Q.Who has studied Photodynamic Light Therapy?

A. The following is a sample list of scientific institutions that have conducted clinical studies on the efficacy of Photodynamic Light Therapy

  • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
  • National Cancer Institute
  • Massachusetts General Hospital, Wellman Labs
  • University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
  • Kingston Regional Cancer Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
  • Royal Brisbane Hospital, Physiotherapy Department, Herston, Queensland, Australia 4029
  • St. James Hospital, Department of Vascular Surgery, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Institute of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Padua and Associazione Italiana per la Ricercae, l ’Aggiornamento Scientifico, Padua, Italy.

Q: What is the Difference between LED’s and LASERS?

  • Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are another form of light therapy that is a relatively recent development of the laser industry. LEDs are similar to lasers inasmuch as they have the same healing effects but differ in the way that the light energy is delivered. A significant difference between lasers and LEDs is the power output. The peak power output of LEDs is measured in milliwatts, while that of lasers is measured in watts. However, this difference when considered alone is misleading, since the most critical factor that determines the amount of energy delivered is the duty cycle of the device.

  • LED devices usually have a 50% duty cycle. That is, the LED pulse is "on" for 0.5 seconds and "off" for 0.5 seconds versus the 2 ten-millionths of a second burst from laser at 1 cycle per second (1hz). Moreover, LED is "on" 50% of the time and "off" 50% of the time regardless of what frequency setting (pulses per second) is used.

  • In the majority of lasers on the market, the energy output varies with the frequency setting: the lower the frequency, the lower the output. In the Omnilight system on the contrary, the output is constant regardless of frequency. Even in the case of lasers that claim a peak output of 10 watts, because of the very short duty cycle, the average output at the highest frequencies is of the order of about 10 milliwatts. At the lower frequencies, however, the average output plummets into the range of microwatts (1 microwatt = 1000th of 1 milliwatt).

  • LEDs do not deliver enough power to damage the tissue, but they do deliver enough energy to stimulate a response from the body to heal itself. With a low peak power output but high duty cycle, the LEDs provide a much gentler delivery of the same healing wavelengths of light as does the laser but at a substantially greater energy output. For this reason, LEDs do not have the same risk of accidental eye damage that lasers do.

  • Moreover, LEDs are neither coherent nor collimated and they generate a broader band of wavelengths than do the single-wavelength laser. Non-collimation and the wide-angle diffusion of the LED confers upon it a greater ease of application, since light emissions are thereby able to penetrate a broader surface area. Moreover, the multiplicity of wavelengths in the LED, contrary to the single-wavelength laser, may enable it to affect a broader range of tissue types and produce a wider range of photochemical reactions in the tissue.

  • If LED light disperses over a greater surface area, it results in a faster treatment time for a given area than laser. The primary reason that Omnilight chose the LEDs over lasers is that LEDs are safer, more cost effective, provide a gentle but effective delivery of light and a greater energy output per unit of surface area in a given time duration. They are offered in combinations of visible red light at 660nm and infrared light at from 830nm to 930nm, with 880nm as their average.
Q:What is phototherapy or photon therapy?

  • A. Light therapy has also been given the name "phototherapy" and is sometimes also referred to as photontherapy, photodynamic therapy and LED light therapy. A study done by the Mayo Clinic in 1989 suggests that the results of light therapy are a direct effect of light itself, generated at specific wavelengths, and are not necessarily a function of the characteristics of coherency and polarization associated with lasers. In a study entitled Low-Energy Laser Therapy: Controversies and New Research Findings, Jeffrey R. Basford, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic¹s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, suggests that the coherent aspect of laser may not be the source of its therapeutic effect. He states "firstly, the stimulating effects (from therapeutic light) are reported following irradiation with non-laser sources and secondly, tissue scattering, as well as fiber optic delivery systems used in many experiments rapidly degrade coherency . . . Thus any effects produced by low-energy lasers may be due to the effects of light in general and not to the unique properties of lasers.

    • Q. Where can I read more about LED Light Therapy?

  • A. ledresearch.net
    NASA has published research demonstrating that LED’s are optimal in promoting “wound healing and human tissue growth”. National Geographic Magazine, in January of 2001 described LED technology as “the lights that heal” and a recent issue of Newsweek’s stated that LED’s showed “great promise in pain relief.” The site www.laser.nu contains over 400 research abstracts on LED therapy.

    • Q. Are there any known side effects?

  • A. The technology has been around for 40 years, and I have never read or heard about any side effects.

    • Q. How long are the LED and APlightsource2000 treatments?

  • A. 20 minutes per session. APlightsource2000 treatments take twenty minutes.

    • Q. Is the technology FDA approved?

  • A. Yes The devices have been approved for pain management and cosmetic skin rejuvination.

    • Q. How many treatments are needed?

  • A. While everyone is different, a good rule of thumb based on current physician recommendations is 10 sessions, one or two per week. Since the treatment is non-thermal, you can be treated up to twice a week.

    • Q. Do the results last forever?

  • A. If we are talking about scars, stretchmarks, once they are gone they will not return. As for aging issues, maintenance is required.

    • Q. Will LED therapy work for old scars?

  • A. Yes, although the process will take a little longer than that for new scars.

    • Q. Will the LED treatments hurt?

  • A. No. Unlike lasers, LED therapy is non-thermal and patients are reporting no pain associated with the treatments.

    • Q. When will I start seeing results?

  • A. Treatments are progressive, and you will notice more correction with each treatment. Patients are reporting noticeable changes as early as after 5 to 7 treatments.