The authors excised lenses from the eyes of 1-year-old male calves, obtained from a slaughterhouse. From each pair, one lens was exposed to microwaves and one was used as a control. The microwaves were 1.1 GHz frequency and 2 mW, and each lens was exposed for up to 8 days. Each hour the exposure was discontinued for 10 minutes. The optical function of the exposed lens was compared to its control every 24 hours. The temperature of the tissue fluid in the vicinity of the lens was monitored and found to be constant at 35°C.

It was found that the exposed lenses showed variation in focal length after about 48 hours of radiation. The optical damage reached its maximum four days later with no further damage up to the end of the exposure. The lens then started to recover. Microscopic examination of the lenses at the 12th or 16th day of culture (i.e. 4th or 8th day after the end of the exposure) was performed. Abnormal changes were seen in the form of bubbles along the lens sutures. This appeared to be distinctly different from that seen with damage from temperature increase within a lens.