10 ESSENTIALS: 06 – Power

Power Means Time

Power is one of the easiest laser specifications to compare because it gives you a number – but a bigger number does not automatically mean a better laser.

In photobiomodulation (PBM), power is measured in watts or milliwatts and describes the rate at which energy is being delivered. Time then becomes part of the relationship: Energy = Power x Time

This relationship is why Blue Honest describes this Essential simply: Power means time.

Same Energy. Very Different Time.

The difference becomes clear when comparing how long different power levels take to deliver the same amount of energy. To deliver approximately 100 joules:

• 1,000 mW →  approximately 2 minutes
• 100 mW →   approximately 20 minutes
• 10 mW →   approximately 200 minutes 

These are rounded examples based on the basic relationship between power, energy and time. The point is not that the highest possible power is always best; it is that power directly affects how quickly a given amount of energy can be delivered.

Why More Time Is Not Always the Same

It may seem logical that a very low powered laser could simply be used longer to compensate, but PBM research suggests the relationship is more complex. Experimental work has demonstrated the importance of light intensity, including evidence that simply extending exposure time with a weaker source does not necessarily reproduce the same biological response at a different intensity. (1)

This is one reason power and timing are so closely connected. How much light is delivered matters. How quickly it is delivered matters too.

Power Across the PRO VX Spectrum

The Blue Honest PRO VX laser system has a combined output of 1,110 mW, with 1,000 mW coming from four 808 nm near infrared laser diodes and the remaining power distributed across the visible wavelengths.

That power allows energy to be delivered within practical application times. But it also introduces another important consideration. If power determines how quickly energy is delivered, timing determines how long it is delivered.

Those two factors are closely connected, which is why understanding power naturally leads to timing.

Research & References

(1) Sommer AP, Pinheiro ALB, Mester AR, Franke RP, Whelan HT. Biostimulatory windows in laser activation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11547815/