If you searched “phantom lasers laser device” hoping to find a laser with that name, this is not a product review. In laser research, a “phantom” is a stand-in material: a tissue-mimicking block or a set of synthetic stones that a laser is fired at to measure what the beam does. This is desk research on published studies and one public forum thread, so below you will find what those studies tested, which laser types they used, what commenters flagged about safety, and where to check price and legal questions.
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What does “phantom” mean in laser research?
In the studies indexed by PubMed, a phantom copies tissue or stone so a laser can be tested in a controlled setting. The 2017 laser-tattoo phantom study built a tattoo-embedded tissue-mimicking phantom. The 2026 World Journal of Urology study used synthetic gypsum stones, and the 2020 BJU International study used BegoStones.
What did these laser studies find?
The 2017 laser-tattoo phantom study found that 3- and 5-ms pulses produced a finer granular pattern of tattoo destruction than a 10-ms pulse. The 2017 Scientific Reports laser-tattoo study reported that tattoo pigment broke into coarse particles after a single laser pulse, then into smaller pieces after repeated pulses, with photothermal and photoacoustic injury zones forming around them.
The 2020 BJU International study found that stone displacement decreased with longer pulse duration and lower pulse peak power, without sacrificing ablation efficiency. The 2026 World Journal of Urology study found that the thulium fiber laser achieved rapid ablation and fragmentation but generated significantly more heat, especially in long pulse mode. That study says further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these advantages in practice.
In a Cleveland Clinic pediatric epilepsy report, the laser step was performed under general anesthesia, and the treatment period from probe insertion to the end of lesioning was five minutes.
What would a laser weapon do to a human?
The studies above cover lab and surgical lasers, not weapons. The closest safety discussion is a Tildes forum thread about a laser-wielding device for mosquitoes. One commenter wrote: “Anything that can vaporise mosquito wings can also vaporise small chunks of your retina.” Another said the device’s video shows it “sitting on a patio table, just anywhere and everywhere,” with no regard to “the possibility of it hitting a human either directly or by reflection off nearby objects.” These are commenters’ views, not test results.
Which laser types are used besides laser diodes?
The studies above used these laser types, none of them laser diodes.
| Laser | Settings in the study | Study |
|---|---|---|
| Holmium:YAG, P120H (Lumenis) with Moses technology | Short (SP), long (LP) and Moses pulse (MP) modes | 2020 BJU International |
| Super-pulse thulium fibre laser (Urolase SP, IRE-Polus) | 1.94 μm emission; regular pulse (RP) and dual pulse (DP) modes | 2020 BJU International |
| Magneto Holmium:YAG (Quanta System Cyber Ho 150 W Magneto) | Standard, Magneto and Virtual Basket settings | 2026 World Journal of Urology |
| Fiber dust thulium fiber laser | Short and long pulse settings; 200 μm and 550 μm fibers | 2026 World Journal of Urology |
| Q-switched Nd:YAG | 532, 660 and 1064 nm; spot sizes of 4 and 7 mm | 2017 laser-tattoo phantom study |
| Picosecond and nanosecond 1,064-nm Nd:YAG | 5-pass picosecond and nanosecond treatments | 2017 Scientific Reports |
| Long-pulsed 755-nm alexandrite | Spot size 6 mm; pulse widths of 3, 5 and 10 ms | 2017 laser-tattoo phantom study |
Price, legal and military questions
Prices change, so check today’s price directly with the seller before you order. Ownership rules for laser devices are a legal question, so check your local rules before you buy. For military, record-power, moon and space laser questions, look for the government or university publication that reports the specific system, since the studies above are about medical and lab lasers.
If you are shopping for a consumer laser
If you want a laser for play or decor rather than research, our laser x page covers a laser tag system, and our star night laser page covers home decoration lighting.
Before you order
- Ask the seller for the wavelength, power output and pulse duration in writing. One Tildes commenter noted that the maker did not appear to state them.
- Look for an interlock key and clear warning labels. One commenter described these on a 2W diode laser they own.
- Check today’s price at checkout, and confirm your local laws on owning a laser.
By InfinitePowerSolutions.com Technology Desk
