Wood’s lamp

Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine

REVIEW ARTICLE

Robert Williams Wood: pioneer of invisible light

Shruti Sharma1 & Amit Sharma2

1 Department of Conflicts of interest:

Physics,
None declared.
University of
Cambridge,
SUMMARY
Cambridge, UK. 2 The Wood’s lamp aids in the diagnosis of multiple infectious,
Department of Dermatology, inflammatory and neoplastic dermatologic conditions. Although
Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, the Wood’s lamp has many applications, which have improved
AZ,USA.
both the diagnosis and management of disease, the man credited
for its invention is relatively unknown in medicine. Robert
Key words:
Medical Diagnosis; Ultraviolet
Williams Wood, a prominent physicist of the early 20th century,
Light; Wood’s Lamp is credited for the invention of the Wood’s lamp. Wood was the
father of infrared and ultraviolet photography and made
significant contributions to other areas in optics and
Correspondence: spectroscopy. Wood’s work encompassed the formative years of
Amit Sharma, M.D., American Physics; he published over 200 original papers over
Department of Dermatology, his lifetime. A few years after the invention of the Wood’s lamp
Mayo Clinic, 13400 East Shea
for ultraviolet photography, physicians in Europe adopted the
Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
Tel: +480-301-6169
Wood’s lamp for dermatologic applications. Wood’s lamp
Fax: +480-301-9272 e-mail: remains popular in clinics globally, given its ease of use and
sharma.amit@mayo.edu ability to improve diagnostic precision.

Accepted for publication: Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65

28 December 2015
The Wood’s lamp is an asset in diagnostic
medicine. From identifying superficial fungal
infections to helping categorize pigmentation
disorders, the many applications of Wood’s lamp
have helped improve the diagnosis of and
selection of treatment for multiple
dermatological conditions. Robert Williams
Wood, a physicist of the 20th century, is credited
for the invention of Wood’s lamp.
400 nm with a peak at 365 nm. When the filtered
light from Wood’s lamp is absorbed by tissue,
radiation of longer wavelength, usually in the
visible spectrum, is emitted, by the process of
fluorescence. Normal skin has a blue fluorescent
appearance under Wood’s lamp examination,
while diseased skin creates specific fluorescence
patterns.

WOOD’S LIGHT PHYSICS

WOOD’S LAMP
The ultraviolet (UV) radiation produced by the
Wood’s lamp is generated by Wood’s filter, which
consists of a high-pressure mercury arc filtered
through a compound composed of barium silicate
with 9% nickel oxide (1).
The Wood’s filter is selective for wavelengths in
the UV part of the spectrum between 320 nm and
Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65 60ª 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
When the skin absorbs in the UV spectrum,
amino acids, such as tryptophan, that have a
delocalized system of P orbitals produce
fluorescence (2). Fluorescence is
ª 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons
Ltd doi:10.1111/phpp.12235
the emission of electromagnetic radiation,
especially in the visible part of the spectrum,
from a molecule stimulated by the absorption of
incident radiation of a shorter wave length (3).
Fluorescence is a photophysical process that
occurs rapidly, on the magnitude of nanoseconds,
without producing a chemical change.
Absorption of UV radiation by a molecule
excites electrons from a vibrational level in the
ground state to one of the many vibrational levels
in the electronic excited state. The energy in an
excited state can be dissipated via molecular
collision, partitioned into other modes of
vibration and rotation and transformed into the
production of a photon, the last being
fluorescence.
The optics of skin is governed by the
processes of absorption and scattering (3).
Absorption is the loss of a photon when its
energy is invested in some transition within an
atom or molecule. Absorption of light in the UV
and visible spectrum leads to transitions of
electrons to different energy levels. The energy
required for excitation is determined by the
energy of the photon, which, by Planck’s law, is
inversely related to wavelength. Therefore,
fluorescence can only be excited in a material by
radiation of specific wavelength, and the
resulting fluorescence will be at a specific
wavelength. Materials with inherent fluorescence
capabilities are said to exhibit primary
fluorescence or autofluorescence. Further, for any
excited-state molecule, the transition to either the
singlet or triplet state depends on the molecular
structure of the chromophore and the availability
of other molecules with which to interact (4).
Fluorescence is dependent on the emission of
a photon from an excited singlet state of
electrons. In the excited singlet state, the
electrons have opposite magnetic spin numbers
(i.e., ½ and ½) (3). This state does not last too
long, usually on the order of nanoseconds, as the
excited electron is able to return to its original
vibrational state without having to change its
spin. Some excited states, on the other hand, such
as the triplet excited state exist relatively longer.
In the triplet excited state, the electrons in the
excited state have the same spin. Hence, for the
electron to return to its original ground state, one
electron must change its spin value. A photon
emitted from the triplet state usually has a longer
wavelength than one emitted from the singlet
61
state. This phenomenon is referred to
phosphorescence. Thus, if when the exciting
radiation is stopped and the luminescence ceases,
the phenomenon is termed fluorescence; if,
however, the luminescence persists longer than
108 s, it is termed phosphorescence (5).
APPLICATION OF WOOD’S LAMP
In using Wood’s lamp, the clinician aims Wood’s
light at the subject in a completely darkened
room. Upon absorbing the UV light, the subject’s
skin may reflect the UV as well as emitting a
visible fluorescence. For photography, a UV-
absorbing filter stops UV from entering the lens,
and fast color film records the visible
fluorescence (3). The use of Wood’s lamp
requires minimal training; yet, the time needed to
execute its proper use can be lost in today’s busy
clinics. To effectively use Wood’s lamp, the
following procedures should be followed (6):
The lamp should be allowed to warm up for at
least 20 s.
The examination should be in a dark room,
preferably windowless or with black occlusive
shades. The examiner should become dark
adapted in order to see the contrasts clearly.
The light source should be 4–5 inches from the
area of interest.
Washing the area should be avoided as this may
yield faint results secondary to dilution of the
pigment.
Topical medications, lint, and soap residue
should be removed as they produce fluorescence
that can interfere with the results.
Each molecule has unique absorption,
emission, and scattering properties; this is the
crux by which Wood’s light can be applied to
diagnostic dermatology. While both epidermal
and dermal melanins absorb in Wood’s light
waveband (340–400 nm), collagen in the dermis
fluoresces at longer visible wavelengths mainly
in the blue range (7). Of note, Wood’s light
examination is unreliable in Fitzpatrick skin type
VI individuals as one needs low baseline levels
of endogenous melanin to detect the subtle

pigmentary contrasts enhanced by Wood’s light-
induced fluorescence.
Wood’s lamp has had a multitude of
applications. Briefly, it has been helpful in
diagnosing vitiligo, tuberous sclerosis, melisma,
erythrasma, dermatophytoses, and porphyria
(Table 1 (7)). For further details into the
fluorescent characteristics that each of these as
well as other conditions have, we recommend
Asawanonda and Taylor’s review of Wood’s light
in dermatology (7). Although Wood’s lamp has
many usages, which have improved both
diagnosis and management of disease, the man
credited for its invention is relatively unknown in
medicine. What follows is a brief biography of
Robert Williams Wood.
Sharma & Sharma
Table 1. Dermotoses and their respective fluorescent color under Wood’s lamp examination (7)
Disease
Dermatophytes
Microsporum audouinii
canis
ferrugineum
distortum
gypseum (some variants)
Trichophyton schoenleinii
Tinea versicolor
Bacterial infection
Pseudomonas
Corynebacterium minutissimum (Erythrasma) Propionibacterium
acnes
Porphyria
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Erythropoietic porphyria
Erythropoietic protoporphyria
Variegate porphyria
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Robert Williams Wood (Fig. 1) was born on May
2, 1868, in Concord, Massachusetts. His father,
also named Robert Williams Wood, was born in
Massachusetts in 1803, grew up in New
England, and was a physician in Maine until
1838. He went to the Hawaiian Islands, where he
stayed until 1866 as physician and pioneer in the
sugar industry, after which he returned to New
England (8). Wood often credited his father for
fostering and promoting his interest in
understanding natural phenomenon.
Wood’s curiosity in the sciences led him to
enroll in Harvard University for his
Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65 62ª 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Wood’s lamp
undergraduate studies. As a student at Harvard,
Wood was bored by the core courses in
languages and mathematics; he, however, made
up for the poor marks in the required subjects by
his dedication to fields that interested him, such
as geology, astronomy, and psychology (9).
Wood also had a particular curiosity for
understanding hallucination. For the thesis of one
of his psychology courses, Wood secured a
quantity of hashish, swallowed it, and recorded in
minute detail the visions and hallucinations he
experienced.
Graduating from Harvard in 1891, Wood left
for Johns Hopkins University to further his
studies in Chemistry. The following year, Wood
married Gertrude Ames, who also came from a
Color of fluorescence
Blue–green
Blue–green
Blue–green Blue–green
Dull yellow
Dull blue
Yellowish-white or Copper-orange
Green
Coral-red
Orange-red
Red–pink
Red–pink
Red–pink
Red–pink
New England family (9). Wood became
interested in the work performed at Henry
Rowland’s laboratory in the Johns Hopkins
University’s Department of Physics. Dr.
Rowland, who served as the first president of the
American Physical Society, was known for his
contribution to the design of diffraction grating
or solar spectrum. In the later part of 1892, Wood
went to the University of Chicago to begin his
doctoral work in chemistry. There, Wood was
displeased with the department and traveled to
Germany in 1894 for further studies. At the
University of Berlin, he was attracted to the
research performed in the physics department,
causing him to switch fields permanently. After 2
years in Europe, Wood returned to the United
States, obtaining initial positions at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the
University of Wisconsin.
During the 4 years he spent at Wisconsin,
Wood rose to prominence and became known as
‘...one of the most promising young physicists
(8)’. When his former mentor Henry Rowland
died in 1901, Wood, only 33 years old, was
appointed his successor at Johns Hopkins
University as full Professor of Experimental
Physics. Wood remained at Johns Hopkins for the
rest of his life, holding the position of Professor
of Experimental Physics until his retirement in
1938, after which he was appointed research
professor, a position he held until his death. The
enthusiasm that Wood brought to the department
was not unrecognized as ‘... the talent that Wood
devoted to his involvement in physics included
the sharp observational faculty of a Sherlock
Holmes, the physical institution of a Faraday, a
flair for showmanship not seconded to Barnum’s,
and a prodigious facility with wax and string
(10)’.
Together with other prominent physicists of
the early 20th century such as Robert A. Millikan
and George E. Hale, Wood’s work encompassed
the formative years of
American Physics. Wood was fruitful in his
scientific
Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65 ª
2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
63
Fig. 1. Professor Robert William Wood (May 2, 1886–August
11, 1955).
endeavors, publishing over 200 original papers
over his lifetime; during his six most active
years, he averaged a scientific paper a month.
‘The profuseness of these papers attests [Wood’s]
energy; the attention they received marked their
worth (10)’. Wood’s work advanced the fields of
optics; atomic and molecular spectroscopy,
especially fluorescent spectra and Raman spectra;
physical and biological effects of high frequency
sound waves; and of diffraction gratings (9).
WOOD’S LAMP AND ITS APPLICATION TO
DERMATOLOGY
Considered the father of both infrared and UV
photography, Wood holds the distinction of being
the first to intentionally produce photographs
with both these ‘invisible’ types of radiation and
also for being the first to photograph the UV
fluorescence phenomenon.
In February, 1903, Wood described the
invention of a filter selective for transmitting
only UV radiation. The first prototype was made
with nitroso-dimethyl-aniline, which had
limitations as it allowed for passage of shorter
wavelengths in the blue section of the visible
spectrum. By adding a small amount of uranine
dye, this limitation was overcome, creating a
filter exclusively for UV radiation (8). With his
new filter, Wood went to work, photographing
landscapes and lunar surfaces (11).
Wood was interested in finding applications
for his new filter. He tested his filter on the stages
of Ziegfeld’s popular New York shows. Ziegfeld,
Wood’s neighbor on Long Island, was receptive
to many of Wood’s ideas on lighting tricks with
UV light (8). In a paper presented to the French
Society of Physics in April 1919, Wood
described how his filter, now made with barium–
sodium–silicate glass incorporating 9% oxidized
nickel (later to become universally known as the
Wood’s filter), had been used for covert signaling
during the war such as communication between
aircraft and airfields (12).
In 1919, Wood published three UV
photographs of the different parts of the human
body, which was the first time this had been
done. The first photograph showed a face with
teeth fluorescing brightly. The other two were

photographs of the hands, noting that there were
several patches on the skin that had a marked
phosphorescent appearance (9). Wood, known for
humor, would often give live demonstrations,
calling his audience’s attention to how brightly
teeth fluoresce in UV light. Everyone would open
their mouths for a demonstration until Wood
remarked casually, ‘and you notice that all the
false teeth remain black’; suddenly, the mouths
would snap shut again (8). By 1920, there were
established techniques of UV photography and
UV fluorescence photography, making Wood the
true founder of invisible radiation photography. It
was not many years before these techniques were
applied to medicine.
In June of 1925, two French physicians, J.
Margot and P. Deveze, published the original
paper on the application of Wood’s lamp to
dermatology (13). In their article, the
introductory paragraphs reference Wood’s
publication of photographs of the hand and teeth,
stating, ‘... the fluorescence of the human skin has
been seen by Wood ... he noted the brilliant
fluorescence of the nails and skin from the inside
of the hand (13)’. Analyzing the photograph that
Wood had taken of the back of his hand, the
French physicians found that ‘...the well-defined
spots, which have radiance equal to that of the
nails, are invisible to ordinary light ... they could
be due to a partial lack of pigment (mild form of
leukoderma) or a difference in composition of the
skin. This may be the scars of old burns
(13)’.
Margot and Deveze studied the effect of
Wood’s light on normal tegument. First, they
found that the skin with normal keratinization
has a fluorescent blue appearance under Wood’s
lamp examination. Analyzing the characteristics
of normal skin, the team then went on to study
various dermatoses. They found that psoriatic
skin, which had active parakeratosis, ‘... showed a
more discrete yellowish-white fluorescent tint,
which contrasted with the blue of the preceding
lesions (13)’. They looked at xeroderma
pigmentosum and found that it ‘... gave
Sharma & Sharma
beautiful black spots and very bright points (13)’.
Purpura and ecchymotic lesions also ‘... appeared
like black spots or very brown (13)’.
Margot and Deveze also used Wood’s lamp to
study various tinea infections, with techniques
Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65 64ª 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Wood’s lamp
still common practice for today’s dermatologist.
They found that ‘... ringworm produced greenish
phosphorescence, significantly different from the
bluish tint of normal skin (13)’. The physicians
also looked at infection in different body
locations, finding ‘... groin ringworm have no
fluorescence, but on normal skin have a simple
change in color (yellowish patches more or less
dark) (13)’. Finally, the pair looked at gingivitis
and oral ulcers, seeing that ‘... these infections
formed an orange surface (13)’.
It was not long before the work being done in
France was recognized by contemporary
clinicians. John Kinnear, an Assistant Physician
for Diseases of the Skin at Dundee Royal
Infirmary, published the first accounts of using
Wood’s lamp in diagnosing tinea infection in the
English literature (14). Dr. Kinnear was also the
first to recognize the use of Wood’s lamp in
measuring disease progression, stating ‘...the
diagnosis and estimation of cure of... ringworm is
easy and certain by this means (14)’. Moreover,
he paid close attention to the fluorescent
properties of the various species of Trichophyton
and Microsporium. Yet, Kinnear did find a
limitation in using Wood’s lamp in diagnosing
other dermatological diseases. He pointed out
that ‘...almost any scaly condition of the skin will
give fluorescence... I have not been able to arrive
at any useful conclusion in the differentiation of
other dermatoses by [Wood’s lamp] (14)’.
Regardless, Wood’s lamp became popular in
clinics globally, given its ease of use and ability
to improve diagnostic precision. Even today, a
dermatologist relies on using Wood’s lamp in his
or her day-today practice.
LATER YEARS
During his tenure at Hopkins, Wood became a
member of the National Academy of Sciences
and received the Henry Draper Medal for his
contribution to Astrophysics. Wood was also a
member of the Royal Society, an honorary
member of the Royal Institution and of the
London Optical Society, and an honorary fellow
of the London Physical Society. Early in his
career, he received the Royal Society of Arts
Medal for his invention of the diffraction color
processing in photography. In 1938, Wood won
the Rumford Gold Medal of the Royal Society
for his achievements in physical optics. For his
groundbreaking work in optics and contemporary
physics, Wood was awarded honorary degrees
from the University of Birmingham, Oxford
University, and the University of Edinburgh (8).
Wood’s work was certainly not confined to the
academia. Many who never heard of Wood the
physicist may know him as the author of How To
Tell the Birds from the Flowers (15). This
timeless work of art, which underwent 20
editions, illustrates, with Wood’s own cutouts,
imitation in nature. Wood sent a copy of this
children’s book to President Theodore Roosevelt,
to which the President requested more of Wood’s
writings. Wood also invented the Electric Thaw, a
machine that used electrical current to produce
heat to defrost pipes. He introduced this device to
practice by opening the frozen water pipes in the
home of Senator Vilas, Chairman of the Board of
Regents of the University of Wisconsin, during
the great storm of 1899 (8).
In his spare time, Wood, known for his
integrity and creative thinking, helped solve
murder mysteries for the Baltimore police (John
Strong). His creativity also led him to discover
the secret of the ‘purple’ gold found in King Tut’s
tomb (9). In 1931, Wood and his wife took a trip
to Egypt, where he saw the gold ornaments that
had been retrieved from Tutankhamen’s tomb.
The gold had a mystical purple hue, which some
thought to be purposely produced by the ancient
Egyptian goldsmiths. Wood was allowed to take
a few specimens with him to analyze further in
his laboratory in Baltimore. He found that the
purple color was due to a thin superficial film of
iron and arsenic. The films were produced
purposely either by mixing the necessary
ingredients or using natural gold from a locality
where iron and arsenic were present as
impurities.
On August 11, 1955, at the age of 87, Robert
Williams Wood died of natural causes; he passed
away during his sleep without any severe illness.
He was survived by his wife and three children;
Wood was, however, by no means forgotten. He
impacted an entire generation of scientists and
revolutionized multiple fields. Even today, the
Wood’s lamp is being applied to clinical
medicine like it had nearly a century ago. With
digital photography and novel computational
techniques, the ability to quantify and correlate
images taken with UV photography may open
new doors in the diagnosis and management of
disease. The coming years hold much promise in
applying Wood’s lamp in ways one might not
have thought possible.

Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2016; 32: 60–65 ª 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

REFERENCES 7. Asawanonda P., Taylor C.R. 12. Wood R.W. Communications

1. Wood R.W. Physical Optics. New
York: The Macmillan Company,
1905.
2. Teale F.W. The ultraviolet
fluorescence of proteins in neutral
solution. Biochem J 1960; 76:
381–388.
3. Vetter J.P. Biomedical
Photography. Boston:
Butterworth-Heinemann, 1992.
4. Anderson R.R. Optics of the skin.
In: Lim W., Soter M.A., eds.
Clinical Photo medicine. New
York: Marcel Dekker, 1993. 5.
Lim H.W., Soter N.A. Clinical
photo medicine. New York: CRC
Press, 1993.
6. Gupta L.K., Singhi M.K. Wood’s
lamp. Indian J Dermatol Venereol
Leprol 2004; 70: 131–135.
Wood’s light in dermatology. Int J
Dermatol 1999; 38: 801–807.
8. Dieke G.H. Robert Williams
Wood. 1868-1955. Biographical
Memoirs of the Fellows of the
Royal Society. Biogr. Mems Fell.
R. Soc 1956; 2: 327–345.
9. Seabrook W. Doctor Wood,
Modern Wizard of the
Laboratory: The Story of an
American Small Boy Who
Became the Most Daring and
Original Experimental Physicist of
our Day-but Never Grew Up, 1st
edn. San Diego, California:
Harcourt, Brace and Company,
1941.
10. Strong J. Robert williams wood.
Appl Opt 1976; 15: 1741–1743.
11. Wood R.W. On screens
transparent only to ultraviolet
light and their use in spectrum
photography. Phil Mag 1903;
5(Suppl 6): 257–263.
secretes au moyen de rayons
lumineux. J Phys Theor Appl
1919; 9: 77–90.
13. Margot J., Deveze P. Aspect de
qurlques dermatoes en lumiere
ultra-paraviolet. Bull Soc Sci Med
et Biol de Montpellier 1925; 6:
375–378.
14. Kinnear J. Wood’s glass in the
diagnosis of ringworm. Br Med J
1931; 1: 791–793.
15. Wood R.W. How to Tell the Birds
from the Flowers: And Other
Wood-cuts: A Revised Manual of
Flornithology for Beginners.
Mineola, New York: Dover
Publications, 1959.

65