: $20.34 Romisen L-A030 30mW Mini Green Laser (CR123A 3.6V)

Which contains this warning:

United States Customers Only: due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers units shipped to the United States are no longer accepted. Orders that were previously accepted and unshipped will be cancelled and refunded to customers.

This affects United States orders only.
Important FDA Warning for all >5mW Lasers: FDA advices all customers that these lasers may be purchased only if you are NOT a citizen of the United States and you are NOT currently living in the United States.


Exactly what the **** does the FDA have to do with lasers? Anybody else think this is getting a little ridiculous?

yes I saw that and was similarly angered, only I was viewing the 200mW red laser that lights matches ..

[killdozerd11]

I don't get it the FDA can only regulate medical devices and drugs

Are they saying that these low powered lasers are a medical device ??

I have used mid and hi power cutting and welding lasers and these ain't jack

[TnA]

I was googling for the Romisen L-A030 because I'm considering modding one, and I came across this page:

DealExtreme: $20.34 Romisen L-A030 30mW Mini Green Laser (CR123A 3.6V)

Which contains this warning:

United States Customers Only: due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers units shipped to the United States are no longer accepted. Orders that were previously accepted and unshipped will be cancelled and refunded to customers.

This affects United States orders only.
Important FDA Warning for all >5mW Lasers: FDA advices all customers that these lasers may be purchased only if you are NOT a citizen of the United States and you are NOT currently living in the United States.


Exactly what the **** does the FDA have to do with lasers? Anybody else think this is getting a little ridiculous?

I don't get it the FDA can only regulate medical devices and drugs

Are they saying that these low powered lasers are a medical device ??

I have used mid and hi power cutting and welding lasers and these ain't jack

That's funny Zof....I saw that months ago and never even noticed "FDA". I just knew they cannot be sold to US customers because of the 5mW rating.

killdozerd11, you can start fires with 5mW lasers and there was an issue with people using them to flash airplanes in the sky....you can also cause retinal damage very quickly w/ these, as well.

[Janetda]

Laser classes are broken down as follows (from Wikipedia):

• Class I/1 is inherently safe, usually because the light is contained in an enclosure, for example in cd players.
• Class II/2 is safe during normal use; the blink reflex of the eye will prevent damage. Usually up to 1 mW power, for example laser pointers.
• Class IIIa/3R lasers are usually up to 5 mW and involve a small risk of eye damage within the time of the blink reflex. Staring into such a beam for several seconds is likely to cause (minor) eye damage.
• Class IIIb/3B can cause immediate severe eye damage upon exposure. Usually lasers up to 500 mW, such as those in cd and dvd burners.
• Class IV/4 lasers can burn skin, and in some cases, even scattered light can cause eye and/or skin damage. Many industrial and scientific lasers are in this class.

Reportedly, something at 50mW can also blind pilots in the air if you hit the cockpit from the ground. Anyway, that's just what I read, for what it's worth.

[Ridewithme38]

Off topic slightly...Wow they make handheld lasers up to 500mW's?? That just seems like insanity to me...I don't see a reason you'd need something that powerful to be hand held...Just Parlor tricks like Popping Balloons and lighting Matches?

Seems unreasonable dangerous to me

[TnA]

Off topic slightly...Wow they make handheld lasers up to 500mW's?? That just seems like insanity to me...I don't see a reason you'd need something that powerful to be hand held...Just Parlor tricks like Popping Balloons and lighting Matches?

Seems unreasonable dangerous to me

LOL...yeah...they've come a long way. When I was about 12 years old, my friend's (across the street) dad was a scientist at 3M and wanted to show my dad this "laser thingy" he was working on. Brought over this box about the size of a suitcase and fired it up and put a red light on his house from our house.....thought it was the coolest thing ever!!!

[ramblingrose]

It's because of damage to the retina if 5mW or higher is viewed for as little as a quarter second. It takes about that amount of time for the eye respond with a protective blink, so it's cutting it close, and something that can happen. For someone with a condition that delays blinking longer, damage is likely.

There are no restrictions on lasers less than 5mW.

[kinabaloo]

This is some way off, but a laser powered atomiser is a distinct possibility. Though the light would need to be in the infra-red range.

Why bother with lasers? Because they could achieve the vaporisation using only a fraction of the power used by heater coils, because with heater coils one first needs to heat the coil itself.

The laser itself would be as small as an LED.

There is considerable danger in trying any DIY experiments, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it