Valkee Bright Light Headset

[mvirta]

The Finnish company Valkee Oy (Ltd) launched a device containing two led earplugs with a wire and a rechargeable battery with a timer in 2010. The company calls it Bright Light Headset but it is usually known as the Earlight.

This is the original Valkee website:

http://www.valkee.com/en/

where is the information Valkee wants you to know but it is far from the truth.

There are many people, including medical professionals, who don't believe what Valkee says. There is also this website which is dedicated to prove that the studies Valkee has conducted do not fulfill any scientific requirements:

http://earlightswindle.com/index.htm

The CEO of Valkee attacked the EarLight Swindle website owner about a year ago:

http://www.valkee.com/blog/2014/03/valkee-response-to-earlightswindle/

and he and one of the company founders asked the EarLight Swindle website owner to remove the whole content within a week, and if he didn't do so they would consider to file a lawsuit against him. He didn't remove the content, so Valkee carried out their threath. After one year's police investigation the prosecutor ended the investigation because it was highly unlikely to lead to a conviction under the circumstances.

Here the EarLight Swindle website owner describes what happened:

http://earlightswindle.com/gloom/2015/02/valkee-ltd-vs-earlightswindle-com-shutdown-attempt-legal-action-fails/

Valkee is now trying to sell its device in the USA to ease the symtoms of jet lag, and has set up for it a dedicated website which is not visible outside the USA. It can be seen, however, outside the USA by using a US based web proxy.

usa.valkee.com

A US patent (8,790,383 B2) has been granted to the Valkee device. The company claims:

”The light therapy is conducted by providing the medical device described, applying the device to a subject in need of such therapy, and directing optical radiation with a light intensity of 0.7-12, typically 3-9 lumens non-invasively to the brain of the subject through an external auditory canal of the subject for 1-15, typically 6-12 minutes to stimulate the brain tissue of the subject.

The above described method of treatment by light therapy may be applied to any disorder or condition that is responsive to such treatment. The present invention especially provides a treatment alternative for a cluster of central nervous system (CNS) conditions, mood disorders, circadian rhythm sleep disorders and inflammatory diseases. CNS conditions as used herein and responsive to light therapy include but are not limited to: seasonal affective disorder (SAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), biopolar affective disorder, obsession compulsive disorder (OCD), migraine, post-traumatic stress, postpartum depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and anxiety. Circadian rhythm sleep disorder includes but is not limited to jetlag, shift work sleep disorder, and insomnia. Inflammatory diseases include but are not limited to autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, atopic skin, and skin disorders. Further premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and fertility disorders can be treated with light therapy. The light therapy is believed to optimize or increase dopamine levels in OCD and Parkinson, serotonin levels in e.g. mood disorders, chronic pain and migraine, and noradrenaline/norepinephrine levels in mood and neurological disorders.”

... Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, fertility disorders..?

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8790383.PN.&OS=PN/8790383&RS=PN/8790383

This Norwegian newspaper wrote about it last November:

http://barentsobserver.com/en/business/2014/11/valkee-ear-light-gadget-called-scam-against-sick-people-04-11

There is also this quite a comprehensive article in the university students journal:

http://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2014/11/let-there-be-valkee-how-a-finnish-startup-managed-to-fool-everyone/

As the device's retail price is about 200 euros, while the manufacturing costs are probably under 20 euros, it is a question of very big (and easy) money to the shareholders. In a business point of view it is understandable that Valkee is doing anything they can to find new markets and new individuals who may not have enough common sense to understand that the Earlight is nothing else but a scam.

Here is the inventor showing how to use it.