EAS, TAS, PWR, vDAS, cpdAS, and LSAS - tanTALK

Don Smith · 04-27-2002, 08:15 AM

FYI:

It is very gratifying to see that there is more discussion "on-line" of the various "action spectrums" (AS) on the internet. Since it has been our work at the UVR Research Institute that has "led the way" in developing and understanding them, I thought that perhaps it was time to (1) provide some "exclusive" information for all of you who have made "Ask Don" one of the most popular "forums" on the indoor tanning industry websites, and, (2) respond to the e-mail questions about the various action spectra.

1. What is an "action spectrum" (AS)? All an AS does is "massage" the raw spectral data being measured by a spectroradiometer. Thus, we apply a "weighting factor" to help us better understand the "biological action" that the various wavelengths have on the human body.

2. EAS. The "erythemal action spectrum" is the oldest and best known AS because it is used to calculate the MTI (maximum timer interval) and IST (initial session time) for our sunbeds. What the EAS does is to "weight" the wavelengths more heavily that are associated with "sunburning" which means that the "shorter" wavelengths are weighted more heavily.

3. TAS. This "experimental" action spectrum attempts to apply "weighting" to reflect the "tanning" ability of a sunlamp. What this means is that we "weight" the longer wavelengths more heavily AND (very importantly!) we also give some "weight" to the "near-visible range" wavelengths from 400 - 435 nm that have enough energy to oxidize melanin (but they do not cause sunburning).

4. PWR. All EAS photons are not "created equally" as far as the "weighting" is concerned. The "PWR" (Potent Weighting Range) AS is used to compare different sunlamps by focusing on the 280 - 302 nm "PWR range" where the EAS "weights" them at 100% (at 306 nm the "weighting" is reduced to 35% of the PWR range and at 316 nm it is only 2% of the PWR range. Thus, this AS measures the wavelengths that have the most "impact" on the calculation of te (time to 4.0 MED) times.

4. vDAS. This "specialized" AS will, we believe, have increased importance in the future since it measures the ability of a sunlamp to stimulate the production of vitamin D. Since the wavelengths from 290 - 315 nm are the ones with the ability to stimulate the production of vitamin D, these wavelengths are "weighted" to allow us to compare one sunlamp with another regarding the ability to "produce" this important seco-steroid hormone.

5. cpdAS. Cyclobutane dimers are increasingly used to "measure" the adverse effects (damage) caused by UVR. Since the wavelengths from 320 - 340 nm are the ones most associated with CPD production (and with solar elastosis, i.e., photoaging of the skin), we "weight" these wavelengths more heavily in order to compare one sunlamp to another regarding this AS.

Let's "summarize" what the EAS, TAS, PWR, vDAS and cpdAS make it possible for us to do to help sunlamp and sunbed manufacturers produce more "efficient" and "better tanning" sunlamps before covering the new and very "exciting" LSAS.

The "ideal" sunlamp would be one where we minimize the EAS and cpdAS and increase the TAS and vDAS. This means that we use the PWR to guide the "placement" of the photons with the greatest ability to cause sunburn which means that we can cut down on the amount of "total UVB" (280 - 320 nm) to under 2% we believe, and increase the percentage in the PWR range (280 - 302 nm) in order to have the "shorter" exposure times we need in the USA and the photons that are important to the TAS. Thus, we can "have our cake and eat it too"!

In addition, the cpdAS tells us that we need to reduce the output in the 320 - 340 nm (UVA2) range as much as possible since these wavelengths are where the most "damage" (other than sunburning which is primarily caused by the 280 - 320 nm) occurs.

Thus, the "ideal" sunlamp of the future will have a lower total UVB (less than 2%), a higher PWR range (approximately 0.5 - 0.7%), a greatly reduced UVA2 (320 - 340 nm) range (less than 5%) and an increased amount of photons in the340 - 435 nm range where tanning occurs.

How far away are these "ideal" sunlamps? We just tested a 100 watt sunlamp that has a te (time to 4.0 MED) of 15 minutes that has a little less than 2% UVB, 2% UVA2 and the highest TAS reading we have seen in a low pressure sunlamp to date. This baby is a "kick ***" tanning lamp!

In addition, one can predict that a sunlamp like the Wolff Eurosun S with 1.6% UVB, 2% UVA2 and 96.4% UVA could be made with an increased PWR range percentage to become a fantastic 20 minute MTI sunlamp and by adding a reflector, a "fantastic" 15 minute MTI unit.

[Note: We are also working with a HP (high pressure) sunbed manufacturer to develop filters that will accomplish these objectives. FYI, HP systems have a much higher TAS than the best LP sunlamps.]

[Note: The "science" ends and the "humor" begins.]

6. LSAS. This is the first public announcement of our VERY exciting secret project (Code Name = 0401 Project) that has as it's goal the development of a sunlamp that will stimulate the libido of the person tanning in a sunbed equiped with thess "special" sunlamps. Thus, we "weighted" the libido stimulating wavelengths to create the LSAS. Our only problem now is that the "effects" of the "0101 Project" sunlamp are immediate and we must figure out a way to have them delayed for approximately one hour (enough time to drive home!). More about this exciting project later because I KNOW that all of you realize that the LSAS will open up a completely new market.

I hope that this brief discussion will help you to all better understand what is meant when EAS, TAS, PWR, vDAS, cpdDAS and LSAS are used in the future.

Comments? Questions?

Don "Who Should Stick To Science" Smith

PS and mea culpa: It never dawned on me that someone might NOT understand that #6 - LSAS was anything other than a joke. The "project" code of "0401" (April Fool's Day) should have given it away (I thought)! But, since a couple of moderators here have "spanked" me because they think that I should ALWAYS be serious, I appologize if I offended anyone with my "lame" attempt at humor.

I have a question. When I only post "serious" things I am considered to be "boring" and when I try to introduce a little (very little!) humor I am said to be "out of line" and not very "dignified" whatever THAT means. "Where Oh Where Is The Middle Ground?" he wonders aloud.

[ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:13 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:44 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:45 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 19:35 ][ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 20:10 ]

CHUNN · 04-27-2002, 08:46 AM

Don,

You left out number (7). This is applicable in a select northern state in a select tanning salon.

(7). OMRF - Olin Mills Radiance Factor. This is the cummulative effect from the normal EAS in combination with the FS -- "Flash Spectrum", which is caused by select exposure to the flash of a Sony Digital Camera. I think the formula for this exposure is OMRF = EAS + ( FS * X ).

"X" of course represents the number of times the camera is used per tanner. This assumes the FS is constant over the value of X since it's a timed release of spectral energy. Also do you think there are any side effects of using FS within the salon?

_________________
"What's this BigDog thing?"

[ This Message was edited by: chunn on 2002-04-27 08:47 ][ This Message was edited by: chunn on 2002-04-27 08:47 ]

solarmeter · 04-27-2002, 11:21 AM

Chunn you're being a 'weird scientist'. I think there's a TV show by that name on the Disney Channel you can watch.

Don I'm dropping ALL hand-held meter development plans immediatly, and concentrating on an LSAS model 10.0. Do you think it will work on the beach in TanCun too?

Steve

neon · 04-27-2002, 02:12 PM

Perhaps advertising this "new and exciting" lamp with the LSAS technology will improve our male percentage of clients!

shallee

neon · 04-27-2002, 02:14 PM

Are you finding it difficult to find volunteers to test the effects of this new sunlamp, or are you taking care of that on your own?

Don Smith · 04-27-2002, 05:15 PM

Shallee/Steve:

Please keep your minds on SCIENCE!

Don "The LSAS Expert" Smith

MJ · 04-27-2002, 05:50 PM

Don "The LSAS Expert" Smith,
Just when I start to understand things as they ARE you go and rewrite the book..
LOL
One thing..
You could be suffering from PMS...Possibly Madd Scientist
It is a rare( or is it common??) condition but it does happen..I suggest you get help!

Mj

_________________
Tan Talk ModeratorTanTalk Rocks!!!
"And now back to tanning"--ChippMeet "Little Chunn Chunn!!"[ This Message was edited by: MJ on 2002-04-27 17:51 ]

MJ · 04-27-2002, 06:01 PM

This just in!!!
I found the cure for PMS..
My Doctor recommends:
Have a few drinks,take few days off and plan a nice vacation to umm VEGAS!!!
If you do not do this "PMS" will cause severe damage to ones person and eventually lead to and turn you into a "AMS" Abosultely Madd Scientist

Hope to chat with you about LSAS..with a drink in one hand and chips in another...In other words aroung a Black Jack table!!!
Mj

Tamar · 04-28-2002, 08:40 AM

Will all those with chip in hand please STAND UP!

Deeg · 04-28-2002, 10:11 AM

Don, I see that as usual, no one cared about the tanning portion of the post. Just the humor.
Why don't you stalk off mad from here too?

Most readers of this site (and the others) would side with Sam James. More UV-B! Or as John "Brad Baxter" Ribner said, "...Cause everyone knows you need a good burn for a GREAT tan."

I think you will have good luck with the filter glass people making HP beds the best possible tanning units. A browning tanning lp lamp would be great too. 100 watts in a 40 lamp bed at 15 mins! Still great.

04-27-2002, 08:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
Don Smith Join Date: Feb 25 2000 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,643 Rep Power: 26	FYI: It is very gratifying to see that there is more discussion "on-line" of the various "action spectrums" (AS) on the internet. Since it has been our work at the UVR Research Institute that has "led the way" in developing and understanding them, I thought that perhaps it was time to (1) provide some "exclusive" information for all of you who have made "Ask Don" one of the most popular "forums" on the indoor tanning industry websites, and, (2) respond to the e-mail questions about the various action spectra. 1. What is an "action spectrum" (AS)? All an AS does is "massage" the raw spectral data being measured by a spectroradiometer. Thus, we apply a "weighting factor" to help us better understand the "biological action" that the various wavelengths have on the human body. 2. EAS. The "erythemal action spectrum" is the oldest and best known AS because it is used to calculate the MTI (maximum timer interval) and IST (initial session time) for our sunbeds. What the EAS does is to "weight" the wavelengths more heavily that are associated with "sunburning" which means that the "shorter" wavelengths are weighted more heavily. 3. TAS. This "experimental" action spectrum attempts to apply "weighting" to reflect the "tanning" ability of a sunlamp. What this means is that we "weight" the longer wavelengths more heavily AND (very importantly!) we also give some "weight" to the "near-visible range" wavelengths from 400 - 435 nm that have enough energy to oxidize melanin (but they do not cause sunburning). 4. PWR. All EAS photons are not "created equally" as far as the "weighting" is concerned. The "PWR" (Potent Weighting Range) AS is used to compare different sunlamps by focusing on the 280 - 302 nm "PWR range" where the EAS "weights" them at 100% (at 306 nm the "weighting" is reduced to 35% of the PWR range and at 316 nm it is only 2% of the PWR range. Thus, this AS measures the wavelengths that have the most "impact" on the calculation of te (time to 4.0 MED) times. 4. vDAS. This "specialized" AS will, we believe, have increased importance in the future since it measures the ability of a sunlamp to stimulate the production of vitamin D. Since the wavelengths from 290 - 315 nm are the ones with the ability to stimulate the production of vitamin D, these wavelengths are "weighted" to allow us to compare one sunlamp with another regarding the ability to "produce" this important seco-steroid hormone. 5. cpdAS. Cyclobutane dimers are increasingly used to "measure" the adverse effects (damage) caused by UVR. Since the wavelengths from 320 - 340 nm are the ones most associated with CPD production (and with solar elastosis, i.e., photoaging of the skin), we "weight" these wavelengths more heavily in order to compare one sunlamp to another regarding this AS. Let's "summarize" what the EAS, TAS, PWR, vDAS and cpdAS make it possible for us to do to help sunlamp and sunbed manufacturers produce more "efficient" and "better tanning" sunlamps before covering the new and very "exciting" LSAS. The "ideal" sunlamp would be one where we minimize the EAS and cpdAS and increase the TAS and vDAS. This means that we use the PWR to guide the "placement" of the photons with the greatest ability to cause sunburn which means that we can cut down on the amount of "total UVB" (280 - 320 nm) to under 2% we believe, and increase the percentage in the PWR range (280 - 302 nm) in order to have the "shorter" exposure times we need in the USA and the photons that are important to the TAS. Thus, we can "have our cake and eat it too"! In addition, the cpdAS tells us that we need to reduce the output in the 320 - 340 nm (UVA2) range as much as possible since these wavelengths are where the most "damage" (other than sunburning which is primarily caused by the 280 - 320 nm) occurs. Thus, the "ideal" sunlamp of the future will have a lower total UVB (less than 2%), a higher PWR range (approximately 0.5 - 0.7%), a greatly reduced UVA2 (320 - 340 nm) range (less than 5%) and an increased amount of photons in the340 - 435 nm range where tanning occurs. How far away are these "ideal" sunlamps? We just tested a 100 watt sunlamp that has a te (time to 4.0 MED) of 15 minutes that has a little less than 2% UVB, 2% UVA2 and the highest TAS reading we have seen in a low pressure sunlamp to date. This baby is a "kick ***" tanning lamp! In addition, one can predict that a sunlamp like the Wolff Eurosun S with 1.6% UVB, 2% UVA2 and 96.4% UVA could be made with an increased PWR range percentage to become a fantastic 20 minute MTI sunlamp and by adding a reflector, a "fantastic" 15 minute MTI unit. [Note: We are also working with a HP (high pressure) sunbed manufacturer to develop filters that will accomplish these objectives. FYI, HP systems have a much higher TAS than the best LP sunlamps.] [Note: The "science" ends and the "humor" begins.] 6. LSAS. This is the first public announcement of our VERY exciting secret project (Code Name = 0401 Project) that has as it's goal the development of a sunlamp that will stimulate the libido of the person tanning in a sunbed equiped with thess "special" sunlamps. Thus, we "weighted" the libido stimulating wavelengths to create the LSAS. Our only problem now is that the "effects" of the "0101 Project" sunlamp are immediate and we must figure out a way to have them delayed for approximately one hour (enough time to drive home!). More about this exciting project later because I KNOW that all of you realize that the LSAS will open up a completely new market. I hope that this brief discussion will help you to all better understand what is meant when EAS, TAS, PWR, vDAS, cpdDAS and LSAS are used in the future. Comments? Questions? Don "Who Should Stick To Science" Smith PS and mea culpa: It never dawned on me that someone might NOT understand that #6 - LSAS was anything other than a joke. The "project" code of "0401" (April Fool's Day) should have given it away (I thought)! But, since a couple of moderators here have "spanked" me because they think that I should ALWAYS be serious, I appologize if I offended anyone with my "lame" attempt at humor. I have a question. When I only post "serious" things I am considered to be "boring" and when I try to introduce a little (very little!) humor I am said to be "out of line" and not very "dignified" whatever THAT means. "Where Oh Where Is The Middle Ground?" he wonders aloud. [ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:13 ] [ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:44 ] [ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 17:45 ] [ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 19:35 ][ This Message was edited by: Don Smith on 2002-04-27 20:10 ]

04-27-2002, 08:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
CHUNN Join Date: Oct 17 2000 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 3,819 Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 25	Don, You left out number (7). This is applicable in a select northern state in a select tanning salon. (7). OMRF - Olin Mills Radiance Factor. This is the cummulative effect from the normal EAS in combination with the FS -- "Flash Spectrum", which is caused by select exposure to the flash of a Sony Digital Camera. I think the formula for this exposure is OMRF = EAS + ( FS * X ). "X" of course represents the number of times the camera is used per tanner. This assumes the FS is constant over the value of X since it's a timed release of spectral energy. Also do you think there are any side effects of using FS within the salon? _________________ "What's this BigDog thing?" [ This Message was edited by: chunn on 2002-04-27 08:47 ][ This Message was edited by: chunn on 2002-04-27 08:47 ]

04-27-2002, 11:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
solarmeter Join Date: Nov 13 2001 Location: MI Posts: 861 Rep Power: 23	Chunn you're being a 'weird scientist'. I think there's a TV show by that name on the Disney Channel you can watch. Don I'm dropping ALL hand-held meter development plans immediatly, and concentrating on an LSAS model 10.0. Do you think it will work on the beach in TanCun too? Steve

04-27-2002, 02:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
neon Join Date: Oct 21 2001 Posts: 667 Rep Power: 23	Perhaps advertising this "new and exciting" lamp with the LSAS technology will improve our male percentage of clients! shallee

04-27-2002, 02:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
neon Join Date: Oct 21 2001 Posts: 667 Rep Power: 23	Are you finding it difficult to find volunteers to test the effects of this new sunlamp, or are you taking care of that on your own?

04-27-2002, 05:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
Don Smith Join Date: Feb 25 2000 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,643 Rep Power: 26	Shallee/Steve: Please keep your minds on SCIENCE! Don "The LSAS Expert" Smith

04-27-2002, 05:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
MJ Join Date: Jan 21 2002 Posts: 2,709 Rep Power: 23	Don "The LSAS Expert" Smith, Just when I start to understand things as they ARE you go and rewrite the book.. LOL One thing.. You could be suffering from PMS...Possibly Madd Scientist It is a rare( or is it common??) condition but it does happen..I suggest you get help! Mj _________________ Tan Talk ModeratorTanTalk Rocks!!! "And now back to tanning"--ChippMeet "Little Chunn Chunn!!"[ This Message was edited by: MJ on 2002-04-27 17:51 ]

04-27-2002, 06:01 PM	#8 (permalink)
MJ Join Date: Jan 21 2002 Posts: 2,709 Rep Power: 23	This just in!!! I found the cure for PMS.. My Doctor recommends: Have a few drinks,take few days off and plan a nice vacation to umm VEGAS!!! If you do not do this "PMS" will cause severe damage to ones person and eventually lead to and turn you into a "AMS" Abosultely Madd Scientist Hope to chat with you about LSAS..with a drink in one hand and chips in another...In other words aroung a Black Jack table!!! Mj

04-28-2002, 08:40 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tamar Join Date: Aug 15 2001 Posts: 1,906 Rep Power: 23	Will all those with chip in hand please STAND UP!

04-28-2002, 10:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
Deeg Join Date: Feb 14 2002 Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	Don, I see that as usual, no one cared about the tanning portion of the post. Just the humor. Why don't you stalk off mad from here too? Most readers of this site (and the others) would side with Sam James. More UV-B! Or as John "Brad Baxter" Ribner said, "...Cause everyone knows you need a good burn for a GREAT tan." I think you will have good luck with the filter glass people making HP beds the best possible tanning units. A browning tanning lp lamp would be great too. 100 watts in a 40 lamp bed at 15 mins! Still great.

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