Laser Safety Enclosures for Two Benchtop Raman Microscope Systems

The Office of Regulatory Affairs/Forensic Chemistry Center (ORA//FCC) requires two (2) CDRH laser safety enclosures for two benchtop Raman microscope systems. These laser safety enclosures are required to provide the necessary laser safety for the user when performing sample analysis using either benchtop Raman microscope system. The FCC laboratory’s two benchtop Raman microscope systems are extremely useful in the analysis of unknown materials. These instruments provide the FCC the ability to nondestructively analyze very small amounts of material. The bench top Raman instruments used in FCC’s Trace Examination Section can be operated with two different laser wavelengths. Although both instruments require a key to power on the individual lasers and an interlock switch to turn on the lasers, neither instrument has an enclosure around the microscope stage. The sample is mounted on the microscope stage for analysis and the laser light exits the instrument through the microscope to the sample. Because of a lack of enclosure, the user may be exposed to laser light during a measurement. The addition of laser safety enclosures around both benchtop Raman microscopes would address any potential laser safety issues for the user.