Where can I buy 660nm and 415nm Fluroscent tubes?

[Hero999]

My sister suffers from acne and she wants to buy this **broken link removed**, but it costs $270.00. This is clearly a rip off since all it is, is a normal 6 x 15 watt fluorescent luminaire. Now if I can find a supplier of those 660nm and 415nm tubes I could build her one quite cheaply.

Does anyone know where I can get these tubes from?

I've considered LEDs but I can only find 420nm and 660nm units, the former aren't cheap they probably aren't as efficient as tubes I'll need loads of them. I've also found a supplier of red and blue tubes but they don't state the wavelength.

http://aukeslighting.en.alibaba.com...ent_Lamps/T5__T8_Color_Fluorescent_Lamps.html

**broken link removed**

 

[audioguru]

Sure it is a ripoff. People who are treated with this junk think it does some good so maybe it does do a little good. Maybe the UV kills some bacteria and the red gives some warmth. Maybe the people who were treated got slightly better because they got slightly older.

 

[Hero999]

That's what I thought, but then I read this. I'm still not totally convince since the study was pretty small and they didn't use an untreated group as a control of a group treated with purly red light.

You mentioned UV, 415nm isn't UV its visible violet acorrding to Wikipedia (the article is wrong, it said it's blue but I don't see the point of agruing about the darn colour!) Anyway they say that UV only consisted of 9% of the emission for the blue and 7% of the red tubes, so they don't think it's a factor.

I don't care whether this lamp works or not, I'd just rather build one for her rather than have her wasting her money. I'm bored at the moment and I want a project to build and this is the perfect excuse for it.

I might just buy the spare tubes from the site but they still aren't cheap.
**broken link removed**

 

[audioguru]

Of course the advertisment is wrong. It is written by marketing money-grabbers and not by engineers. Blue isn't 415nm, that is in the middle of violet which is next to UV. A violet light gives plenty of UV. Maybe it doesn't have any UV and really has blue, so nobody gets blinded by UV.

Get a fluorescent tube fixture and put red and blue color filters on ordinary white tubes. Theater supply companies have the acetate filters that slide onto the tubes.

 

[Hero999]

I have also considered filters buit they're so inefficient and they tend to discolour after awhile due to the UV output from the tube.

I've done some more research and this site knows alot about different types of fluroscent tubes, I think I might go for the Philips Actinic 03 and the Aquarilux, but the only problem is it's getting two of a similar size.

 

[HarveyH42]

Did a little research on light-therapy. Some have FDA approval, so guessing there has been more work done, besides the marketing department. Then again, sometimes I get the idea that the FDA will approve most anything for the right price...

The light sources are very narrow band and pretty high intensity (lot of laser treatment stuff). I don't think you'll obtain a high output, narrow spectrum source from ordinary fluorecent tubes with filters. Also might not be quite as safe with the increase in unwanted UV an IR. The near ultraviolet is suppose still kill bacteria, without the usual UV cancer risks.

The acne treatment doesn't sound to be highly effective, marginal at best. Only works on some types, and some people.

 

[JimB]

Alternative suggestion:

Give her the £270* to spend on a cheap holiday in the Costa del Damn Sight Warmer for a week or so in the sun!

* $270 will soon become £270 if you buy this thing and import it into the UK, carriage, import duty, VAT etc.

JimB

 

[audioguru]

There are probably some gullable people in the UK who will pay any amount for the piece of junk. They believe anything.

 

[HarveyH42]

I don't know, here in America there a lot of people too. Diet pills, hair growth, hair removal, fitness stuff... Canadian Pharmaceuticals seem to be the latest craze...

 

[audioguru]

Some of the Canadian pharma companies take your money then the stuff (what is in it?) is shipped to you from Nigeria.