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PHOTOTHERAPY:
Phototherapy, commonly referred to as light therapy, has been an established form of medicine for more than a century. In recent years it has become closely associated with seasonal affective disorder, of which it is an effective and well-known treatment, but it is also used to treat a broad range of medical issues including acne, psoriasis, and eczema.
The most common form of light therapy involves a patient sitting in front of a medically designed light box for a prescribed amount of time every morning. The light is positioned at an exact distance from the patient's eyes so that it strikes both the skin and the retina. The light box mimics the effects of natural sunlight, but the UV rays are filtered to ensure there is no damage to the patient's skin or eyes. Phototherapy is thought to be a safe method of reducing the amount of bacteria on the skin, reducing inflammatory responses, and affecting the chemicals in the brain associated with mood.
One of the most recent technologies to be associated with phototherapy is the phototherapy blanket. In the late 1960s it was discovered that phototherapy can be used to treat jaundice in newborn babies. Neonatal jaundice, a yellowing of the skin in newborn infants due to excess bilirubin levels in the blood, is usually harmless but can cause brain damage if left untreated. Newborns are given a phototherapy blanket, a small pad with flexible LED light panels sewn into the fabric, to sleep with until their livers are able to process the excess bilirubin.
The many benefits of phototherapy make it a valuable resource for addressing a variety of ailments. Emerging innovations in LED and photo technologies ensure that many more practical applications will be developed for this particular form of treatment in the years to come.
What is the meaning of the word 'established' as used in the first paragraph?

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