The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of blue light phototherapy for the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in human participants. The specific aim is to see if phototherapy treatment applied to the hands will reduce the symptoms that RP participants experience. This will be measured through the use of a visual analog scale (VAS) of both pain and numbness. This study will also help to infer whether blue light phototherapy causes vasodilation through infrared thermal imaging of the hands and continuous measurement of skin temperature with a surface thermistor. Together, the visual analog scale (VAS) and infrared thermal imaging contribute to the objective of deducing whether blue light phototherapy can lead to reduced RP symptoms due to vasodilation of blood vessels.
To determine if blue light therapy can improve the symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon, and provide parameters for ultimately designing commercial treatment devices, an investigational stationary phototherapy unit was designed and built.