The SolRx 100-Series
Small Spot & Scalp Handheld Wand
Model: 120UVB-NB
The SolRx 100‑Series is Solarc’s smallest and most portable ultraviolet phototherapy device. It is intended for spot targeting small skin areas with a treatment area of about 2.5 x 5 inches.
By far the most common 100‑Series model is the 120UVB‑NB, which generates UVB‑Narrowband at 311 nm using two Philips PL‑S9W/01 bulbs. For special applications, also available is UVB-Broadband model# 120UVB using Philips PL‑S9W/12 bulbs. For UVA-1, Solarc has Philips PL‑S9W/10 bulbs but no User’s Manual. You can learn about the different wavebands here.
The SolRx 100‑Series is designed for maximum versatility and has at least six features not available on any other handheld phototherapy device in the world:
1. Direct Skin Contact
The wand has a clear, acrylic window that can be placed directly on the skin during treatment, while the all-aluminum housing keeps the wand cool. This gives the 100-Series much greater UV light power versus competitive devices that require the wand be held a fixed distance from the skin. No other competitive device in the world uses an aluminum wand; they are all low-cost plastic.
2. Two Bulbs, Not One
The SolRx 100‑Series uses two (2) Philips PL-S9W bulbs. Compared to single bulb units, the 100‑Series provides double the input power, double the treatment area, and a much more useful square-shaped treatment area. More Power = Shorter Treatment Times!
3. Accurate Targeting
The clever Aperture Plate System™ allows accurate spot targeting. A set of six different plates is included and provides multitudes of combinations. They can be useful for targeting stubborn vitiligo and psoriasis lesions. No other handheld device in the world has this capability.
4. Optional Positioning Arm
An optional Positioning Arm is available for hands-free use. The exclusive “Quick-Connect” system allows the wand to be attached / removed from the arm in seconds, for positioning by hand if needed. All other handheld devices require constant user manipulation.
5. UV-Brush™ Scalp Treatment
For scalp treatment of psoriasis, the optional UV-Brush™ can be quickly fitted to the wand. The small hollow tipped cones move the hair out of the way to let the UV light to reach the scalp skin. Using high UV light power at close-range is the only practical way to tackle this challenging problem.
6. Digital Timer + Switchlock
Just like Solarc’s larger products, the 100‑Series uses a built-in electronic countdown timer and a keyed switchlock. Most competitive units use a low-cost spring-wound timer or no built-in timer at all, and none have a switchlock to prevent unauthorized use.
Wand Specifications
The SolRx 100-Series has two bulbs, an all-aluminum wand, and a carefully designed reflector. Combined with the ability to rest the clear, acrylic window directly on the skin, the 100-Series has the greatest UV output of all the world’s handheld devices, and that means shorter treatment times and better results for you. The 100-Series truly is in a class by itself.
Two bulbs also provide a much more useful treatment area shape. Lesions are on average somewhat circular, so the SolRx 100‑Series has a treatment area of about 5″ x 2.5″, for a 2:1 length-to-width ratio. Single bulb units are too long and narrow, roughly only 5″ long by 1″ wide, which makes for a rather skinny 5:1 length-to-width ratio.
This unedited photo shows a SolRx 120UVB‑NB alongside a competitor’s single bulb unit. Not only is the treatment area at least two-times larger and its shape more useful, but the UV light power at the recommended treatment distance is significantly higher on the 120UVB‑NB, by as much as 2 to 3 times. Together, that means up to 5 times more UV light delivered to your skin, and more power equals shorter treatment times! Click here to see the results of this head-to-head UVB-Narrowband output test.
The wand is shaped so it is easy to hold or rest on a table, and the all-aluminum housing keeps it cool to the touch. By using biocompatible materials, it is the only handheld device US-FDA and Health Canada compliant for Direct Skin Contact, which means it can touch your skin during use. The wand weighs only 1.2 pounds (545 grams) and measures 3.5″ wide, 7.25″ long and 2.25″ deep. Click here to see a close-up picture of this high-quality Canadian-built product.
For hands-free operation, the wand is shaped so it can be safely positioned on a surface several different ways. Here, for example, with the wand resting on its end for the treatment of psoriasis on the elbows.
Here is another way to treat the elbows, with the wand resting on its side. The competitive units all have shapes that demand they be held in your hand, which makes your treatment sessions more difficult, and especially if there is only one bulb.
Yet another position for treating the elbows, with the wand resting on its back and the clear, acrylic window pointing straight up. There are many, many treatment possibilities.
The wand is truly beautiful. The anodized aluminum main housing components are finely finished and fastened using stainless steel screws. The 100-Series is an obviously high quality product built to last.
A key feature of the SolRx 100‑Series is Direct Skin Contact – the ability to rest the wand directly on the patient’s skin during treatment. This is possible because:
- The bulb arrangement and reflector design gives the wand substantially uniform light output.
- The all-aluminum housing has excellent heat transfer properties and keeps the wand cool.
- The clear, acrylic window provides a patient barrier and firmly sets the treatment distance.
- The materials used are biocompatible.
Allowing the skin to be in close proximity to the bulbs provides other benefits, including:
- Increased UV light power, and therefore decreased treatment times.
- Decreased “spill” light, which can be harmful if precautions are not taken.
- Use of the Aperture Plate System for spot targeting as discussed below.
The following pictures show just a few of the possible treatment positions:
Targeting the tips of the fingers, with the wand facing down to minimize UV light spilled into the room.
Treating the forearm, with the wand held by hand.
Treating the feet with the wand held by hand. Those are real psoriasis spots on the model’s foot.
Treating the bottom of the feet with the wand facing up.
Treating the hairline by using the wand in direct skin contact to push the hair out of the way.
The carefully designed reflector and bulb arrangement creates substantially uniform UV light power (irradiance) in the wand’s large “Power Zone”. (80% to 100% of maximum, in red)
120UVB-NB
The Aperture Plate System™
The SolRx Aperture Plate System™ provides a simple and effective method for accurate spot targeting. Through the use of the various UV-blocking plates provided, the treatment area size and shape can be easily customized. This is particularly useful for applying extra UV light to stubborn skin lesions.
The aperture plates slide into the grooves located just above the wand’s clear, acrylic window. This takes only seconds and no tools are required. Note: For clarity, the aperture plates shown in these pictures are made from black material. The aperture plates supplied with the device are transparent-yellow colour, yet practically 100% UV blocking.
A set of six different aperture plates are included. All the plates are designed to be used together, except for perhaps the “Body Crevice Plate”. Together, they can create many different treatment area shapes and sizes, or apertures. The aperture plates are die cut from biocompatible, chemical resistant, UV-resistant, and UV-blocking plastic film. They can be sterilized using EtO gas, radiation, steam autoclaving, dry heat, and cold sterilization.
This sequence of pictures shows the Main Slider plate used with the Mini Slider plate to create a full width aperture (slot) with an easily adjustable length. To change the aperture length, one plate is moved relative to the other, and the aperture repositioned on the wand’s clear, acrylic window. In frames 1 and 2, the plates overlap to create a diamond shaped aperture.
Here, the Main Slider plate is used with the 20mm Slot Plate (20 millimeter wide slot). Note how the plates overlap. The Main Slider can similarly be used with the 40mm Slot Plate.
The aperture plates are used by simply lining up the aperture with the target area. In most cases the aperture would be placed in direct skin contact. This picture shows the aperture plate setup just before final positioning.
Any of the aperture plates can be customized by the user for a particular lesion size and shape. This can easily be done with a sharp blade such as an Exacto© knife. Here, the Spare aperture plate has had a custom hole cut and is being used on its own. The Spare plate can also be used as a protective cover for the clear, acrylic window.
The Body Crevice Plate is wider than the other plates, so it forms a bend when installed in the wand grooves. Its hole is fairly small, so it can be customized by the user.
The Body Crevice Plate can be used to access areas of skin that are difficult to reach, or to target curved surfaces as shown.
The Body Crevice Plate can also be used for the ends of the fingers. There are many possibilities.
The Positioning Arm (Optional)
The optional 100-Series Positioning Arm provides a method for hands-free wand positioning, yet still allows the wand to be quickly removed from the arm if positioning by hand is preferred. The Positioning Arm is a useful accessory for patients treating many different or hard to reach areas, or for phototherapy clinics that do not want the patient to handle the device, or to relieve a nurse of that duty.
At the base of the arm, the standard desk mount bracket is clamped to a table-top as shown. Alternatively, the optional wall mount bracket can be fastened to a suitable vertical surface, such as a wall stud (not shown). When desk mounted, the arm can stretch from the head to the toes of a six-foot person. The main arms are both about 18 1/2″ long, pin to pin. Desk mount standard. Optional wall mount bracket available.
At the end of the arm; a special stainless steel neck, washer, and wingnut are supplied installed by Solarc. The washer and wingnut always remain attached to the arm, so there are no loose parts to keep track of or lose.
A stainless steel adapter plate is permanently attached to the wand using four screws and spacers. This takes about 10 minutes and the only tool needed is the screwdriver provided in the carrying case. The wand can be used manually as-is, or quickly attached to the arm by simply inserting the adapter plate slot onto the neck at the end of the arm, as shown by the yellow arrow. For storage, the wand with adapter plate will fit in the carrying case.
The wingnut is hand tightened to firmly clamp the wand to the arm. For removal, a minimum of two complete turns of the wingnut are required. This minimizes the possibility of the wand falling off the arm, as the wand would become obviously loose long before it would fall off.
Finally, four Velcro straps are used to fasten the wand supply cable to the arm bars. If the wand is frequently removed from the arm, fewer straps can be used to minimize connection / removal time.
The arm can extend about 4 feet from its base to the end of the wand. From a 30 inch high table, it can extend nearly to the floor. The two main arm sections are both about 18 1/2″ long, pin to pin.
There are a myriad of treatment possibilities; especially since the quick-connect system allows the wand to be so easily connected and removed from the arm.
This versatile arm has been used for many years in a wide variety of applications and is well known for its durability. To our knowledge, no other handheld UVB phototherapy device has a positioning arm option for hands-free use, let alone a quick-connect system.
This picture shows all the parts included in the 100‑Series Positioning Arm Kit (part# 100-Arm), plus the arm’s optional wall mount base in the top left corner (ordered separately). This is the complete arm kit including the arm and desk mount base.
120UVB-NB
The SolRx UV-Brush™ for Scalp Psoriasis Treatment
For scalp psoriasis treatment, the optional UV-Brush™ accessory can be quickly fitted to the SolRx 100‑Series wand. The small hollow tipped cones (or bristles) move the hair out of the way to allow the UVB light to reach the scalp skin.
The UV-Brush is attached to the wand using the same grooves as the aperture plates. This takes only seconds and no tools are required. Note how the UV-Brush flexes to conform to the shape of the head and increase the device’s contact area.
The UV-Brush is used by first parting the hair in the vicinity of area to be treated. Then, with a swirling motion, moving the array of cones closer to the scalp until they are touching or nearly touching the scalp skin. The desired result is that the bulk of the hair collects between the brush cones (or bristles), leaving the cone exit holes with a good view of the scalp, and with only limited blockage by the remaining hair strands. This is, however, an inexact process that is dependent on hair length, thickness, and user skill.
This is a view from inside a special cut-away test wand onto a patient’s scalp. Note how the hair is pushed aside and gathered between the cones. The UV-Brush is flexing to better conform to the curved surface of the scalp. This person has hair about 5 inches long. There is some fogging on the flat surfaces of the UV-Brush because the hair was wet. The next two pictures are close-ups of this same photo.
This close-up of the previous picture shows that the ends of the cones are significantly cleared of hair, allowing the ultraviolet light to reach the scalp skin. The action of the UV-Brush works best on short to medium length hair. If the hair is too long, there is too much hair volume to store between the cones. If the hair is too short, the hair sticks up into the cones and using the wand in direct contact without the UV-Brush is likely more efficient. The UV-Brush is made from soft, biocompatible Teflon® plastic.
And an even closer view. Note that the end of each cone has a different amount of hair blockage. This makes it necessary that the device be used in a slow swirling motion to generalize the light delivery. Fortunately, the UV-Brush is made entirely from UVB transmissive plastic, so even if the hair is not fully cleared from the cone tips, there is still useful UVB light available from the other areas of the UV-Brush, depending, of course, on how much hair is stored between the cones. Please read the discussion that follows.
Discussion: Delivering light to the scalp through hair is a formidable task. The SolRx UV-Brush™ is a great improvement over existing, straight comb type devices, but, because of the required spacing and size of the holes, it suffers from a significant loss of available treatment area. For example, if the areas between the cones are fully filled with hair, the 5.5mm diameter holes on a 11.8 x 11.8mm array theoretically allows only about 17% of the input light to pass. There is very little funnelling effect, but the irradiance at the ends of the cones is substantial, being about the same as at the clear, acrylic window. Also, the UV-Brush material is about 80% UVB transmissive, so there is UVB light available all over the part, providing some compensation for hair clearance inefficiencies. This means that to fully cover a treatment area the size of the brush contact area using the required randomized swirling motion, the treatment times ought to be increased by a factor of 1 / 0.17 = 5.9 times, plus a further increase for the efficiency of the device to get light through the hair to the scalp (how much light does the hair at the ends of the cones block?). For the treatment of advanced scalp psoriasis using UVB-Narrowband phototherapy, this makes for long treatment sessions of up to 10 or 20 minutes for the entire scalp, but with very good results as demonstrated by Solarc’s in-house testing and existing device users. If long treatment times cannot be tolerated, a possible solution is to use UVB-Broadband bulbs instead of UVB-Narrowband bulbs. UVB-Broadband bulbs have theoretically only about one-quarter to one-fifth the treatment times of UVB-Narrowband. It follows that a reasonable scenario might be to use UVB-Broadband for only the clearing phase of treatment, and then switching to theoretically safer UVB-Narrowband for the maintenance phase. Use of UVB-Broadband in this application is a more aggressive therapy than UVB-Narrowband. For more information, please visit the Understanding Narrowband UVB Phototherapy page. A notable benefit of using the SolRx UV-Brush is that hairless skin around the hairline receives substantial amounts of UVB during treatment because there is no hair to block the light. These highly visible and unsightly areas therefore clear up very quickly, providing great relief for the user. In fact, it is usually necessary to limit the light to the hairless areas, for example, by using a UVB-blocking aperture plate adjacent to the UV-Brush, and limiting the time treating these areas. Often just the spill light from using the UV-Brush on hair covered areas is enough. Another option is to not use the UV-brush at all, and instead cut the hair very short (the shorter the better), and use the wand in direct contact with the scalp just like any other area of the body. This would certainly be the least time consuming method. In conclusion, we believe that the SolRx UV-Brush is vastly superior to existing straight comb devices. Excellent results have been obtained when the patient uses the device diligently and as directed.
Handheld Controller & Carrying Case
The SolRx 100‑Series uses a 0-20 minute digital countdown timer that can be set to the exact minutes and seconds needed for your treatment. This is significantly better than most competitive units that use either inexpensive spring-wound timers that suffer from poor accuracy (especially for short treatment times), or no built-in timer at all. The 100-Series timer does not require prescription refills from your physician.
The switchlock gives you the option to lock out the device and hide the key to prevent unauthorized usage – another feature not available on most competitive units.
This picture shows all the components of the device, packaged in a heavy-duty, US-made plastic carrying case with a custom foam interior. The standard package for SolRx UVB-Narrowband model 120UVB-NB includes:
- Handheld wand with 2 new Philips PL-S9W/01 bulbs installed, burned-in, and ready to use
- Controller for use with 120-volt, 50/60Hz supply power; with built-in timer and switchlock (for 220 to 240-volt supply power order model 120UVB-NB-230V instead)
- 2 keys for the switchlock
- Detachable power supply cord, 3-prong grounded
- UV-protective goggles. Amber coloured to protect against the Blue Light Hazard
- Aperture Plates, Set of 6
- Comprehensive User’s Manual booklet with Exposure Guideline Tables and treatment times for psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Carrying case, lockable
- Robertson #2 square-socket screwdriver tool to access the bulbs
- Heavy-duty shipping container
- Free shipping to most locations in Canada
There is nothing else that you need to purchase for common spot treatment. The 100-Series Positioning Arm and UV-Brush are optional.
The device can be safely operated from within the case, without removing the controller. The wand cord can remain connected to the controller with the case lid closed tight, so setup is as easy as opening the case, and plugging in the power supply cord.
The carrying case makes moving the device easy. It measures 16″ x 12″ x 4.5″, and with all its components, weighs only 8 pounds (3.6 kg). The carrying case can be locked, but a lock is not provided.
The 120UVB-NB controller measures 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 3″ deep and weighs 3 pounds. It has the same robust 20 gauge powder painted steel construction as the larger SolRx products. All electrical components are UL/ULc/CSA approved. It is a durable and serviceable design that will last for many years. With the hereditary nature of skin disease, this device could see use for generations.
The wand supply cable is connected to the controller using a robust connector with oversized pins. One controller can operate different wands interchangeably. For instance, the same controller could operate an UVB-Narrowband wand or an UVB-Broadband wand. The bottom of the controller has four high-grip rubber bumpers. The labels are made from Lexan© and will not fade.
The SolRx 100-Series is also available for use with 220 to 240 volt, 50/60Hz supply power – please order model 120UVB‑NB‑230V.
The device is neatly packed in its plastic carrying case and shipped in a heavy-duty cardboard box. Altogether, it weighs 8 lbs (3.6kg) and measures 16.5 x 13 x 5 inches.
Summary
There are many reasons to consider the SolRx™ 100‑Series. Perhaps it’s the high irradiance and useful treatment area size and shape. Or maybe it’s the unique accessories like the Aperture Plate System™, Positioning Arm, or UV-Brush™. Whatever the case, be assured that this carefully designed product is built to last.
A feature summary follows.
Two Bulbs – Not One: Two Narrowband UVB bulbs provide double the input power, double the treatment area, and a much more useful treatment area shape than single bulb units.
Clear Acrylic Window: The clear, acrylic window allows direct skin contact and with it much higher Narrowband UVB irradiance than any competitive device.
Aperture Plate System™: Target stubborn vitiligo or psoriasis lesions using the exclusive SolRx Aperture Plate System™.
Positioning Arm: Mount the wand on the optional Positioning Arm for hands-free use.
UV-Brush™: Attach the optional UV-Brush™ to treat scalp psoriasis.
Digital Timer & Switchlock: Set your treatment time to the exact second using the digital timer. After using, lock-out the device using the switchlock.
Portability: Everything you need is neatly packaged in a high quality carrying case. The whole kit weighs only 8 pounds (3.6 kg).
Quality: Solarc’s ISO-13485 Quality System is your assurance of product quality.
User’s Manual: Solarc has been diligently refining its User’s Manuals for more than 25 years. It includes treatment times for psoriasis, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Superior Warranty: The SolRx 100‑Series has a 4 year warranty on the device, a 1 year warranty on the bulbs, plus our exclusive Arrival Warranty.
120UVB-NB
Join thousands that have found relief using drug-free UVB-Narrowband phototherapy.