• Medical Lasers
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.150-158
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• 2020

Background and Objectives Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is used widely to promote hair growth in androgenetic alopecia (AGA). This study examined the clinical efficacy and safety of a home-use LLLT device with a newly designed array of light sources and software optimized for individual types of AGA. Materials and Methods The study was a randomized, double-blind, sham device-controlled trial. Forty-eight subjects (39 men and nine women) were assigned randomly in a 2:1 ratio to use either the test device (LG Pra'L HGN1, LG electronics, Korea) or sham device. The subjects used the LLLT device three times a week for 16 weeks. Phototrichogram was used to measure the hair density and hair thickness at 0, 8, and 16-weeks. Adverse events were closely monitored. Results After 16 weeks of using the device, the test group showed a significant increase in hair density and hair thickness compared to the control. In the test group, the hair density increased 6.96 counts/cm² at eight weeks and 13.67 counts/cm² at 16 weeks from the baseline. The hair thickness increased 7.21 ㎛ at eight weeks and 11.80 ㎛ at 16 weeks compared to the baseline. Conclusion The home-use LLLT device with a novel array of light sources and an individualized program according to the types of hair loss appears to be an effective and safe treatment modality for both male and female AGA patients.

• Medical Lasers
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.95-102
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• 2020

Phototherapy has a profound immunosuppressive effect and is widely used for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Since allergic rhinitis (AR) shares several common pathologic features with atopic dermatitis, intranasal phototherapy is a novel approach for treating AR. Phototherapy reduces the antigen presenting capacity of dendritic cells, induces apoptosis of immune cells, and inhibits synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory mediators from inflammatory cells. The effectiveness of phototherapy for AR has been extensively researched: from in vitro studies to several clinical trials. Data indicates the potential of intranasal phototherapy as an alternative treatment for AR as well as other inflammatory mucosal diseases. In this review, we introduce the in vitro, in vivo studies, and clinical trials which demonstrated the effect of phototherapy on AR.

• Medical Lasers
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2020

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been investigated to enhance and accelerate the recovery of injured peripheral nerves. Based on the wide range of benefits of PBM therapy and its clinical relevance, this study reviewed the efficacy of PBM in injured facial nerves. The search was performed in the PubMed database to find relevant articles published over the last 10 years. Four animal studies, two randomized controlled studies, one case series, and five case reports were reviewed. Despite the various parameters, functional analysis showed that PBM therapy using near-infrared irradiation has beneficial effects on the recovery of the acute phase of the damaged facial nerve, especially when related to faster functional improvement. There were no reported adverse effects of PBM therapy.

• Medical Lasers
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.94-96
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• 2019

Burns are one of the most extensive injuries of soft tissues as well as skin, occasionally resulting in extensive, deep wounds and death. Burn wounds can lead to severe physical and psychological distress because of excessive scarring and skin contractures. Treatment of burn wounds has always been a challenging problem and many different methods have been used to treat such injuries. We report here on treating a patient with a burn wound using 830-nm light emitting diode (LED) phototherapy combined with epidermal growth factor (EGF) solution. After five daily sessions of LED with EGF solution treatment, the patient demonstrated nearly complete improvement with no remarkable side effects. We suggest that LED phototherapy combined with EGF solution could be an effective and safe treatment option for treating burn wounds.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.195-203
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• 2012

Dental implants using titanium have greatly advanced through the improvement of designs and surface treatments. Nonetheless, the anatomical limits and physiological changes of the patient are still regarded as obstacles in increasing the success rate of implants further, even with the enhancement of implant products. So there have been many efforts to overcome these limits. The intrinsic potential for bone regeneration can be stimulated through adjuvant treatments with the continuous improvement of implant properties, and this can play an important role in achieving optimum osseointegration toward peripheral bone tissue and securing ultimate long-term implant stability in standard surgical procedures. For this purpose, various chemical, biological, or biophysical measures were developed such as bone grafts, materials, pharmacological agents, growth factors, and bone formation proteins. The biophysical stimulation of bone union includes non-invasive and safe methods. In the beginning, it was developed as a method to enhance the healing of fractures, but later evolved into Pulsed Electromagnetic Field, Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound, and Low-Level Laser Therapy. Their beneficial effects were confirmed in many studies. This study sought to examine bone-implant union and its latest trend as well as the biophysical stimulation method to enhance the union. In particular, this study suggested the enhancement of the function of cells and tissues under a disadvantageous bone metabolism environment through such adjunctive stimulation. This study is expected to serve as a treatment guideline for implant-bone union under unfavorable circumstances caused by systemic diseases hampering bone metabolism or the host environment.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Objective: Low level laser treatment (LLLT) is widely used in physical therapy practice. It is combined with physical therapy or LLLT alone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT on patients' perception of general wrist pain. Design: Longitudinal study. Methods: Forty-eight subjects with wrist pain who were in the age range of 18-70 years old were examined. The subjects were asked, via an interview and a visual analog scale, to grade their wrist pain. They were asked to rotate their wrists through full range of motion and the angle at which any pain occurred was assessed. Each subject was then exposed to one of the following: 1) treatment with an infrared laser with the power turned off (placebo), 2) treatment with an infrared therapeutic laser, 3) treatment with a red therapeutic laser, 4) treatment with an ultraviolet laser, 5) treatment with a blue laser, 6) treatment with a Mickey Mouse flashlight. The duration of the treatment was 3 sessions in 3 days. Results: The results of the experiments showed that while pain was reduced both immediately after and the next day after laser therapy (p<0.05), there was no significant difference between the laser groups and the placebo group. However, the Mickey Mouse flashlight treatment groups had a greater range of motion than the laser groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: While pain was reduced in all laser groups, it was probably a placebo effect. The Mickey Mouse flashlight group probably received benefit from the heat of the flashlight.

• 한국추진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국추진공학회 1995년도 제4회 학술강연회논문집
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• pp.171-175
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• 1995

Semiconductor diode lasers that can generate one watt or more of optical energy for tens of milliseconds (quasi continuous wave) are now readily available. Several researchers have demonstrated that this power level, when properly coupled, can reliably initiate pyrotechnic mixtures. This means that the initiator containing the pyrotechnic can be protected against inadvertent initiation from electromagnetic radiation or electrostatic discharge by a conducting Faraday cage surrounding the explosive. Only a small dielectric window penetrates the housing of the initiator, thereby eliminating the conductors necessitated by a bridgewire electroexplosive device. The diode laser itself, however, functions at a low voltage (typically 3 volts) and hence is susceptible to inadvertent function from power supply short circuits, electrostatic discharge or induced RF energy. The rocket motor arm-fire device de-scribed in this paper uses a diode laser, but protects it from unintentional function with a Radio Frequency Attenuating Coupler (RFAC).The RFAC, invented by ML Aviation, a UK company, transfers power into a Faraday cage via magnetic flux, thereby protecting the diode, its drive circuit and the pyrotechnic from all electromagnetic and electrostatic hazards. The first production application of a diode laser and RFAC device was by the Korean Agency for Defense Development.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.160-166
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• 2019

This study examined the clinical use of two newly installed computed tomography (CT) simulators in the Department of Radiation Oncology. The accreditation procedure was performed by the Korean Institute for Accreditation of Medical Imaging. An Xi R/F dosimeter was used to measure the CT dose index for each plug of the CT dose index phantom. Image qualities such as the Hounsfield unit (HU) value of water, noise level, homogeneity, existence of artifacts, spatial resolution, contrast, and slice thickness were evaluated by scanning a CT performance phantom. All test items were evaluated as to whether they were within the required tolerance level. CT calibration curves-the relationship between CT number and relative electron density-were obtained for dose calculations in the treatment planning system. The positional accuracy of the lasers was also evaluated. The volume CT dose indices for the head phantom were 22.26 mGy and 23.70 mGy, and those for body phantom were 12.30 mGy and 12.99 mGy for the first and second CT simulators, respectively. HU accuracy, noise, and homogeneity for the first CT simulator were -0.2 HU, 4.9 HU, and 0.69 HU, respectively, while those for second CT simulator were 1.9 HU, 4.9 HU, and 0.70 HU, respectively. Five air-filled holes with a diameter of 1.00 mm were used for assessment of spatial resolution and a low contrast object with a diameter of 6.4 mm was clearly discernible by both CT scanners. Both CT simulators exhibited comparable performance and are acceptable for clinical use.

• Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.846-853
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• 2018

Objective To compare the effects of low intensity ultrasound (LIUS), traditional exercise therapy (TET), low level laser therapy (LLLT) and TET on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and trismus following recovery from head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods Sixty participants following, who had experienced HNC, were randomly allocated to three groups of 20 people each. Each group received different therapy. Group A received LIUS and TET; group B received LLLT and TET; while group C received TET. All 60 participants were evaluated under the visual analog scale (VAS), the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire (UW-QOL) and the Vernier caliper scale (VCS) at the beginning of the therapies and after 4 weeks. Results ANOVA test revealed significant improvements across all three groups with outcomes of p<0.05. The results of the UW-QOL questionnaire showed a significant difference between groups A, B and C in favor of group A (p<0.05). The VAS results showed a more improvement in group A as compared to group B (p<0.05), while there was no statistical difference between groups B and C (p>0.05). The VCS results showed more improvement for the individuals in group B as compared to those in group C (p<0.05), while there was minimal difference between groups A and B (p>0.05). Conclusion The LIUS and TET are more effective than LLLT and/or TET in reducing TMJ pain and trismus following HNC.

• Medical Lasers
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.96-105
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• 2021

Background and Objectives Skin aging is reportedly associated with regulation in collagen and elastin synthesis. This study investigated the potential of combining light-emitting diode (LED) treatments using a 630-nm and 850-nm LED with simultaneous microcurrent application. Materials and Methods The dorsal skin of female pigs was treated with a home-use device. We examined the treatment effects using photography, thermocamera, microscopic pathology, and histological examination to determine the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of the procedure. A histological observation was performed using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, Victoria blue, and immunohistochemical staining. We also used the Sircol soluble collagen and elastin assay kit to measure the amounts of collagen and elastin in the porcine back skin tissue after 2 and 6 weeks. Results Evaluation by visual inspection and devices showed no skin damage or heat-induced injury at the treatment site. Histological staining revealed that accurate treatment of the targeted dermis layer effectively enhanced collagen and elastin deposition. Collagen type I, a protein defined by immunohistochemical staining, was overexpressed in the early stages of weeks 2 and 6. Combined therapy findings showed the superior capability of the 630-nm and 850-nm LED procedures to induce collagen; in contrast, elastin induction was more pronounced after microcurrent treatments. Conclusion The home-use LED device, comprising a combination of 630-nm and 850-nm LEDs and microcurrent, is safe and can be used as an adjunctive treatment for self-administered facial rejuvenation.