LED chips used by NASA to grow plants in space are now used in the field of medicine to create devices that speed healing, fight cancer and alleviate chronic pain. Hand-held devices provide temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms. They relax muscle tissue while increasing local blood circulation. The device's portability makes it ideal for use as a first-aid device for front-line troops.
NASA and its commercial partners were among the first entities to demonstrate that plants could be grown with LEDs in the late 1980s and early '90s. On a hunch, the agency then funded research showing that light therapy could relieve pain and promote healing. Some of that funding also supported early advances in photo biomodulation, using light to locally stimulate photosensitive cancer-fighting drugs.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts light emitting diodes within your city's medical environment!