Performance Evaluation of Red Light-Emitting Diodes for Therapeutic Photobiomodulation Device Design

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors

1 Medical Physics Research Center, Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Medical Physics Research Center, Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

10.22038/ijmp.2025.91955.2632

Abstract

Introduction: Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy relies on precise control of optical parameters such as wavelength, irradiance, and beam geometry to achieve therapeutic efficacy. Light‑emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasingly used in PBM devices due to their efficiency, cost‑effectiveness, and spectral flexibility, but their performance varies widely with device class, drive conditions, and optical configuration. This study aimed to experimentally characterize and compare the electro‑optical, thermal, and spectral properties of two commercially available classes of red LEDs—High Bright and Power—and to evaluate the effect of beam‑shaping optics on achieving PBM‑relevant irradiance at a clinically relevant distance.
Material and Methods: Ten units of each LED class were tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Measurements included forward voltage–current characteristics, irradiance at 10 cm, thermal rise over time, and emission spectra (peak wavelength, full width at half maximum). The effect of integrating a 30° collimating lens with the Power LED was quantified in terms of irradiance gain.
Results: At 10 cm, the High Bright LED produced sub‑therapeutic irradiance (<1 mW/cm²), whereas the Power LED achieved up to 0.72 mW/cm² without optics. The Power LED exhibited a narrower spectral bandwidth (16 nm) and higher radiant output but also a greater thermal rise (~28.6 °C in 180 s). Adding the collimating lens increased irradiance by more than thirteen‑fold across all voltages, enabling the Power LED to reach 10.64 mW/cm² at 2.3 V—within the PBM therapeutic range (10–50 mW/cm²). Unlike prior LED characterization studies that have primarily reported basic electro‑optical parameters, this work uniquely integrates irradiance, thermal stability, and spectral analysis under clinically relevant conditions and demonstrates that a single red Power LED combined with beam‑shaping optics can reliably achieve PBM‑therapeutic irradiance at a practical treatment distance.
Conclusion: Power LEDs, when combined with appropriate beam‑shaping optics, can deliver PBM‑relevant irradiance at practical treatment distances using a single emitter. The methodology and findings are applicable to comparable AlGaInP red LEDs from multiple manufacturers and provide a framework for optimizing PBM device design across varying treatment distances and optical configurations.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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  39. Wang N, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Fang J. Different light color temperatures in the morning on the effectiveness of rehabilitation training in patients with ischemic stroke: a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2025;22(1):162.
  40. Jusuf S, Dong PT. Chromophore-targeting precision antimicrobial phototherapy. Cells. 2023;12(22):2664.
  41. Wu P, Ju J, Yao Q. Luminous and melanopic efficiency performance of phosphor-converted LEDs with tunable spectral characteristics. Appl Sci. 2020;10(18):6198.
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  1. Hernández-Bule ML, Martínez-Valiente C, Serrano-Vela JI, Trillo MA. Unlocking the power of light on the skin: a comprehensive review on photobiomodulation. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(8):4483.
  2. Zein R, Selting W, Hamblin MR. Review of light parameters and photobiomodulation efficacy: dive into complexity. J Biomed Opt. 2018;23(12):120901-120901.
  3. Xu YY, Liu TCY, Cheng L. Photobiomodulation process. Int J Photoenergy. 2012;2012(1):374861.
  4. Pruitt T, Choe K, Almeida-Porada G, Porada CD. Photobiomodulation at different wavelengths boosts mitochondrial redox metabolism and hemoglobin oxygenation: lasers vs. light-emitting diodes in vivo. Metabolites. 2022;12(2):103.
  5. Novak J. Photobiomodulation: The Use of Specific Light Wavelengths to Accelerate Recovery, Repair, and Regeneration. In: Fundamentals of Recovery, Regeneration, and Adaptation to Exercise Stress: An Integrated Approach. Springer; 2025: 675–
  6. Ash C, Dubec M, Donne K, Bashford T. Effect of wavelength and beam width on penetration in light-tissue interaction using computational methods. Lasers Med Sci. 2017;32(8):1909–
  7. Kaffash Z, Hajiesmaeilbaigi F, Zandparsa R, Mozaffari H. Photobiomodulation Therapy; Survey and Principal Study Leading to Design Rules for Implants. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2025.
  8. Heiskanen V, Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation: lasers vs. light emitting diodes? Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2018;17(8):1003–
  9. Dong J, Xiong D. Applications of light emitting diodes in health care. Ann Biomed Eng. 2017;45(11):2509–
  10. Meneghini M, Mura G, Zanoni E. Degradation mechanisms of high-power LEDs for lighting applications: An overview. IEEE Trans Ind Appl. 2013;50(1):78–
  11. Lauret JP. Solving the optics equation for effective LED applications. Adv Opt Technol. 2012;1(1–2):65–
  12. Syu YS, Lee YC. Quantitative evaluation of light collimating for commercial UV-LEDs based on analytic collimating lens. Appl Sci. 2022;12(2):911.
  13. Chen Z, Huang S, Liu M. The review of the light parameters and mechanisms of Photobiomodulation on melanoma cells. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2022;38(1):3–
  14. Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337.
  15. Yao HW, Zhang Y, Luo H, Chen T. Failure mechanism and analysis diagnosis of LED. MAPAN. 2022;37(1):195–
  16. Saadouni I, Abidi A, El-Bahloul S, Feki H. Optimal Thermal Management Using the Taguchi Method for LED Lighting Squared Heat Sink, Including Statistical Approaches. Sustainability. 2025;17(5):1811.
  17. Su CT, Hsiao JY, Huang HC, Liou YT, Lin CH. Optimization of photobiomodulation dose in biological tissue by adjusting the focal point of lens. Photonics. 2022.
  18. Yazdi ZF, Maleki A, Shokrollahi A, Karimian A. Recent progress in prompt molecular detection of liquid biopsy using Cas enzymes: innovative approaches for cancer diagnosis and analysis. J Transl Med. 2024;22(1):1173.
  19. Sharif S, Ahmadi M, Ghasemi F, Esfahani H. Isolation of plasma small extracellular vesicles by an optimized size-exclusion chromatography-based method for clinical applications. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol. 2023;87:104796.
  20. Aghabozorgi AS, Sadeghi MR, Nariman-Saleh-Fam Z, Hosseini R. Role of miRNA gene variants in the susceptibility and pharmacogenetics of colorectal cancer. Pharmacogenomics. 2021;22(5):303–
  21. Khorshid Sokhangouy S, Tahmasebi S, Jalili K, Foroughi M. Recent advances in CRISPR-Cas systems for colorectal cancer research and therapeutics. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2024;24(8):677–
  22. Tavakoli R, Karbalaei N, Sadeghi M, Ebrahimzadeh MH. Prolonged drug release using PCL–TMZ nanofibers induce the apoptotic behavior of U87 glioma cells. Int J Polym Mater Polym Biomater. 2018;67(15):873–
  23. Zanhar O. Methods for Electrical and Electro-Optical Measurements on LEDs and Their Interpretation. 2025.
  24. McCamy CS. Correlated color temperature as an explicit function of chromaticity coordinates. Color Res Appl. 1992;17(2):142–
  25. Gessmann T, Schubert EF. High-efficiency AlGaInP light-emitting diodes for solid-state lighting applications. J Appl Phys. 2004;95(5):2203–
  26. Cheng H, Zhao X, Li J, Wang S. Understanding and minimizing non-radiative recombination losses in perovskite light-emitting diodes. J Mater Chem C. 2022;10(37):13590–
  27. Cho J, Schubert EF, Kim JK. Efficiency droop in light‐emitting diodes: Challenges and countermeasures. Laser Photonics Rev. 2013;7(3):408–
  28. Laubsch A, Sabathil M, Baur J, Lugauer H, Stutzmann M. High-power and high-efficiency InGaN-based light emitters. IEEE Trans Electron Devices. 2009;57(1):79–
  29. Yang SC, Wu JY, Lin YF, Chen H. Failure and degradation mechanisms of high-power white light emitting diodes. Microelectron Reliab. 2010;50(7):959–
  30. Lenk R, Lenk C. Practical lighting design with LEDs. John Wiley & Sons; 2017.
  31. Beigzadeh AM, Seyed Jafari SM, Moghaddam MG, Vaziri MR. A new optical method for online monitoring of the light dose and dose profile in photodynamic therapy. Lasers Surg Med. 2020;52(7):659–
  32. Beigzadeh AM, Vaziri MR. Z-scan dosimetry of gamma-irradiated PMMA. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A. 2021;991:165022.
  33. Vaziri MRR, Shakeri S, Seyfoddin E, Beigzadeh AM. Experimental investigation and simultaneous modeling of the effect of methylene blue addition to cancer tumors in photodynamic therapy by digital holography. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther. 2022;40:103153.
  34. Poppe A, Lasance CJ. On the standardization of thermal characterization of LEDs. In: 2009 25th Annual IEEE Semiconductor Thermal Measurement and Management Symposium. IEEE; 2009.
  35. Poppe A, Lasance CJ. Standardization of LED thermal characterization. In: Thermal Management for LED Applications. Springer. 2013: 197–
  36. Maruyama S, Moriya S. Newton’s Law of Cooling: Follow up and exploration. Int J Heat Mass Transf. 2021;164:120544.
  37. Algorri JF, Muñoz Ávila J, Zamarreño CR, Rodríguez-Cobo L, López-Higuera JM. Light technology for efficient and effective photodynamic therapy: a critical review. Cancers. 2021;13(14):3484.
  38. Coward T, Milhazes-Cunha H, Robles AG, Purton S, Sarkis J. Utilising light-emitting diodes of specific narrow wavelengths for the optimization and co-production of multiple high-value compounds in Porphyridium purpureum. Bioresour Technol. 2016;221:607–
  39. Wang N, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Fang J. Different light color temperatures in the morning on the effectiveness of rehabilitation training in patients with ischemic stroke: a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2025;22(1):162.
  40. Jusuf S, Dong PT. Chromophore-targeting precision antimicrobial phototherapy. Cells. 2023;12(22):2664.
  41. Wu P, Ju J, Yao Q. Luminous and melanopic efficiency performance of phosphor-converted LEDs with tunable spectral characteristics. Appl Sci. 2020;10(18):6198.
  42. Hadis MA, Al-Samaneh A, Ali R, Raza M, Hayes S. Development and application of LED arrays for use in phototherapy research. J Biophotonics. 2017;10(11):1514–

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iranian Journal of Medical Physics
Volume 22, Issue 5 - Serial Number 5
September and October 2025
Pages 341-349

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 06 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 23 November 2025

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