Key Terms

A capacitor bank is a grouping of several identical capacitors interconnected in parallel or in series with one another as required.

A laser is device that produces light that is monochromatic, directional, and coherent. "Laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser consists of an optical cavity, a pumping system, and an appropriate lasing medium.

A laser system is an assembly of electrical, mechanical, and optical components that includes a laser.

An aversion response is the closure of the eyelid, eye movement, papillary constriction, or movement of the head to avoid an exposure to a bright light stimulant.

The laser medium can be a solid, gas, dye, or semiconductor. Lasers are commonly designated by the type of material employed to emit the laser light.

A laser operator is a person who handles the laser equipment, is responsible for setting up the laser prior to use, or operates the console to control the laser parameters under supervision of the user. The operator may also be the laser user.

A laser user is a person who controls the application of the laser radiation at the working area and applies the laser energy of the laser system for its intended purpose within his or her scope of practice, license, training, and experience.

The laser system is used in a room called a laser treatment controlled area (LTCA).

Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) is the level of laser radiation to which a person, under normal circumstances, can be exposed without hazardous effects or adverse biological changes.

The optical cavity is the space between laser mirrors where lasing action occurs.

The pumping system uses photons from another source to transfer energy to the media, or electrical discharge within the pure gas or gas mixture media, or relies on the binding energy released in chemical reactions to raise the media to the lasing state.

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