What is the difference between mW and mW/cm2 measurement?
We would like to educate on why mW/cm2 is the only measurement that is important in comparing red light therapy systems. The mW/cm2 is the measurement of light intensity coming from the diode. The mW is the measurement of the power needed to run the diode. So, for example, let us say you are looking at a high-performance car that does 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. If you ask what the mW are it is like asking what gas the car runs on. You would want to know the horsepower the car has or mW/cm2. There are many different types of diodes some are regular, and some are high efficiency and everything in between. So, a highly efficient diode might only be 25mW but have a light intensity of 60mW/cm2 or a regular diode might be 120mW and only be 60mW/cm2. Both are putting out the same amount of light intensity and doing the same job but the highly efficient one takes less power to do it.
Closeness to the body in relativity for system performance.
We understand there are many different red-light therapy systems on the market today. We have worked extremely hard to develop the best performing red-light therapy systems on the market today. Red light dissipates extremely fast, so what that means is the further the diode from the body the less effective it is on the body. There are many systems on the market that have repurposed tanning beds into red light therapy systems. These make it extremely easy for them in manufacturing to produce but less effective for you. The problem many of these beds have is a 3” to as much as 12” gap between the diode and the body…..this is very bad for you the buyer and your end-user. With a light meter, we use to calibrate the diodes to their correct measurement, as an example, placing the meter on the diode for measurement of 40mW/cm2 then moving it only 2” away the reading drops dramatically to only 19mW/cm2, less than half of the light intensity of the diode. Can you imagine how poorly a system works 6”-12” away from the body?
Our bed has been specifically designed to be as close to the body as possible to avoid large gaps from the body. This is one reason why we feel our beds surpass any other system on the market.
Are more diodes better on a bed then one that has less?
This is a great question. The only diodes that are doing any good for treatment are the diode directly under the skin. There could be thousands of other diodes on the bed pointed at the ceiling and they are useless for treatment. Other bed systems with gaps that leave 3” to 12” from the body are doing next to nothing for treatment but are more for show and perceived value to increase the cost. This is why every Body Balance System bed is designed with high light intensity and extreme closeness of the diode to the body.
The other more important thing is mW/cm2 the measurement of light intensity in determining what system you should purchase.
We are not here to just sell you a bed but to help keep you and your clients informed we are here to make your business more successful.
We hope this helps clear up confusion we know exists out there in the Red Light Community. As one of the only Red Light equipment manufacturers in the USA, we want to help keep you and your clients well informed. Thank You !!!
