Philips has announced the release of a wearable device that uses blue LED light to manage mild to moderate cases of psoriasis vulgaris. The device, which will be available through distributors this month in Germany, Netherlands and the U.K., is called Philips BlueControl and will offer an effective form of treatment for the skin condition without requiring medication. Psoriasis is a skin condition that effects 125 million people across the planet. Of those suffering from the condition, 80% have the most common form, psoriasis vulgaris. Also known as plaque psoriasis, the condition causes plaques on the skin in the form of red raised skin and flakey “scales” that arise when the skin cells die. Symptoms of the condition include itching, pain and cracking. Needless to say, the physical and psychological effects can be debilitating for those patients suffering from this disease. While the precise causes of psoriasis are unknown, it’s generally accepted that the condition arises following damage to the immune system, enzymes and other materials, which leads to uncontrollable growth of keratinocytes (immature skin cells that produce keratin, a tough protein found in nails, hair and skin) that triggers the skin flakes and inflammation as the body works to rid itself of the growth. Existing treatments to reduce the symptoms of the condition include topical applications, prescription drugs and UV phototheraphy—a treatment which taxes patients and medical services by requiring frequent visits to doctors’ offices. Looking for a better way to treat this incurable condition, researchers have found simple LED blue light treatment slows rapid cell division and can also reduce inflammation, which are the root causes of psoriasis vulgarsis. Conducting clinical trials in Germany, Philips worked with researchers at the University Hospital of Aachen to investigate the safety and efficacy of the Philips BlueControl device to manage...

The Nobel Prize rewards an invention “of greatest benefit to mankind“, and this year, that distinction recognized LED lighting as an energy-efficient technology that will fundamentally change the way we see our planet. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that three scientists were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue LED. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura were the first to generate blue LED light, a feat that had eluded scientists for decades. Green and red LED lights had long since already existed, but blue light was necessary to combine with green and red to generate white light, as seen below.   Once blue LEDs were created, it allowed the commercial development of white LED lamps, which are now revolutionizing the lighting and energy sectors worldwide. It’s why we’re currently seeing a rapid transition to LEDs in everything from home and hotel illumination to massive infrastructural city lighting in places like London, Tokyo and New York. Interestingly, blue LEDs are also showing promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and were even used to reverse paralysis in laboratory mice. Among many other benefits, LED lamps are often recognized as being extremely energy-efficient. This is mainly reflected in a lamp’s “lumens per watt” data, which indicates the amount of light generated (“lumens”) per watt of energy used. High quality LEDs are capable of generating upwards of 300 lumens per watt, vastly outperforming incandescent and fluorescent lighting sources (16 lumens/watt and 70 lumens/watt, respectively). Further, LEDs last 10 to 100 times longer than competing technologies, which allows for a dramatic reduction in waste and material consumption. LED light is seen as a bright beacon for those in the developing world, where access to electricity often comes at a premium. “The LED...