HumanCharger designated as EU-approved medical device

A light therapy headset, designed to counter the effects of jetlag, received the stamp of approval from scientists and was designated as an EU-approved medical device.

Originally designed by a Finnish scientist and engineer, from the Valkee company, to combat the long dark winters of Northern Finland, the HumanCharger has since been launched as an anti-jet lag device that uses light therapy to help maintain the body’s natural internal clock. 

Flyers insert ear buds which beam bright light through the ear canal and onto the photosensitive regions of the brain, for 10-minutes of light therapy session, multiple times a day during transatlantic travel. 

After conducting clinical trials among 55 volunteers, researchers gave the product their stamp of approval in a paper published in the monthly, peer-reviewed journal, 'Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.'

For the study, the volunteers were flown from Finland to different parts of the US, where they spent at least one week on the ground before flying back.  The time difference varied between seven to ten hours and, upon their return, researchers measured jet lag symptoms using different questionnaires. 

Results showed that the HumanCharger could reduce the time needed to fully recover from jet lag by as much as half.  Participants who used the device needed three to four days to recover from their jet lag, compared to seven days for the placebo group. 

HumanCharger users reported feeling less sleepy, fatigued, and forgetful. The device is also meant to reduce symptoms associated with jet lag including food cravings, low energy levels and lethargy. 

Based on the results of the study, the device was designated a medical device by the EU.