Spectron IR

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Light emitting diodes (LED) are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they do not have a filament that will burn out. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material. LED’s produce incoherent light just like an ordinary light bulb does. Light from LED’s have very little tissue penetration compared to laser light. By applying the first law of photochemistry (Grotthus-Draper Law), which states that light must be absorbed by a molecule before photochemistry can occur, one can immediately conclude that light from LED’s would work only on skin level conditions, if at all. For conditions deeper than skin layers one must choose light from a laser source.

Laser Therapy as a Healing Stimulus.

Biological Effects of Laser Light Lasers can strengthen damaged cells. Using photochemical processes, laser light inserts bio-photons into damaged cells. The cells begin to produce energy (ATP), which improves their function, assists their division, strengthens the body’s immune system and causes the secretion of various hormones. The tissues are healed, and pain disappears. If damaged cells have died, the bio-photons help the division of neighboring cells, generating new tissues, and bring about healing. Lasers commonly in use for laser therapy (LT) operate at a wavelength between 600 and 1060 nanometers (nm). Laser devices in this range are known to be safe because they do not include wavelengths in the lower end of the spectrum, which includes X-RAYs and Gamma Rays that cause destructive ionization in the cell. The first lasers used for LT were gas-tube, helium neon lasers at 632nm. Developed in the 1960's, these lasers were very expensive to purchase and too difficult to operate, limiting their availability to just a few well-financed researchers. In the 1980s however, technological advances allowed for the emergence of relatively inexpensive laser diodes with a wide range of wavelengths. Many Therapeutic Lasers were developed and sold during this period, but were all very low power, around 1 miliwatt (mW). The development of devices for LT has proceeded in such small steps because rather than being driven by the demand for LT devices, the production and availability of laser diodes is driven by the massive demand for laser diodes in technology such as compact disc players, laser scanners, and for a wide range of defense applications. As these technologies matured in the 1990's, they were able to handle much higher power outputs, as high as 500mW, resulting in shorter treatment times for LT applications.

Wavelengths and Impact of Penetration and Absorption.

Portions of these diode laser wavelengths are visible, from 600 up to approximately 780 or 820 nm. Humans have a declining ability to see light above approximately 820nm. Photon energy increases as the wavelength decreases; conversely, penetration through the skin increases as wavelength increases. Thus, certain conditions may benefit from lower wavelengths where most of the energy is absorbed at the surface, and other conditions may benefit more from higher wavelengths that permit deeper penetration. It follows that an ideal wavelength for treating most conditions would be in the midrange.

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