Recent advances in the performance of light emitting diodes (LED) that emit near 630 nm has allowed the opportunity to develop efficient red light sources for photodynamic therapy with protoporphyrin IX") (ALA-PDT). LED lamps similar to those described here have been reported along with their clinical effectiveness('`). Light sources for PDT can be characterized by their spectral irradiance, irradiance uniformity, depth of focus, light output stability, electrical to optical conversion efficiency, beam size, cost, simplicity, reliability, maintenance requirements and overall functional lifetime. LED lights, for skin illumination, may be superior to currently available incoherent lights. Several light sources, that have been used for ALA-PDT, were evaluated by Gudgin Dickson et al 3) using a scanning point measurement system.
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