Light-emitting Diode Exposure Research Articles

A dual-functional α-diketone-based disulfide monomer for visible LED photopolymerization: Mitigating volumetric shrinkage and triggering polymerization

A α-diketone-based disulfide monomer (OHS), which serves the function of both volumetric shrinkage decreases and photopolymerization initiation under the irradiation of 405 light-emitting diode (LED) was designed and synthesized. The photochemical and photoinitiating performances were study by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, electron spin resonance spin trapping (ESR-ST) experiments and real-time infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Despite OHS exhibits weak absorption at approximately 405 nm, OHS can effectively produce aromatic sulfur radicals to induce photopolymerization of itself and the bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) photopolymerizable system under 405 nm LED exposure. With increasing OHS addition, the final double bond conversion and maximum polymerization rate of the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA system improved, reaching up to 86.0% and 2.33% s-1, respectively. Importantly, OHS significantly reduces the volumetric shrinkage ratio of the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA photopolymerizable system, with the volumetric shrinkage ratio (5.01%) of the system containing 5% OHS declining by almost 50% compared to that (8.51%) of the control system without OHS. This reduction is attributed to reversible characteristic of the disulphide bonds and intermolecular hydrogen bondings. Furthermore, OHS has little influence on the gelation ratio, thermostability, and frictional resistance of the cured film.

Chronic blue light-emitting diode exposure harvests gut dysbiosis related to cholesterol dysregulation.

Night shift workers have been associated with circadian dysregulation and metabolic disorders, which are tightly coevolved with gut microbiota. The chronic impacts of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting at night on gut microbiota and serum lipids were investigated. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to blue or white LED lighting at Zeitgeber time 13.5-14 (ZT; ZT0 is the onset of "lights on" and ZT12 is the "lights off" onset under 12-hour light, 12-hour dark schedule). After 33 weeks, only the high irradiance (7.2 J/cm2) of blue LED light reduced the alpha diversity of gut microbiota. The high irradiance of white LED light and the low irradiance (3.6 J/cm2) of both lights did not change microbial alpha diversity. However, the low irradiance, but not the high one, of both blue and white LED illuminations significantly increased serum total cholesterol (TCHO), but not triglyceride (TG). There was no significant difference of microbial abundance between two lights. The ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria decreased at a low irradiance but increased at a high irradiance of blue light. Notably, this ratio was negatively correlated with serum TCHO but positively correlated with bile acid biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, chronic blue LED lighting at a high irradiance may harvest gut dysbiosis in association with decreased alpha diversity and the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria to specifically dysregulates TCHO metabolism in mice. Night shift workers are recommended to be avoid of blue LED lighting for a long and lasting time.

Effects of blue-light LED toothbrush on reducing dental plaque and gingival inflammation in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances: a crossover randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPatients with fixed orthodontic appliances have higher plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of a light emitting diode (LED) toothbrush with a manual toothbrush in reducing dental plaque and gingival inflammation in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances, and to investigate the effect of the LED toothbrush on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) biofilm in vitro.MethodsTwenty-four orthodontic patients were recruited and randomly assigned into 2 groups: (1) started with manual and (2) started with LED toothbrushes. After a 28-day usage and 28-day wash-out period, the patients switched to the other intervention. The plaque and gingival indices were determined at baseline and 28 days after each intervention. The patients’ compliance and satisfaction scores were collected using questionnaires. For the in vitro experiments, S. mutans biofilm was divided into 5 groups (n = 6) with 15-, 30-, 60-, or 120-sec LED exposure, and without LED exposure as a control group.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the gingival index between the manual and LED toothbrush groups. The manual toothbrush was significantly more effective in reducing the plaque index in the proximal area on the bracket side (P = 0.031). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in other areas around the brackets or on the non-bracket side. After LED exposure in vitro, the percentages of bacterial viability after LED exposure for 15–120 s were significantly lower compared with the control (P = 0.006).ConclusionClinically, the LED toothbrush was not more effective in reducing dental plaque or gingival inflammation than the manual toothbrush in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances. However, the blue light from the LED toothbrush significantly reduced the number of S. mutans in biofilm when it was exposed to the light for at least 15 s in vitro.Clinical Trial RegistrationThai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20210510004). Registered 10/05/2021.

Light‐emitting diode assisted non‐thermal pasteurization of Punica granatum L. juice

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is a novel non-targeted processing technique that uses light energy for disinfection of food products. It has been known for antimicrobial efficacy by aiding principle of photosensitization to deactivate the microorganisms causing food spoilage without altering organoleptic and nutritional assets. Pomegranate juice is rich source of polyphenolics, which are prone to degradation in thermal pasteurization. The current research develops a non-thermal pasteurization method for pomegranate juice using blue LED at 470 nm wavelength, at different temperatures (5, 15, and 25°C) and exposure gaps (2, 5, 8 cm). The sub-lethal injury for Escherichia coli was around 91.7% at 5°C, 94.87% at 15°C. The LED exposure at 25 °C significantly increased the sublethal injury from 15.4% at 2 h to 34.59 at 4 h and to 84.63% at 10 h time. The TFC for 5°C/2 cm sample showed a significant increase of 1.66 times higher than control.

Retinal damage related to high-intensity light-emitting diode exposure: An in vivo study

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of high-intensity light-emitting diode (LED) light from a curing device on the retinas of Wistar rats. Six male Wistar rats were used, and their ocular structures were the focus of this study. During the photostimulation of each animal, the right eye of the animal, considered the control sample, was covered with a removable polyvinyl chloride cap, and the contralateral eye, the experimental sample, was exposed to high-intensity LED light, 3200 mW/cm2 (VALO Ortho; Ultradent Products, South Jordan, Utah) for 144 seconds from a distance of 30 cm. The animals were exposed to the LED light 3 times on the same day to investigate if any acute inflammatory changes in the retina occurred. Seven days after the photostimulation sessions, the animals were anesthetized and perfused with paraformaldehyde solution. After which, the eyes were resected and processed histologically. The histologic sections were analyzed stereologically and histomorphometrically to measure the parameters of the retina under investigation. There was a statistically significant increase in total retinal volume in the experimental group because of the increased volume of the ganglion cell layers, inner plexiform layers, outer nuclear layers, and the cone and rod extensions. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of density. However, there was a statistically significant increase in the nuclear area of the cells in all the studied layers in the group exposed to high-intensity LED light. In addition, hyperchromatic cells that are suggestive of pyknosis were observed. An acute but short protocol of exposure of high-intensity LED light to the eye caused morphometric alterations in the retinal structures, specifically in the nuclear area of the photosensitive cells.

Photobiomodulation with a 660-Nanometer Light-Emitting Diode Promotes Cell Proliferation in Astrocyte Culture.

Astrocytes act as neural stem cells (NSCs) that have the potential to self-renew and differentiate into other neuronal cells. The protein expression of these astrocytes depends on the stage of differentiation, showing sequential expression of multiple proteins such as octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (aldh1L1). Photobiomodulation (PBM) affects cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion. We hypothesized that astrocyte proliferation and differentiation would be modulated by PBM. We used an optimized astrocyte culture method and a 660-nanometer light-emitting diode (LED) to enhance the biological actions of many kinds of cells. We determined that the 660-nanometer LED promoted the biological actions of cultured astrocytes by increasing the reactive oxygen species levels. The overall viability of the cultured cells, which included various cells other than astrocytes, did not change after LED exposure; however, astrocyte-specific proliferation was observed by the increased co-expression of GFAP and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)/Ki67. Furthermore, the 660-nanometer LED provides evidence of differentiation, as shown by the decreased Oct4 and GFAP co-expression and increased nestin and aldh1L1 expression. These results demonstrate that a 660-nanometer LED can modify astrocyte proliferation, which suggests the efficacy of the therapeutic application of LED in various pathological states of the central nervous system.

Two‐Photon Laser‐Written Photoalignment Layers for Patterning Liquid Crystalline Conjugated Polymer Orientation

AbstractSystematic tuning of chemical and physical structure allows fine control over desired electronic and optical properties, including those of conjugated polymer semiconductors. In the case of physical structure, orientation via liquid crystalline alignment allows access to fundamental optical anisotropies and the associated refractive index modification offers great potential for fabrication of photonic structures. In this paper, photoalignment is used to orient the liquid crystalline conjugated polymer poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐co‐benzothiadiazole) (F8BT), specifically involving two‐photon infrared laser writing of patterns in an azobenzene sulphonic dye (SD1). These patterns are transferred into the overlying film by thermotropic orientation in the nematic melt, then frozen in place by quenching to a room temperature nematic glass. Optimization of laser power and scan speed allows features with linewidths ≤ 1 µm. Photoluminescence (PL) peak anisotropy values reach PLII/PL⊥ = 13 for laser writing, compared with PLII/PL⊥ = 9 for polarized ultraviolet light emitting diode exposure of the same SD1 layer. These two approaches also result in different film microstructures; evidenced by characteristic changes in PL spectra. The anisotropic PL spectra provide information on emissive excited states that complements previous studies on non‐oriented F8BT and related copolymers, also suggesting two emissive states.

Phosphomolybdic Acid Prevents Nonspecific Nuclear Staining by Picrosirius Red but Is Converted to Molybdenum Blue by Blue Light.

Picrosirius red (PSR) staining is generally used to evaluate liver fibrosis; however, PSR sometimes causes nonspecific nuclear staining. In this study, we evaluated the ability of phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) pretreatment to prevent nonspecific nuclear staining by PSR. In a manual evaluation of 27 non-tumor samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, nonspecific nuclear staining was observed in 3.7% of PMA-treated specimens, compared with 85.2% of untreated specimens. Conversely, computer-assisted image analysis (CAIA) identified nonspecific nuclear staining in 0% of PMA-treated samples, vs 44.4% of untreated samples. Surprisingly, after mounting, PMA-treated specimens exhibited a blue tinge because of molybdenum blue (MB) production following sunlight exposure or virtual slide scanning. Using UV cut film, MB production induced by sunlight exposure was prevented; however, the film did not prevent MB production during virtual slide scanning. Moreover, only blue light-emitting diode exposure resulted in a blue tinge in PMA solution. Our data indicated that PMA pretreatment is effective for evaluating liver fibrosis using CAIA. Meanwhile, improvements in virtual slide scanning protocols would directly improve the quality of PMA-pretreated specimens subjected to CAIA.

Effectiveness of light-emitting diode exposure on photodynamic therapy against Enterococcus faecalis: in vitro study

Background: A successful root canal treatment eliminates pathogenic bacteria from infected root canals. The most common bacteria in root canal infections is Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), due to its resistance to medicament and root canal irrigation. A photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method of root canal disinfection that uses a combination of photosensitisers and light activation to eliminate bacteria in the root canal. The duration of the PDT irradiation results in the production of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eliminate the E. faecalis bacteria. Purpose: To analyse the differences in the duration exposure of photodynamic therapy against the E. faecalis bacteria. Methods: The E. faecalis bacteria culture was divided into seven eppendorf tubes. Group I was a control group, and group II, III, IV, V, VI and VII were treated using PDT consisting of Toluidine Blue O (TBO) photosensitiser and light source irradiation for ten, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 seconds, respectively. After incubation, the number of bacteria was calculated by the Quebec Colony Counter and analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney test (p <0.05). Results: There was a significant difference between the number of E. faecalis bacteria colonies in each treatment group (p <0.05). Group VI and VII, which had a longer exposure to PDT, showed a smaller amount of E. faecalis bacteria. Conclusion: The longer exposure of PDT results in a smaller amount of E. faecalis bacteria. The light irradiation of 50 seconds is the most effective to eliminate E. faecalis bacteria.

A model of focal Light Emitting Diode‐Induced photoreceptor degeneration in pigmented mice

AbstractPurposeTo develop a new model of focal Light Emitting Diode‐Induced photoreceptor degeneration in adult pigmented mice.MethodsIn adult female C57 mice (20 g) dark adapted, the left eye was dilated with clycopentolate. Mice were anesthetized and exposed during 45 seconds to a blue (400 nm) light emitting diode (LED) (500 lux) placed 2 mm in front of the corneal apex. Animals were sacrificed 1, 3, 5 or 7 days (n = 6 each) after LED exposure, their retinas were dissected, prepared as whole‐mounts, doubly immunolabeled with antibodies against arrestin and Iba‐1 to identify cones and microglial cells and examined under fluorescence and confocal microscopy. Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD‐OCT, Spectralis, Heidelberg) was used to examine longitudinally in vivo the retinal thickness in both eyes at the different intervals after LED exposure.ResultsSD‐OCT eye fundus imaging with infrared reflectance allowed to document in vivo in the supero‐temporal quadrant of the LED exposed retina a rounded less reflective area that showed progressive thinning of the outer retina (approximately 75%) from 1–7 days after LED exposure. This light‐sensitive area showed by 1 day shortened cone outer segments, by 3 days a clear diminution of cone density, and by 7 days additional cone loss. The outer layers of the retina in the light‐sensitive area showed 1 day after LED exposure Iba1+ cells in the center that remained in the same location for 5–7 days. The morphology of these Iba1+ cells was dendritic at 1 day, became ameboid at 3 days and dendritic again at 5–7 days.ConclusionsLED can be used to produce a focal phototoxic lesion in the retina. The focal lesion shows decreased retinal thickness, cone densities and an activation of microglial cells in the outer retinal layers.

Amelioration of Mouse Retinal Degeneration After Blue LED Exposure by Glycyrrhizic Acid-Mediated Inhibition of Inflammation.

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is a major component in the root and rhizomes of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which have been used as an herbal medicine, because of its anti-inflammatory activity. GA is known as an inhibitor of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which is involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases including inner retinal neuropathy. In this study, we examined the effect of GA in a mouse model of retinal degeneration (RD), the leading cause of blindness. RD was induced by exposure to a blue light-emitting diode (LED). In functional assessment, electroretinography showed that the amplitudes of both a- and b-waves were reduced in RD mice, whereas they were significantly increased in GA-treated RD mice (P < 0.05), compared to those in non-treated RD animals. In histological assessment, GA treatment preserved the outer nuclear layer where photoreceptors reside and reduced photoreceptor cell death. GA-treated retinas showed significantly reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, CCL2 and 6, iNOS, and COX-2 (P < 0.05), compared to that in non-treated retinas. Immunohistochemistry showed that Iba-1 and GFAP expression was markedly reduced in GA-treated retinas, indicating decreased glial response and inflammation. Interestingly, HMGB1 expression was reduced in non-treated RD retinas whereas GA paradoxically increased its expression. These results demonstrate that GA preserves retinal structure and function by inhibiting inflammation in blue LED-induced RD, suggesting a potential application of GA as a medication for RD. In addition, we propose a potential retinal protective function of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of RD.

Exposure to light-emitting diodes may be more damaging to the sensory properties of fat-free milk than exposure to fluorescent light

Light exposure can damage the sensory properties of milk, leading to adverse consumer responses. This is presumed to be through the action of photosensitive compounds such as riboflavin, present in milk and capable of releasing energy when irradiated, leading to damage of proteins and fats in the milk. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is assumed to be less damaging to milk due to lower inherent power consumption. In this study, fat-free milk was exposed to LED and fluorescent light at 2,000 lx to compare the sensory thresholds of exposure, the flavor profile of milk produced by these exposures, and resultant consumer acceptance of the samples. Additionally, the effectiveness of light-protective packaging and supplementation with antioxidants was evaluated. The sensory threshold from LED exposure was no longer than from fluorescence, whereas with antioxidants (tocopherols and ascorbic acid), the majority of the panelists failed to discriminate milk exposed to LED light even at 48 h of exposure. Trained panelists described light-exposed milk as significantly higher in cardboard, old oil, and plastic, with LED exposure resulting in a marginally more plastic aroma, and fluorescent marginally more cardboard. Consumers reported higher liking for fluorescent-exposed samples versus those exposed to LED. The antioxidant-supplemented samples, and those exposed to LED light engineered to eliminate wavelengths below 480 nm (thus most of riboflavin's absorption peaks), resulted in significantly higher old oil aroma; however, the former received higher liking scores than LED-exposed samples. Light-protective packaging offered near-complete protection from LED exposure, with a similar flavor profile as unexposed milk, and the best liking scores of any treatment. Nevertheless, consumers disliked its appearance, due to unfamiliarity, suggesting some consumer education may be needed if this were to be an efficient protective strategy.

Neuroprotective effect of NecroX-5 against retinal degeneration in rodents.

NecroX-5 is a derivative of cyclopentylamino carboxymethylthiazolylindole (NecroX), an inhibitor of necrosis/necroptosis. NecroX-5 has been shown to scavenge mitochondrial reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and thus preventing necrotic cell death against various kinds of oxidative stress in several tissues, including the brain. To examine the effect of NecroX-5 on retinal degeneration (RD), RD was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by an intraperitoneal injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and in BALB/c mice by blue light-emitting diode exposure. Scotopic electroretinography recording was used to evaluate retinal function. For histological evaluation, hematoxylin and eosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, and immunohistochemistry were performed. Electroretinography recordings showed that a-waves and b-waves were significantly reduced in both RD rats and mice, whereas the amplitudes of both waves were significantly increased in both NecroX-5-treated RD rats and mice compared with untreated RD animals. In hematoxylin and eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, the outer nuclear layer where photoreceptors reside appeared to be more preserved, and there were fewer apoptotic cells in NecroX-5-treated RD retinas than in untreated RD retinas. In addition, immunohistochemistry with antiglial fibrillary acidic protein and anti-8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine showed lower levels of retinal injury and oxidative stress in NecroX-5-treated RD retinas than in untreated RD retinas. These results indicated that NecroX-5 protects retinal neurons from experimentally induced RD, suggesting that NecroX-5 may have a potential for the treatment of RD as a medication.

Increased Expression of Osteopontin in Retinal Degeneration Induced by Blue Light-Emitting Diode Exposure in Mice.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional adhesive glycoprotein that is implicated in a variety of pro-inflammatory as well as neuroprotective and repair-promoting effects in the brain. As a first step towards understanding the role of OPN in retinal degeneration (RD), we examined changes in OPN expression in a mouse model of RD induced by exposure to a blue light-emitting diode (LED). RD was induced in BALB/c mice by exposure to a blue LED (460 nm) for 2 h. Apoptotic cell death was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. In order to investigate changes in OPN in RD, western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed. Anti-OPN labeling was compared to that of anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which is a commonly used marker for retinal injury or stress including inflammation. OPN expression in RD retinas markedly increased at 24 h after exposure, was sustained through 72 h, and subsided at 120 h. Increased OPN expression was observed co-localized with microglial cells in the outer nuclear layer (ONL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), and subretinal space. Expression was restricted to the central retina in which photoreceptor cell death occurred. Interestingly, OPN expression in the ONL/OPL was closely associated with microglia, whereas most of the OPN plaques observed in the subretinal space were not. Immunogold electron microscopy demonstrated that OPN was distributed throughout the cytoplasm of microglia and in nearby fragments of degenerating photoreceptors. In addition, we found that OPN was induced more acutely and with greater region specificity than GFAP. These results indicate that OPN may be a more useful marker for retinal injury or stress, and furthermore act as a microglial pro-inflammatory mediator and a phagocytosis-inducing opsonin in the subretinal space. Taken together, our data suggest that OPN plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RD.

Radiant near infrared light emitting Diode exposure as skin preparation to enhance photodynamic therapy inflammatory type acne treatment outcome

An alternative approach in the treatment of acne vulgaris is photodynamic therapy (PDT) that uses light and aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) production to eradicate Propionibacterium acnes found in acne lesions. PpIX formation is dependent on ALA percutaneaous penetration. In this study, to enhance ALA penetration and subsequent accumulation of PpIX, skin temperature was increased with radiant infrared (IR) prior to ALA-PDT application and compared to ALA-PDT alone in the treatment of inflammatory acne. Ten patients exhibiting inflammatory acne with a lesion count of > or =10 were assigned to a split face or split back group. One side was pre-treated for 15 minutes with radiant IR light emitting diode (LED) (970 nm), while the other side was used as control. ALA was then applied after which PDT LED (630 nm) was performed on the entire face or back surface. Blinded lesion counts and clinical global assessment of severity were performed based on digital photographs before and 4 weeks after the PDT procedure. This randomized, controlled, and rater-blinded trial revealed a significant difference in median reduction of inflammatory lesions on the IR pre-treated (73%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 51-81%) versus the control side (38%, 95% CI 8-55%) 1 month after PDT (P<0.0001). Clinical assessment of severity was also significantly lower on the IR-treated side than on the control side (median 1, 95% CI 0.74-1.34 vs. 2, 95% CI 1.17-1.72). No unusual treatment-related adverse effects were observed. The reported therapeutic effects may be due to enhanced induction of alterations in transcutaneous diffusion kinetics of the photosensitizer at higher skin temperature and/or conversion of ALA to PpIX. Pre-PDT radiant IR LED exposure appears to be a promising method to enhance PDT efficacy for the treatment of acne lesions.

The effectiveness and safety of topical PhotoActif phosphatidylcholine‐based anti‐cellulite gel and LED (red and near‐infrared) light on Grade II–III thigh cellulite: A randomized, double‐blinded study

Background: Cellulite of the upper lateral and posterior thighs and lower buttocks represents a common, physiological and unwanted condition whose etiologies and effective management are subjects of continued debate. Objective: The purpose of this controlled, double‐blinded study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel phosphatidylcholine‐based, cosmeceutical anti‐cellulite gel combined with a light‐emitting diode (LED) array at the wavelengths of red (660 nm) and near‐infrared (950 nm), designed to counter the possible mechanisms that purportedly accentuate the presence of thigh cellulite. Methods: Nine healthy female volunteers with Grade II–III thigh cellulite were randomly treated twice daily with an active gel on one thigh and a placebo gel on the control thigh for 3 months. Twice weekly, each thigh was exposed for a 15‐minute treatment with LED light for a total of 24 treatments. At 0, 6, and 12 weeks of the study the following clinical determinants were obtained: standardized digital photography, height and weight measurements, standardized thigh circumference tape measurements, pinch testing, body mass index (kg/m2), body fat analysis (Futrex‐5500/XL near‐infrared analyzer), and digital high‐resolution ultrasound imaging of the dermal–adiposal border. In selected patients, full‐thickness biopsies of the placebo and active‐treated sites were obtained. At 18 months, repeat standardized digital photography, height and weight measurements, and body mass index measurements were obtained. Results: At the end of 3 months, eight of nine thighs treated with the phosphatidylcholine‐based, anti‐cellulite gel and LED treatments were downgraded to a lower cellulite grade by clinical examination, digital photography, and pinch test assessment. Digital ultrasound at the dermal‐adiposal interface demonstrated not only a statistically significant reduction of immediate hypodermal depth, but also less echo‐like intrusions into the dermal layer. Three of six biopsies from thighs treated for 3 months with the active gel and LED treatments demonstrated less intrusion of subcutaneous fat into the papillary and reticular dermis. In nine placebo and LED‐treated thighs and one of the actively treated thighs, minimal clinical changes were observed or measured by the clinical determinants throughout the 3‐month study. At the month‐18 evaluation period for the eight responsive thighs, five thighs reverted back to their original cellulite grading, while three thighs continued to maintain their improved status. Patients experienced minimal and transient side effects that included puritus, erythema and swelling. Conclusions: The results of this small but well‐documented, randomized, double‐blinded study affirms that eight of nine thighs with Grade II–III cellulite responded positively to a novel, combined 3‐month treatment program of a phosphatidylcholine‐based, anti‐cellulite gel and LED exposure, as determined by the clinical determinants obtained. Patients experienced minimal and transient side effects. At the month‐18 evaluation period (15 months after treatment), five responsive thighs reverted back to their original cellulite grading, indicating a need for maintenance treatment. Future studies are needed to verify these tentative positive observations.