Valkee

Feeling blue in the winter is common - no one enjoys the lack of light. While for some it's a mere nuisance that will pass as the seasons change, people living with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) especially in areas with long, dark winters, the phenomenon cannot be easily dismissed. It can lead to moderate and even severe depression.

Finnish startup Valkee has a solution. Believing that the brain can be affected by the lack of light, the company has developed a headset which shines the Valkee bright light in photosensitive parts of the brain. The device looks like an iPod Touch with a set of earphones - and yes, those are meant to be inserted through the ears to shine light on the brain. In Europe, the device is classified as a Class II(a) medical device. 

Here is a video of the next generation Valkee headset: 

[French Flag Image Credit: iStockphoto.com user pop_jop]