28/09/2026
Red light therapy isn't magic. There's a specific enzyme in your mitochondria that absorbs red and near-infrared light and converts it into cellular energy. Its name is cytochrome c oxidase.
Cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) is the fourth complex in the mitochondrial electron transport chain — the final step that turns oxygen and electrons into ATP, the energy currency of every cell. CCO has specific absorption peaks at 630nm, 660nm, 810nm, and 830nm. These are exactly the wavelengths used in every clinical red light therapy device that actually works.
When CCO absorbs these wavelengths, it dissociates from a molecule called nitric oxide that was competitively blocking it. This immediately increases ATP production, reduces oxidative stress, and triggers a cascade of downstream repair signals. It's why red light therapy affects skin, joints, sleep, and cellular energy simultaneously — because CCO is present in almost every cell of your body.
This is also why wavelength precision matters. A red LED at 620nm won't work as well as one at 660nm, even if they look identical to your eye. The Pad and other Virtusan devices are engineered around these specific absorption peaks — the biology dictates the specification.
— Link in bio for the Pad.