CSOne of Spectrasol’s areas of focus is phototherapy – the use of full-spectrum LED light in healthcare. On May 13, 2024, at the National Institute of Mental Health, we presented two new products: a phototherapy light pavilion and a suitcase designed for mental health treatment and prevention. This is the result of four years of joint development of phototherapeutic aids within the framework of a grant project from the Czech Technology Agency, in which we participated together with the CTU UCEEB and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Both products use Spectrasol Therapeutic’s patented full-spectrum LED technology, which differentiates them from existing phototherapy devices: the pavilion and the case have a significantly higher efficiency on the patients’ psyche and do not have the usual negative effects on the patients’ eyes that limit the tolerance of the application. The products are in the final stage of registration with the SÚKL as medical devices and are also protected by utility models.
The phototherapy pavilion will be especially appreciated by mental health centres and other medical institutions, and its use is also offered in spa facilities.
The phototherapy case can be used in doctor-prescribed outpatient and home applications.
Thorough clinical trials were part of the four-year development. Efficacy testing has been conducted on healthy populations and psychiatric patients and the desired effects have been confirmed in the areas of synchronization of circadian rhythms, affective experience and mood, cognitive function, brain electrical activity, sleep and visual comfort.
Key findings and effects:
- Two weeks of regular exposure to phototherapeutic light (approximately 3000 lx) resulted in a significant reduction in subjectively experienced depressive symptoms as measured by the BDI.
- After 14 days of exposure to phototherapy, sleep quality improved and the subjects fell asleep faster in the evening.
- Positive effects of phototherapy are also confirmed in seasonal affective disorder (SAD), bipolar depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression, borderline personality disorder with comorbid depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.
- For seasonal depression, phototherapy is considered the treatment of first choice, and meta-analyses confirm its efficacy in non-seasonal depression, with effect sizes comparable to those of antidepressants. In contrast to conventionally used pharmacotherapy, phototherapy brings improvement within days and can therefore also help to bridge the onset of action of antidepressants.
- The application is also suitable in cases of postpartum and pregnancy depression, bulimia, ADHD, in ICU and inpatient facilities, in shift work areas, etc.
Both facilities will continue to use NÚDZ for the treatment of their patients and the results of the joint research and development will be presented, among others, at the World Chronobiology Conference in December 2024.
Spectrasol intends to offer the developed products for widespread use wherever they can help.
The development and application methodology of these devices were developed in cooperation with CTU UCEEB and NÚDZ in the project No. FW02020025 funded with the support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic within the TREND Programme.
