The 7 Wave Panel Band by Band: Which Molecules Each Wavelength Reaches in Kennewick
The 7 Wave light panel at Spinal Fitness Health and Wellness Center in Kennewick, WA emits 7 wavelengths, 480, 630, 660, 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm, and the bands fall into 3 groups by the molecule that absorbs them: opsins and cryptochromes for blue, cytochrome c oxidase for red and near-infrared up to 950 nm, and water beyond that. A 2017 review of photobiomodulation by Michael R. Hamblin in AIMS Biophysics names the main light-absorbing molecule for red and near-infrared light as cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme in the mitochondria, and the Spinal Fitness book by Eileen Durfee describes the same cytochrome c oxidase pathway in its recovery chapter. Members hold 24/7 access through a door code once training is complete, and every Thursday from 2 to 6 PM the center is open to new visitors for a free session.
The cell step: what happens when cytochrome c oxidase absorbs light
Cytochrome c oxidase is an enzyme in the mitochondria, the part of the cell that makes energy from oxygen. The Hamblin review describes nitric oxide binding to this enzyme and slowing it, and proposes that “a relatively low energy photon can kick out the NO and allow a lot of respiration to take place.” The review lists the effects that follow in order: an increase in ATP, the cell’s energy molecule; a brief burst of reactive oxygen species; and a shift in calcium levels. Those signals then activate transcription factors, proteins that change which genes a cell reads, and the review links them to cell survival, cell proliferation and protein synthesis.
The review gives the working ranges as red, 600 to 700 nm, and near-infrared, 770 to 1200 nm, and states that cytochrome c oxidase absorbs light “well into the NIR region (up to 950 nm).” It also notes that results between 700 and 770 nm are “likely to be disappointing.” The panel’s bands sit on either side of that gap: its red bands stop at 660 nm and its near-infrared bands start at 810 nm.
480 nm, visible blue: the surface band
The 480 nm band is the only blue on the panel. The Hamblin review states that blue and green wavelengths “have major problems with penetration depth”, so 480 nm light is absorbed closer to the surface than the red and near-infrared bands. The molecules the review names for blue light are different from the red and near-infrared target: opsins, which absorb blue and green light through cis-retinal, and cryptochromes, which absorb through a flavin. The review places their action “in the blue and green spectral regions.”
630 and 660 nm, visible red: the cytochrome c oxidase bands
Both red bands fall inside the review’s 600 to 700 nm red range, where cytochrome c oxidase absorbs. Red light reaches deeper than blue because absorption and scattering in tissue both decrease as wavelength increases, a relationship the review states directly.
810, 830 and 850 nm, near-infrared: the deepest reach
The review states that “the penetration depth of NIR is maximal about 810 nm.” The panel carries 3 bands in this zone, 810, 830 and 850 nm, all under the 950 nm limit the review gives for cytochrome c oxidase absorption. These 3 bands are outside visible light, and at longer wavelengths than 630 and 660 nm they travel farther in tissue than the red bands.
1060 nm: past the enzyme, into water
Past the 810 nm depth maximum, the review adds, “at longer wavelengths water becomes an important absorber,” with a water absorption peak at 980 nm. At 1060 nm the panel sits 110 nm past cytochrome c oxidase’s 950 nm absorption limit.
How a session delivers the 7 bands
You stand in front of the full-body panel with bare skin, and eye protection is worn every time. A session runs 10 to 20 minutes, with about 5 minutes before and 5 after for changing; ask about the room setup when you book. The center’s published protocol is a minimum of 3 to 5 sessions a week for 3 to 6 months. The room also holds a separate Sperti UVB lamp: vitamin D output comes from the Sperti lamp, because red and near-infrared light does not produce vitamin D.
Light sessions are a wellness service, and individual experiences vary. People with light-sensitive conditions, those taking photosensitizing medications, and anyone who is pregnant check with their healthcare provider before booking a light session, because the room includes a UVB device.
Visiting the center in Kennewick
A single 7 Wave session is $35. The free Thursday session for new visitors rotates 1 service per week among the BioCharger NG, the 7 Wave light panel (20 minutes free), Brown’s Gas, PEMF and the hot exercise room; Thursday, October 29 is PEMF. Spinal Fitness Health and Wellness Center is at 214 E. Albany Ave, Building E101, Kennewick, WA 99336, serving Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton City and Walla Walla. Call or text 509-670-9713. Members who have completed their training run their own light sessions. Eileen Durfee founded the center, has worked in the health field since 2010, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.
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This article is for educational purposes only. The 7 Wave light panel is offered as a wellness service for general well-being.
