Luminance Red VS Virulite
“How is the Luminance Red different than the Virulite?”
This a question we get quite often so we thought we would put the two devices against each other in a head to head comparison. Our hope was that this would help you to make a better decision as to which treatment device is right for you.
POWER
Arguably, the most important aspect of any light therapy treatment device is its power or irradiance. In nerd talk, it’s expressed in milliwatts per centimeter squared or mW/cm2.It is important to know your device’s power output because if you don’t, you won’t know if you’re getting enough light energy to be clinically effective.A lot of cheap devices you can find on Amazon are so low powered that even if you used the device 24 hours per day, you wouldn’t get enough ‘joules’ of energy to see any effect.
Every Luminance Red is independently tested to irradiate light at 100 mW/cm2. This means that every 60-second treatment you receive, you will be getting 6.0 joules of energy. This is the ideal amount based on many double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials.To dig deeper into the studies you can click here to look at the many clinical studies on PubMed.The Virulite doesn’t list the power of the device. They suggest a 3 minutes treatment session but does not indicate how many joules of energy you will receive.We highly suggest you insist on knowing the power of your treatment device to ensure that it’s effective. We’ve found that a lot of times when companies don’t list the power output, it's because it is underpowered and they don’t want it to be known. Next up is the wavelength of light that the device produces. This is expressed in nanometers or nm for short.
Wavelegnth
The Luminance RED emits red light measuring 660.0 nanometers. Clinical data indicates that red light is optimal for skin and surface tissue treatment, as it is most easily absorbed and utilized by the tissue. At this wavelength, the light is also a visible red color so you can see where you are applying treatment. As light progresses to higher wavelengths (800nm+) and transitions from red light to near-infrared light, the light isn’t as easily absorbed by the tissue, nor is it visible to the human eye. The Virulite emits ‘near-infrared’ light measuring 1072 nm.
Countdown Treatment Timer
The other difference between the two devices are that the Luminance RED has a built-in, digital countdown timer that automatically shuts off after 60 seconds, the recommended time per treatment. The Virulite does not have a visible timer, however, it does automatically shut off after the 3 minute treatment time.
Battery & Charger
The Luminance RED also includes a rechargeable battery and charging base. This eliminates the need to buy replacement batteries and prevents you from having a dead device when you need treatment.The Virulite uses a one time use, 9-volt battery which will need to be replaced when it dies.
Construction...What Are They Made Out Of?
The Virulite is also constructed of plastic.The Luminance RED is crafted from medical grade metals and injection-molded composite plastics. This allows for a high level of durability and precise light output.
Feel free to take a look around the site to learn more about how the actual science of red light therapy impacts cold sores and feel free to let us know if you have any questions about the treatment or device!
