Light for treating skin diseases: Electrodeless UVB discharge lamp offers an affordable alternative to medical light sources

Narrowband UVB radiation centered at about 308 nm is widely used in dermatology for the treatment of common skin disorders like psoriasis. Light sources used for this kind of phototherapy are excimer lasers and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) lamps. Electrodeless exciplex lamps are a new approach to obtain a simple, long‐living and environment‐friendly UVB device that every dermatologist can afford. A first demonstration device has been built within a joint research project. In a clinical test with 20 patients it could be demonstrated that the new lamp is well‐suited for hospital use and capable of easing psoriasis significantly.