See: www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/heals.html
In the early 1990s, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre researchers were experimenting with promoting plant growth in space. Ronald Ignatius, founder of QDI (Quantum Devices Incorporated the manufacturer of the device), proposed the use of SLEDs as a low-energy light source and in 1991 was awarded an SBIR (Small Business Innovation & Research) contract to develop the concept. QDI successfully developed a plant growth chamber using HEALS™ (High-Emissivity Aluminiferous Luminescent Substrate) as the light source, which enabled plants to grow on seven space shuttle missions and in the International Space Station’s Advanced Astroculture facility. The use of a high intensity SLED light, which emitted energy in the near infrared spectrum demonstrated that this red light wavelength could boost the energy metabolism of cells to activate plant growth and photosynthesis, providing a valuable source of oxygen and food in space. In 1993 the light sources made their space shuttle flight debut.
Encouraged by the way HEALS enhanced cellular function in plants, NASA and QDI began to study potential medical applications for HEALS light therapy. NASA then awarded QDI several new SBIR contracts to investigate how HEALS might promote wound healing by focussing on increasing the energy in human cells and to mitigate loss of bone and muscle mass in a microgravity environment.
NASA’s hope was that the SLED systems would yield medical benefits on earth. The term adopted by NASA and U.S. military scientists to describe its action is ‘Photobiomodulation’. They determined that the effectiveness of Phototherapy depends on the wavelength (nm), intensity, total energy delivered and total energy absorbed.
The Warp 10
Extensive clinical trials along with continued support from NASA and follow on grants from the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) helped QDI and The Medical College of Wisconsin (overseen by Professor Harry Whelen), to fully transition space technology into a new, non-invasive medical device called the QUANTUM WARP 10™ – WARP is an acronym for ‘Warfare Accelerated Recovery Photobiomodulator’. The WARP 10® was originally designed to assist astronauts and ‘special forces’, submarine and marines personnel on the front lines with immediate first aid and care for minor injuries and pain, thereby improving endurance in combat.
The device delivers 80 times more photon energy than a 250-Watt heat lamp, yet it remains cool to the touch. This power advantage reduces the treatment time required for each therapeutic session. It has a pre-set 88 second treatment session, with the majority of people seeing vast improvements from only 2 x 4 dose sessions a day. Completely safe and approved by the USA, AUS and UK/EU Medical Authorities, the device delivers a therapeutic ‘photonic’ treatment without the harmful effects of ultraviolet / blue solar radiation.
Most commercial ‘red lights’ on the market refer to the NASA research to justify their technology without producing any primary research to qualify it. They claim that their light systems have a ‘substantial equivalence’ to the WARP10. Much of what they produce is based upon comparative guesswork with the WARP 10. Although competitors like to link to ‘PR’ generated by NASA and other sources regarding the technology in order to gain credibility, it is important to remember that the QUANTUM WARP 10® is the only US -FDA / AUS -TGA / EU cleared for market ‘medical’ device that utilizes the HEALS® technology developed for and used by NASA and DARPA. Also it is the only photobiological system inducted into NASA’s Space Technology Hall of Fame.
“The devise looks so simple on the outside that it appears anyone with electronic skills and a soldering iron could make one up, but the reality is that in conjunction with the NASA Space Research grant and the research facilities of the Marshal Space Flight centre they had to produce an instrument with the exact right amount of photon ‘flux-density’ – essentially reproducing the ‘sun’ inside the plant growth chambers.”
— QDI & WARP 10 Founder and Inventor Ron Ignatius.
The QUANTUM WARP 10 is a ‘stand-alone’ accomplished scientific achievement, as it utilises a specialised solid state array of SLED ‘chips attached to a ‘thermal sync’ unit that facilitates a heat exchange to allow the QUANTUM WARP 10 to produce a high intensity monochromatic light source with up to 3 – 5 times more input energy than the SLED manufacturer specifies. It does this without producing any heat to maximise energy transfer into the cells and absorption into the tissues. As such, it has set a global ‘Gold Standard’ for Photobiomodulation application and research. This research technology is what allows Quantum Devices to reach the SLED power levels of 60mW/cm² of energy that research shows is most beneficial for pain management.
