There are different sources of infrared radiation. They are currently in household appliances, automation and security systems, and are also used for drying industrial products. Infrared light sources at correct operation do not affect the human body, so the products are very popular.

History of discovery

For many centuries, outstanding minds have been studying the nature and action of light.

Infrared light was discovered in the early 19th century through the research of astronomer W. Herschel. Its essence was to study the heating abilities of various solar areas. The scientist brought a thermometer to them and monitored the increase in temperature. This process was observed when the device touched the red border. V. Herschel concluded that there is a certain radiation that cannot be seen visually, but can be determined using a thermometer.

Infrared rays: application

They are widespread in human life and have found their application in various fields:

• Military affairs. Modern missiles and warheads, capable of independently aiming at a target, are equipped with which are the result of the use of infrared radiation.
• Thermography. Infrared radiation is used to study overheated or supercooled areas. Infrared images are also used in astronomy to detect celestial bodies.
• Life The operation of which is aimed at heating interior items and walls has gained great popularity. They then release heat into the space.
• Remote control. All existing remote controls for TV, furnaces, air conditioners, etc. equipped with infrared rays.
• In medicine, infrared rays are used for treatment and prevention. various diseases.

Let's look at where these elements are used.

Infrared gas burners

An infrared burner is used to heat various rooms.

At first it was used for greenhouses, garages (i.e. non-residential premises). However modern technologies allowed to use it even in apartments. Popularly, such a burner is called a solar device, since when turned on work surface equipment resembles sunlight. Over time, such devices were replaced oil heaters and convectors.

Main features

An infrared burner differs from other devices in its heating method. Heat is transferred through means that are not noticeable to humans. This feature allows heat to penetrate not only into the air, but also onto interior items, which subsequently also increase the temperature in the room. The infrared emitter does not dry out the air, because the rays are primarily directed at interior items and walls. In the future, heat will be transferred from walls or objects directly to the space of the room, and the process occurs in a few minutes.

Positive aspects

The main advantage of such devices is quick and easy heating of the room. For example, to heat cold room to a temperature of +24ºС, it will take 20 minutes. During the process, there is no air movement, which contributes to the formation of dust and large contaminants. Therefore, an infrared emitter is installed indoors by those people who have allergies.

In addition, infrared rays, when hitting a surface with dust, do not cause it to burn, and, as a result, there is no smell of burnt dust. The quality of heating and durability of the device depends on the heating element. Such devices use a ceramic type.

Price

The price of such devices is quite low and accessible to all segments of the population. For example, a gas burner costs from 800 rubles. A whole stove can be purchased for 4,000 rubles.

Sauna

What is an infrared cabin? This is a special room that is built from natural types of wood (for example, cedar). Infrared emitters are installed in it, acting on the tree.

During heating, phytoncides are released - useful components that prevent the development or appearance of fungi and bacteria.

Such an infrared cabin is popularly called a sauna. The air temperature inside the room reaches 45ºС, so it is quite comfortable to be in it. This temperature allows the human body to be warmed evenly and deeply. Therefore, heat does not affect the cardiovascular system. During the procedure, accumulated toxins and waste are removed, metabolism in the body is accelerated (due to the rapid movement of blood), and tissues are also enriched with oxygen. However, sweating is not the main feature of an infrared sauna. It is aimed at improving well-being.

Impact on humans

Such premises have a beneficial effect on the human body. During the procedure, all muscles, tissues and bones are warmed up. Accelerating blood circulation affects metabolism, which helps saturate muscles and tissues with oxygen. Besides, infrared cabin visit for the purpose of preventing various diseases. Most people leave only positive reviews.

Negative effects of infrared radiation

Sources of infrared radiation can cause not only positive effects on the body, but also cause harm to it.

With prolonged exposure to rays, the capillaries expand, which leads to redness or burns. Sources of infrared radiation cause particular harm to the organs of vision - this is the formation of cataracts. In some cases, a person experiences seizures.

The human body is affected by short rays, causing a deterioration in the condition of the brain when the temperature of the brain increases by several degrees: darkening of the eyes, dizziness, nausea. A further increase in temperature can lead to the formation of meningitis.

Deterioration or improvement of the condition occurs due to intensity electromagnetic field. It is characterized by temperature and distance to the source of thermal energy radiation.

Long waves of infrared radiation play a special role in different processes life activity. Short ones have a greater impact on the human body.

How to prevent the harmful effects of infrared rays?

As mentioned earlier, short-term thermal radiation has a negative effect on the human body. Let's look at examples in which IR radiation is dangerous.

Today, infrared heaters that emit temperatures above 100ºC can be harmful to health. Among them are the following:

• Industrial equipment emitting radiant energy. To prevent negative impact, special clothing and heat-protective elements should be used, as well as preventive measures should be taken among working personnel.
• Infrared device. The most famous heater is the stove. However, it has long gone out of use. More and more often in apartments, country houses and dachas began to use electric infrared heaters. Its design includes a heating element (in the form of a spiral), which is protected by a special heat-insulating material. Such exposure to rays does not harm to the human body. The air in the heated zone is not dried. You can heat the room in 30 minutes. First, infrared radiation heats objects, and then they heat the entire apartment.

Infrared radiation is widely used in various fields, from industrial to medicine.

However, they should be handled with care, as the rays can have a negative effect on humans. It all depends on the wavelength and distance to the heating device.

So, we found out what sources of infrared radiation exist.

Light is one of the main conditions for the life of earthly organisms. Many biological processes can occur only under the influence of infrared radiation.

Light as a healing factor was used by ancient doctors of Greece and Egypt. In the 20th century, light therapy began to develop as part of official medicine. However, it should be noted that infrared radiation is not a panacea.

What is infrared radiation

The branch of physiotherapy that studies the effect of light waves on the body was called phototherapy. It has been proven that waves of different ranges affect the body in different layers and levels, with infrared radiation having the greatest penetration depth, and ultraviolet light having the most superficial effect.
Infrared radiation has a wavelength from 780 to 10,000 nm (1 mm). In physiotherapy, as a rule, waves ranging from 780 to 1400 nm are used, i.e. short, penetrating into tissues to a depth of about 3 centimeters.

Therapeutic effects

Under the influence of infrared radiation, heat is generated in tissues, physical and chemical reactions are accelerated, tissue repair and regeneration processes are stimulated, the vascular network expands, blood flow accelerates, cell growth increases, and biologically produced active substances, leukocytes are sent to the lesion, etc.
Improving blood supply and expanding the lumen of blood vessels leads to a decrease in blood pressure, psycho-emotional and physical stress, muscle relaxation, elevating mood, improving sleep and a state of comfort.
In addition to the above, infrared radiation has an anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates the immune system and helps the body fight infectious agents.
Thus, infrared therapy has the following properties:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antispasmodic;
• trophic;
• stimulating blood flow;
• awakening the reserve functions of the body;
• detoxification;
• pronounced biostimulating effect.

Speaking about phototherapy, one cannot help but recall the founder of this branch of physiotherapy, the Danish physician and scientist Niels Ryberg Finsen, who received Nobel Prize for the successful use of concentrated light radiation in the treatment of various diseases. With the help of his works, it became possible to expand the possibilities of light therapy.

Techniques

Infrared therapy comes in two types: local and general.
With local exposure, a specific part of the patient’s body is exposed to radiation, and with general exposure, his entire body is exposed.
Procedures are carried out 1 or 2 times a day, the duration of one session is from 15 to 30 minutes. The course of treatment consists of 5-20 procedures.
You need to know that during exposure to the facial area, the eyes must be protected with special glasses, cardboard covers, cotton wool and other methods.
After the session, erythema (redness) with unclear contours remains on the skin, which disappears without a trace an hour after the end of the procedure.

Indications

The main indications for infrared ray therapy are:

• degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• consequences of injuries, joint pathologies, contractures, infiltrates;
• chronic and subacute inflammatory processes, slow-healing wounds;
• neuritis, neuralgia, myalgia;
• dermatitis, dermatoses, neurodermatitis, consequences of frostbite and burns, scars, trophic ulcers;
• some diseases of the ENT organs;
• eye pathologies.

Contraindications

If you have the following diseases and conditions, treatment with infrared radiation should be avoided:

• purulent processes without outflow of contents;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• presence of neoplasms;
• active form of tuberculosis;
• tendency to bleed;
• blood diseases;
• pregnancy;
• individual intolerance to the method.

Devices

Today it is possible to take light therapy procedures both in medical institutions and at home. For this purpose there is large selection stationary and portable devices.
For treatment at home, portable devices are used that do not require special conditions use.

Despite this, before starting self-medication, it is necessary to consult with a physiotherapist to determine the possible risks of prescribing the treatment method in question, as well as choosing a specific technique for each specific case.
The doctor will describe the treatment method, which will indicate which area needs to be treated, what is the gap between the device and skin it is necessary to observe the intensity of the impact, the time of the treatment session and the number of procedures per course of physiotherapy.

Combination of therapeutic factors

Infrared therapy can be supplemented on the same day with the following types of physiotherapy:

• electrotherapy (four-chamber galvanic bath, amplipulse therapy, diadynamic therapy, electrosleep, franklinization, darsonvalization and ultratonotherapy);
• magnetic therapy;
• ultrasound therapy;
• laser therapy;

The combination of physical factors enhances the therapeutic effect and the body’s response to the procedure, reduces the duration of therapy and accelerates the patient’s recovery.
Should not be combined in one day:

• infrared therapy and ultraviolet irradiation;
• galvanization and electrophoresis.

The following are not performed on the same day as infrared therapy:

• inductotherapy;
• UHF therapy;
• decimeter and centimeter therapy;
• healing souls;
• paraffin treatment;
• mud therapy;
• therapeutic baths, including underwater massage and spinal traction.

These methods have a pronounced irritating effect on the body and can harm the patient’s health.

A wide range of diseases are treated using infrared radiation. The procedure is often so simple that therapeutic measures can be carried out at home. Consulting a doctor about contraindications and combinations of treatment factors will help achieve good results.

Video on the topic “Infrared therapy”

Since their appearance on the market, infrared heating devices have slowly but surely gained increasing popularity. The scope of their application is quite wide - from ordinary residential premises to industrial buildings great height. Naturally, the design and operating principle of an infrared heater is of considerable interest. We bring to your attention this article, where all questions regarding the operation of these devices will be discussed in detail.

Infrared heater: how does it work?

To get an idea of ​​how infrared heating devices function, let’s first understand the ways in which thermal energy can be transmitted in a room. There are only two of them:

• convection: any object whose temperature is higher than the surrounding air exchanges heat with it directly. The air, heated by this object, loses density and mass, due to which it rushes upward, displaced by a heavier cold flow. Thus, the circulation of air masses of different temperatures begins in the space of the room.
• radiant heat: a surface having a temperature of more than 60 ºС begins to intensively emit electromagnetic waves in the range of 0.75-100 microns, carrying thermal energy. This is the basis for the work of infrared heaters, whose heating elements emit such waves.

The most comfortable range of infrared radiation for humans is from 5.6 to 100 microns, within which most infrared heaters operate. An exception is long-range devices installed on the ceilings of industrial buildings. They emit in the medium (2.5-5.6 µm) and short (0.75-2.5 µm) ranges and are located at a distance from the target of 3-6 m and 6-12 m, respectively. It is unacceptable to use such emitters in residential buildings.

When infrared rays hit surfaces within visibility, they increase their temperature. After this, the principle of convection comes into effect, heat begins to be transferred from the surfaces to the air of the room. Such heating is more uniform than during the operation of traditional convective systems, which is reflected in the figure:

Heater device

Before considering the design of an infrared heater, we note that these devices are produced in 2 types:

electric: they use heating elements various types: carbon spirals, tubular heating elements, halogen lamps and film micathermic panels.

gas: here IR rays are emitted by a heated ceramic element.

We will consider the design of the device using the example of a ceiling-mounted long-wave heater powered from the mains. In it, the role of a heating element is played by an aluminum plate with a built-in heating element of a special design. An anodized coating is applied to the surface of the plate, which improves the heat transfer of the surface. On the reverse side there is a reflector and a layer thermal insulation material. The diagram below shows the design of ceiling heaters:

1 – metal body; 2 – ceiling mounting brackets; 3 – heating element; 4 – radiating plate made of aluminum; 5 – layer of thermal insulation with a reflector.

Others electrical appliances infrared heating with other types of heating elements are structurally not much different from pendant-type radiators. The only significant difference between them is the method of control. Wall and floor IR heaters have a built-in control unit with a thermostat and a tilt sensor. For ceiling-mounted devices, this unit is a remote unit mounted on the wall; it can control several devices simultaneously.

It must be said that the principle of operation of a gas infrared heater is similar to an electric one, only thermal energy is obtained in different ways.

IN gas appliance heating element serves as a ceramic plate, whose temperature can reach 900 ºС depending on the settings. The plate warms up gas burner, located in the end part of the housing, as shown in the diagram:

What is the secret of popularity?

Manufacturers declare the following advantages of infrared heaters:

• high efficiency and cost-effectiveness;
• absence of rotating parts and noise;
• a gentle warmth is generated that does not cause a deterioration in a person’s well-being;
• easy installation and connection.

As a rule, these are general phrases; something similar can be found in descriptions of oil radiators or wall-mounted convectors. They do not answer the question - why are devices so attractive to users in real life? It turns out that everything is simple, the operation of a ceiling infrared heater, like a wall-mounted one, is possible in non-insulated buildings, in drafts and even on the street. The main thing is to be within the range of infrared radiation.

A device that emits infrared waves will create a zone of comfortable heat in front of it, leaving the rest of the room unattended. It will warm up after a few hours from heated objects. But the fact remains: in a room where 1 kW of heat is needed for heating, people install a 500 W infrared heater so that the radiant heat is distributed as widely as possible. It creates an illusion good heating, although in fact the temperature in the room remains dog-like, the laws of physics cannot be deceived.

If heating a room requires 1 kW of heat, then the infrared emitters should be of exactly this power, then there will be no illusions, a comfortable temperature will quickly be established in the entire room.

The devices also have other disadvantages. For example, the design of an infrared heater in a suspended design implies a wasteful consumption of about 10% of the heat accumulating under the ceiling. This is a convective transfer of energy from the heated body of the device to the surrounding air, which remains there, under the ceiling. Wall heaters interfere with operation various items, carbon and halogen devices irritate with their bright light, and micathermic - at a high price.

Conclusion

In general, infrared electric and gas heaters are perfect products and can heat private homes well. The main thing when buying is not to follow the lead of the sellers and choose a device for yourself required power, and then arrange it at home in the optimal way.

Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation that lies on the border with the red spectrum of visible light. Human eye is not able to see this spectrum, but we feel it on our skin, like heat. When exposed to infrared rays, objects heat up. The shorter the wavelength of infrared radiation, the stronger the thermal effect will be.

According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), infrared radiation is divided into three ranges: near, mid and far. In medicine, pulsed infrared LED therapy (LEDT) uses only near-infrared wavelengths because it does not scatter at the surface of the skin and penetrates subcutaneous structures.

The spectrum of near-infrared radiation is limited from 740 to 1400 nm, but with increasing wavelength, the ability of the rays to penetrate tissue decreases due to the absorption of photons by water. “RIKTA” devices use infrared diodes with a wavelength in the range of 860-960 nm and an average power of 60 mW (+/- 30).

The radiation of infrared rays is not as deep as laser radiation, but it has a wider range of effects. Phototherapy has been shown to accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation and relieve pain by acting on subcutaneous tissue and promoting cell proliferation and adhesion in tissue.

LEDT intensively promotes heating of the tissue of surface structures, improves microcirculation, stimulates cell regeneration, helps reduce the inflammatory process and restore the epithelium.

EFFECTIVENESS OF INFRARED RADIATION IN TREATING HUMANS

LEDT is used as an addition to low-intensity laser therapy with RIKTA devices and has therapeutic and preventive effects.

Exposure to infrared radiation helps accelerate metabolic processes in cells, activates regenerative mechanisms and improves blood supply. Infrared radiation has a complex effect, it has the following effects on the body:

increasing the diameter of blood vessels and improving blood circulation;

activation of cellular immunity;

relieving tissue swelling and inflammation;

relief of pain syndromes;

improvement of metabolism;

relieving emotional stress;

restoration of water-salt balance;

normalization of hormonal levels.

When exposed to the skin, infrared rays irritate receptors, transmitting a signal to the brain. The central nervous system responds reflexively, stimulating overall metabolism and increasing overall immunity.

The hormonal response promotes the expansion of the lumen of microcirculatory growth vessels, improving blood flow. This leads to normalization of blood pressure and better transport of oxygen to organs and tissues.

SAFETY

Despite the benefits of pulsed infrared LED therapy, exposure to infrared radiation must be dosed. Uncontrolled irradiation can lead to burns, redness of the skin, and overheating of tissues.

The number and duration of procedures, frequency and area of ​​infrared radiation, as well as other treatment features should be prescribed by a specialist.

APPLICATION OF INFRARED RADIATION

LEDT therapy showed high efficiency during treatment various diseases: pneumonia, flu, sore throat, bronchial asthma, vasculitis, bedsores, varicose veins veins, heart disease, frostbite and burns, some forms of dermatitis, peripheral nervous system and malignant skin tumors.

Infrared radiation, along with electromagnetic and laser radiation, has a general strengthening effect and helps in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. The “RIKTA” device combines multi-component radiation and allows you to achieve maximum effect in short term. You can buy an infrared radiation device at.