One of the areas Spectrasol focuses on is phototherapy – the use of full-spectrum LED light in healthcare. On May 13, 2024, at the National Institute of Mental Health, we introduced two innovations: a phototherapeutic light pavilion and a portable case designed for treatment and prevention in the field of mental health. These are the results of four years of joint development of phototherapeutic tools as part of a grant project from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, in which we collaborated with the University Center for Energy-Efficient Buildings (ČVUT UCEEB) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NÚDZ).
Both products utilize the patented full-spectrum LED technology Spectrasol Therapeutic, which sets them apart from existing phototherapeutic devices: the pavilion and the case have significantly higher efficacy on patients’ mental well-being and do not cause the common negative effects on patients’ eyes that limit the tolerability of standard phototherapy. These products are in the final phase of registration with the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) as medical devices and are also protected by utility models.
The phototherapeutic pavilion will be particularly appreciated by mental health centers and other healthcare institutions, while its use is also suitable for spa facilities.
The phototherapeutic case can be used for both doctor-prescribed outpatient and home applications.
The four-year development process included extensive clinical studies. The efficacy testing was conducted on both healthy individuals and psychiatric patients, confirming the desired effects in areas such as circadian rhythm synchronization, affective experience and mood, cognitive functions, brain electrical activity, sleep, and visual comfort.
Key findings and effects:
- Two weeks of regular exposure to phototherapeutic light (approximately 3,000 lx) led to a significant reduction in subjectively experienced depressive symptoms according to the BDI scale.
- After 14 days of phototherapy exposure, sleep quality improved, and participants fell asleep faster in the evening.
- The positive effects of phototherapy have also been confirmed for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), bipolar depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, borderline personality disorder with comorbid depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.
- For seasonal depression, phototherapy is considered a first-line treatment, and meta-analyses confirm its effectiveness even for non-seasonal depression, with an effect size comparable to that of antidepressants. Unlike conventional pharmacotherapy, phototherapy brings improvement within days and can therefore help bridge the onset period of antidepressant effects.
- The application is also suitable for postpartum depression, pregnancy-related depression, bulimia, ADHD, intensive care units (ICU), inpatient facilities, shift work environments, and more.
Both devices will continue to be used by NÚDZ for patient treatment, and the results of the joint research and development will be presented at the World Chronobiology Conference in December 2024.
Spectrasol aims to offer these developed products for widespread application wherever they can be beneficial.
More information about phototherapy and Spectrasol products can be found HERE.
The development and application methodology of these devices were created in collaboration with ČVUT UCEEB and NÚDZ as part of project no. FW02020025, funded by state support from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Industry and Trade under the TREND Program.
Translated using AI
