长期以来，关于剂量反应曲线、作用谱和剂量效应的争论一直存在 红外线白内障的产生机制。一些科学家认为 损伤机制纯粹是热损伤，其他人认为有证据表明 它可能是光化学的。如果机理是光化学的，则为强波长 在近红外光谱区域将出现依赖性，这将产生 对灯具安全、IR-A医疗设备、职业接触限值具有重要意义 以及工业护目镜的设计。随着高功率红外技术的出现 LED和二极管激光器以及波长可调红外激光器（例如钛） 蓝宝石激光器），这是第一次有可能进行决定性的 红外白内障作用光谱的结论性实验室研究。 LED、灯具和激光器的制造商应该对结果非常感兴趣 这类研究的一部分。如果病因（原因）纯粹是热的，则环境温度为 红外辐射的光谱含量变得很重要，这很重要 本报告对此进行了回顾。目前，大量证据表明，该病的病因 机制是热的。

There has long been a debate about the dose response curve, action spectrum and mechanism for the production of infrared cataracts. Some scientists believe that the damage mechanism is purely thermal, others suggest that there is some evidence that it could be photochemical. If the mechanism is photochemical, a strong wavelength dependence in the near infrared spectral region will be present, and this will have great significance for lamp safety, IR-A medical devices, occupational exposure limits and the design of industrial eye protection. With the advent of high-power infrared LEDs and diode lasers as well as wavelength-tuneable infrared lasers (e.g. Titanium Sapphire laser), it is now possible for the first time to conduct a definitive and conclusive laboratory study of the action spectrum for infrared cataract. Manufacturers of LEDs, lamps and lasers should be intensely interested in the results of such studies. If the aetiology (cause) is purely thermal, the ambient temperature as well as the spectral content of the infrared irradiation becomes important and this is reviewed in this report. Currently the weight of evidence suggests that the aetiological mechanism is thermal.