Finsen lamp
FINSEN-LAMP
One of the first successful medical
applications of artificial sunlight came
from the Danish scientist Niels Finsen
who, in 1893 already, used red light for
the treatment of smallpox. In 1895 he
also successfully used ultraviolet
radiation for the treatment of lupus
vulgaris, a form of skin tuberculosis. The
ultraviolet radiation was generated with
help of a powerful carbon arc lamp. The
ultraviolet part of this radiation mainly
consisted of UV-A which was
concentrated with lenses while the
warmth caused by the infrared part of the
radiation was lead away to allow for local treatment of sensitive parts of the body.
Finsen was awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in 1903 and his ultraviolet
device became known as the Finsen lamp.
