Table 1 Categories and parameters of the reviewed devices

Bloodcare Medical Laser Device (Shanghai Taicheng Technology&Development Co. Ltd., CN) [32]

Intranasal laser

GaInP/AlGaInP diode

Intranasal

0.358

650

NR

8.38

NR

NR

NR

Blood conditions

Intranasal laser without name information [37]

Intranasal laser

Optical fibre-based frontal light diffuser

Intranasal

0.0057

671 or 808

NR

NR

NR

NR

0.8; 1

Light penetration

Vielight Intranasal 810 (Vielight Inc., CA) [14, 25, 26]

Intranasal LED

1 LED diode

Ventromedial prefrontal, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus

1

810

10 Hz 50% DC

14.20

10.65

10.65

0.014

AD; Dementia; Gulf War Illness

Intranasal LED without name information [33]

Intranasal LED

NR

Brainstem

NR

660

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

PD

Vielight Intranasal 633 (Vielight Inc., CA) [14]

Intranasal LED

1 LED diode

Ventromedial prefrontal, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus

1

633

Continuous

8

12

12

0.0080

Gulf War illness

Laser without detailed description [21, 38,39,40]

Laser

NR

PFC bilaterally; left motor cortex; several regions;

0.0314–35.8

808, 820, 830, 852 or 1064

Continuous; 10 Hz and 100 Hz 20% DC

54.8; 167; 310

Mostly NR; 65.8

1635; 2300

2; 2.3; 5

Physiological characterisation; cognitive function; depression; light penetration

Model CG-5000 Laser (Cell Gen Therapeutics LLC, US) [9, 11, 12, 20, 29, 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54]

Laser handpiece

Laser with collimated beam, connected to fibre optic cable

Right PFC; dorsolateral PFC bilaterally

12.56–13.85 per site

1064

Continuous

162–257.40

60–137.5

1496–1680

2.20–3.50

Cognitive function; physiological characterisation; depression; fear

NeuroThera® Laser System (Photothera, Inc., US) [22, 55,56,57]

Laser handpiece

Class IV laser

Frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions; PFC bilaterally

7.1 per site

808

Mostly NR; continuous

Mostly NR, 700

NR, 1 or 84

Mostly NR; 2400

Mostly NR; 5

Stroke; depression

CytonPro (CytonSys Inc., US) [10, 58]

Laser handpiece

Collimated laser

Left and right PFC

13.6 per site

1064

Continuous

250

120 or 150

1632^b

3.40

Bipolar; physiological characterisation

Diowave 810 (Diowave, US) [59, 60]

Laser handpiece

Class IV laser probe

PFC and temporal regions bilaterally

NR

810

Continuous and 10 Hz

NR

55 to 81

NR

10–15

TBI; TBI with depression

Model K-1200 dual-wavelength (K-Laser, US) [34, 36]

Laser handpiece

Laser with collimated beam, connected to fibre optic cable

Calvaria, bregma

1.075 per site

800 and 970 or 800

NR

200–700

NR

NR

NR

Light penetration

Power Twin 21 (MKW Lasersystem GmbH, DE) [61, 62]

Laser handpiece

21 laser diodes

Superior edge of fossa sphenoidale, upper edge of the two fossa sphenoidalis

NR

785

Continuous

10

1

126

NR

Severe disorder of consciousness; TBI

Theralase® TLC-2000 CLT (Theralase Technologies Inc., CA) [63, 64]

Laser handpiece

5 near-infrared (NIR) laser diodes and 4 RED laser diodes

Midline occipital region, Circle of Willis, and over the mastoid processes bilaterally; PFC various locations

NR

660 and 905 or 905

Superpulsed (200 ns)

NR

NR

315

0.05 or 0.13

ADHD; TBI

Irradia MID 2.5 laser (Irradia, SE) [23, 28]

Laser handpiece

4 laser diodes

back of neck; several regions, basal ganglia and susbtantia nigra (intraoral)

0.196 or 0.635

904

50 Hz

47

NR

10 or 39.6

0.12 or 0.3

PD

Ultralasers MDL-N-808-10000 (Ultralasers, CA) [65, 66]

Laser handpiece

1 diode laser connected through an optic fibre to a laser driver

Right PFC

0.785

808

NR

318

NR

150

0.25

Physiological characterisation

Aspen Pinnacle diode (Aspen Laser LLC, US) [67]

Laser handpiece

Commercial model

Temporal lobe, PFC, left hippocampus

7.065 per site

810

10 Hz

177–354

5–60

110–4000 per location

5–25

AD

CTL-1100 low power laser (Toptica, DE) [68]

Laser handpiece

Commercial model

Cervical

1 per site

810–830

6 kHz

NR

4

NR

0.10

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency

Endolaser 476 (Enraf Nonius, NL) [69]

Laser handpiece

GaAs laser probe

Primary motor cortex

1 per site

905

3 kHz

50

15

NR

NR

Physiological characterisation

Laser Lumix 3 Plus Ultra model (Fisioline S.r.l., IT) [70]

Laser handpiece

Commercial model

Primary motor cortex bilaterally

3.14 per site

808

Continuous

200

60

NR

NR

Motor performance

LiteCure® LT1000 (LiteCure LLC, US) [59]

Laser handpiece

Class IV laser probe

PFC and temporal regions bilaterally

NR

810 and 980

Continuous and 10 Hz

NR

55 to 81

NR

10–13

TBI with depression

Laser helmet without name information [71]

Laser helmet

12 RED and 12 IR LEDs arranged on a helmet

Whole head

NR

630 and 810

75 Hz 20% DC

800

144

NR

2.4

Schizophrenia

Laser WeberMedical Klasse 1, Type BF, Laser Class 3B (Weber medical GmbH, DE) [72]

Laser needles

Collimated laser beam connected to fibre optic cable and four stainless steel laser diode needles

Primary motor cortex

0.35

810

Continuous

500

NR

NR

0.15

Physiological characterisation

LED without detailed description [73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80]

LED

NR

PFC; dorsolateral PFC bilaterally; midbrain (back of neck); whole head without PFC; frontal sinus; frontal and parietal lobes

1.32–80, mostly NR

627, 810, 940 or 945

Mostly NR; continuous; 5–20 Hz 50% DC

6–250

9.35–65.7

NR

Mostly NR, 0.11, 0.20

Drug abuse; anxiety and depression; physiological characterisation; PD

MedX Health Model 1100 (MedX Health Services Inc., CA) [14, 17, 18, 30, 81]

LED cluster

One, two or three LED clusters. 49 or 61 diodes (9 RED + 40 or 52 NIR diodes)

PFC various locations; frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal regions; ears

19.39 or 22.48 per cluster

633 and 870 or 870

Continuous or 146 Hz

4–44.40

1–39

42.30–1349

0.09, 0.5 or 1 per cluster

TBI; cognitive function; Gulf War illness; stroke

Omnilux New U device (Photomedex Inc., US) [19, 35, 82, 83]

LED cluster

Two similar clusters used simultaneously, except for light penetration

Dorsolateral PFC bilaterally; frontal, left, and right parietal skull and frontal, temporal, and occipital skull

28.7 per cluster

633, 823, 830 or 633 and 830

Continuous

33.2–72.6

40–65.2

Mostly NR; 3440

Mostly NR; 1 per cluster

Autism; depression; sexual dysfunction; light penetration

InGaAIP LED (Iranbargh, IR) [84,85,86]

LED cluster

20 diodes—square

Right PFC

1.4

850

Continuous

285

42.75 or 60

60^c

0.4

Cognitive function; physiological characterisation

Wisefor i5-3800 (Wisefor LTD, HK) [8, 87, 88]

LED cluster

9 or 5 diodes

PFC various locations

5^d

810

Continuous

20

7

NR

NR

Cognitive function; dementia

LiteCure® TPBM-1000 (LiteCure LLC, US) [89, 90]

LED cluster

4 LED clusters

PFC bilaterally; dorsolateral PFC bilaterally

35.8

830

Continuous (c) or pulsed (p) 10 Hz 33% DC

54.80

c—65.80 or p—21.70

c—2300 or p—800

c—2 or p—0.70

AD; physiological characterisation

L-light (SUN-MECHATRONICS, JP) [91]

LED cluster

23 diodes—square

PFC bilaterally

21.85 per cluster

850

Continuous

11.40

20.5

538

0.299

Physiological characterisation

Cerebral Science (Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders, US) [92]

LED headband

NR

PFC various locations

80

830

Continuous

30

36

2900

2.4

Anxiety

OEG-SpO2 (Spectratech Inc., JP) [93]

LED headband

Six light emitters and six light detectors

Central PFC

NR

770 and 840

12.21 Hz

25

NR

NR

NR

Cognitive function/function

LED helmet without name information [16, 24, 94, 95]

LED helmet

18/12/13 clusters of 20/70 or 14/4 LEDs

Whole head (two with ocular stimulation)

400; ~ 650

630, 810 or 1060–1080

Mostly NR; continuous

23.1; 36

3.74; 43

Mostly NR; 1494

10.79; 15

AD; dementia; TBI

Cognitolite Transcranial Photomodulation System (Cognitolite LLC, US) [96, 97]

LED helmet

14 or 15 arrays of 70 LEDS—air cooled

Whole head (with eyes)

NR

1060–1080

10 Hz 50% DC

12 per module

NR

1368

3.80

Cognitive function/function; AD

Duo Coronet (Wellred, AU) [33]

LED helmet

Aluminium sheets lined with LED strips. 670 and 810-nm (n = 150), 850-nm (n = 120)

Whole head

NR

670, 810 and 850

Continuous

NR

NR

NR

39.36^e

PD

InLight Wellness Systems (Inlight Therapy Inc., US) [15]

LED helmet

2 neoprene pads with 180 RED and 222 NIR LEDs. One pad circled the skull, the other covered the top of the head

Whole head

519

629 and 850

73, 587, and 1175 Hz 35% DC

6.40

7.7

3994

3.3

TBI

LumiWave (BioCare Systems, Inc., US) [98]

LED helmet

784 NIR GaAIAs LEDs in a cap configuration: four linear pod sets each with 4 LED clusters with 49 LEDs

Occipital, temporal, frontal and parietal regions

360

903

NR

16.67

20

NR

NR

TBI

Photobiomodulation Helmet (Suyzeko, CN) [13]

LED helmet

256 diodes

Whole head

NR

810

NR

24

NR

NR

~ 15

Physiological characterisation

PhotoMedex LED lined helmet (Photomedex INC., US) [14]

LED helmet

18 LED clusters (4.5 × 4.8 cm)—20 diodes per cluster

Whole head

388.8

830

Continuous

29

26

19,043

~ 11.30

Gulf War illness

Thor photomedicine LED lined helmet (THOR Photomedicine Ltd, UK) [14]

LED helmet

5 or 10 LED clusters^f—69 diodes per cluster. Midline clusters or right and left ear clusters

Whole head, ears

141.5 or 283

660 and 850

Continuous

41 or 35

26

4063 or 8130

6.328 or 10.754

Gulf War illness

Transcranial helmet (ProNeuroLIGHT LLC, US) [25]

LED helmet

Helmet—150 NIR LEDs and 50 RED LEDs

Whole head

NIR—18, RED—6

635 and 810

Continuous

NIR—31, RED—75

NIR—46.5, RED—112.5

NIR—837, RED—675

NIR—0.558, RED—0.450

AD

Vielight® Neuro Alfa (Vielight Inc., CA) [26, 99,100,101,102,103]

Localized LED helmet (intranasal and transcranial)

3 posterior transcranial, 1 anterior transcranial, and 1 intranasal LED. Aluminium strips frame

Ventromedial prefrontal, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus (intranasal), central PFC, top of frontal lobe, temporal lobe bilaterally

1 per LED

810

10 Hz or 10 Hz 50% DC

Posterior—100, anterior—75, intranasal—25; transcranial—41, intranasal—23

Posterior—60, anterior—45, intranasal—15; transcranial—24.6, intranasal—13.8

240; 309

Posterior—0.10, anterior—0.075, intranasal—0.025; transcranial—0.041, intranasal—0.023

Autism; cognitive function; dementia; Gulf War illness; physiological characterisation; TBI

Vielight® Neuro Gamma (Vielight Inc., CA) [23, 99, 103,104,105,106]

Localized LED helmet (Intranasal and transcranial)

3 posterior transcranial, 1 anterior transcranial, and 1 intranasal LED. Aluminium strips frame

Ventromedial prefrontal, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus (intranasal), central PFC, top of frontal lobe, temporal lobe bilaterally

1 per LED

810

40 Hz or 40 Hz 50% DC

Posterior—100, anterior—75, intranasal—25

Posterior—60, anterior—45, intranasal—15

180; 240

Posterior—0.10, anterior—0.075, intranasal—0.025

AD; autism; cognition/function; PD; TBI