Ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI) was extensively used in the 1940s and 1950s to treat many diseases including septicemia, pneumonia, tuberculosis, arthritis, asthma and even poliomyelitis. (UBI) was extensively used in the 1940s and 1950s to treat many diseases including septicemia, pneumonia, tuberculosis, arthritis, asthma and even poliomyelitis. Irradiation was recognized and in fact in 1903 Finsen won the Nobel Prize for UV light in the treatment of skin tuberculosis.
In 1920 a UV treatment device was developed for Ultraviolet blood irradiation by Emmet Knott.
The technique is known as:
- Ultraviolet Blood Radiation (UVBI)
- oxygenated blood therapy (HOT) or
- IVF
The advent of antibiotics has led to a reduction in the use of UVBI as a treatment option, but today, with the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections and the desire for more natural therapies, ultraviolet therapy is once again enjoying increasing popularity.