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Education Pharmanex Biophotonic Scanner

Discussion in 'General' started by Journeyer, 4 Feb 2008.

  1. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Me and my fiancee was introduced to this "technology" yesterday. And whilst my GF (being easily impressionable) want to believe in the technique and the technology, I am significantly more sceptical. At first glance it looks quite impressive; machine in gleaming white plastic (with illuminated bits lighting up the pharmanex S2 logo), a loud cooling fan at the back, some flashing blue LEDs inside and the "scanning" bits up front. The whole thing connects to a computer via USB cable. All in all it looks quite professional. I kept thinking I wanted to tear the thing apart and have a rummage through its innards - poking it with increasingly bigger sticks. However, thinking this would be a rude thing to suggest I kept it to myself and instead resorted to doing the research online, and asking other tech' savvy people.

    So here is what this thing is supposed to do:
    - Give an indication to the level of free radicals in your body - predominantly in the skin as this is where age shows its mark first.
    - Give a baseline

    Now, after doing some research I found that Pharmanex is a daughter company of Nu Skin Enterprises which seems to serve as a kind of umbrella corporation for an army of smaller companies. Also, the fact that this whole scheme is based on what seems to be an MLM scam does not exactly help. Also the fact that both me and my GF got very low results on our "scan" (low results = high amount of free radicals and low amounts of antioxidants) further disproves the techniques. We both eat lots of fruit and veg, try to limit our intake of heavy meats, stay well clear of milk (except as cheeses, in cooking and such), eat fish ... stuff like that. The result, had the scan been valid, should be better by account of logic - at least that's my supposition.

    So my question is this; does anyone have any direct experience with these "scanners" and have any of you actually popped it open to find out what it does and how it works? Because to me, at first glance, the scanning bit just seemed like a hole with a blue LED behind it.
     
  2. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

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    I smell ******** and snake oil personally, but then women will buy anything which claims to make them look younger using some quasi scientific method.
     
  3. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Yes, that was my thought as well.

    I forgot to add the fact that this company also sells supplemental nutrition pills (of course) in a kind of subscription deal running over three month. After this period you're recommended to do another "scan".
     
  4. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

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    Take it apart you know you want to, if they ask for it back claim it was the free radicals what done it.
     
  5. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Yeah, it would already have been laid out across my workbench in all its separate components by now if it was in our house. Unfortunately it isn't; a friend of my GF has it (don't know if it is on lease or what) and she uses it to ... well ... I would say recruit people into this MLM scam. But yes, I really want to take it apart. :D

    Maybe I could blame the free radicals anyway? They sure do seem to cause a lot of mayhem...
     
  6. Flibblebot

    Flibblebot Smile with me

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    I don't see how you'd be able to measure the levels of free radicals just by looking at your skin.
    It's bound to be a bogus machine, but I'd have thought that this kind of thing would be illegal - surely some kind of fraud?

    Can't you leave it in the garage and "accidentally" run over it?
     
  7. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Yes, I too found it to fit nicely into the too-good-to-be-true category.
    I tend to disbelieve anything that promises miracle-cures without having a basis in factual science, and this has proven to be a handy disposition to have. I did find out that Nu Skin Enterprises had to pay a fine after loosing a trial.

    "On the legal front, in 1997 the company agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil
    penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges over fat-loss,
    muscle-maintenance and other unsubstantiated claims it made for supplements
    containing chromium picolinate and L-carnitine."


    I would "accidentally" run over it if it were in our house, but it isn't so I can't. :D Of course, had it been in our house I would have taken it apart just about immediately...
     
  8. badders

    badders Neuken in de Keuken

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    How do you feel about a little breaking and entering?

    Or you could ask if you can do a day's trial at your house.
     
  9. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    *Dons catsuit and goes off for a little B&E*

    Well, I suppose I could ask to do a days trial. Not so sure how this works, but I think you have to enroll in the supplements farce before you're even concidered for a machine. But, I guess I could just get my GF to ask her friend if we could borrow the machine for a day or two - saying we're not going to use it, just examine it?

    I really want to have a peek inside it though. Hmm... *checking eBay*
     
  10. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    The following is pasted from Nu Skin Enterprises website;

    Qualify for an S2 Scanner
    We began the first round of distribution of the Pharmanex S2 Scanners to the first round of qualifiers. We also provided two very appreciative conference attendees with free S2 Scanners for life. Congratulations to Vladimir Kolbas and Richard Herkert on the opportunity to possess some of the first S2 Scanners in the world at no cost whatsoever.

    For those of you who would like to qualify for an S2 Scanner, please review the following requirements:

    • Must have an S1 Scanner for at least three months with at least five ADR subscriptions per month;
    • Additionally, you must meet one of the following two requirements to qualify to receive an S2 Scanner in April:

    • Achieve 20% increase in Q1 (January-March) G1-G6 pay line volume over G1-G6 pay line volume in Q4 2005 (October-December). For details on this, please contact your account manager; OR
    Special March-only opportunity for S1 Scanner operators:
    • Personally enroll and qualify five new LOIs (Letters of Intent) in the month of March.

    For all monthly S2 Scanner deliveries in May and beyond, until further notice the qualifications to receive an S2 are the following:

    • Must have a S1 Scanner for at least three months with at least five ADR subscriptions per month.
    • Must participate in the Bonus Pool in the month prior to the S2 delivery. For example: An Executive with a productive S1 Scanner in February-April participates in the Executive Bonus pool in April. He/she will qualify to be added to the S2 delivery pool for May.

    If you have any questions regarding how you can qualify for an S2 Scanner, please call your Account Manager. We intend to distribute approximately 100-150 S2 Scanners each month.


    Another "interesting" article on the subject: http://muybueno.net/bizbridge/consu...cal/featured/pharmanexbiophotonicscanner.html
     
  11. badders

    badders Neuken in de Keuken

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    Jeez, it's starting to sound like Scientology.
     
  12. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Well, the more I look around the more junk pops up.

    1. You have to qualify to be given the option of leasing a scanner.
    2. You start out at the bottom, with an S1 scanner. This is apparently the older version - big, slow and somewhat cumbersome.
    3. Then you can apply to lease an S2 version, which is smaller, lighter and faster.
    4. After this you may apply to lease the new and improved everest version which was developed, and I quote; "This edition was named after making a breakthrough while modifying a Scanner for a climb up Mount Everest to test antioxidant levels in Sherpas at very high altitudes."

    Now, all this goodness doesn't come free you know, so here are the leasing prices ... and UPGRADE prices.

    1. Master monthly lease of S1 scanner: AU$185
    2. Upgrade to S2 fee: AU$310
    3. Monthly lease of S2 scanner: AU$330
    4. Upgrade to S2 "everest" edition fee: AU$310
    5. Monthly lease of S2 everest scanner: AU$275

    Everest S2 Scanner Monthly Maintenance Criteria
    1. Maintain Qualifying Executive and then Executive status
    2. Perform 20 scans per month
    3. Pay monthly lease fee of AU$275.00 / NZ$325.00
    Please note that a Scanner may be disabled and the lease terminated should the monthly maintenance requirements not be met for any two consecutive months.

    NEW USERS

    Qualification Criteria for an Everest S2 Scanner
    New criteria is effective as of 15 November 2007.

    New Distributors and Non Executives
    Complete your 1st month of Executive Qualification. Your Account Manager will contact you to discuss leasing a BioPhotonic Scanner. No Expression of Interest (EOI) Form is required.




    Oh, and apparently you may now have an option of going straight at the S2 everest.

    Sweet Jolly Roger!

    Note to self: must stop rambling about crazy MLM scheme designed to trick people out of their hard earned money!
     
  13. Ramble

    Ramble Ginger Nut

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    Strong smell of ******** here. Free radical measurement by looking at your skin? That is the stupidest thing I've heard today.
    If your partner buys this, leave her.
     
  14. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Yeah I know. Luckily she does listen to reason. Besides, she's not stupid or anything like that - just easily impressionable. She even knows how to identify a blue LED now. :D
     
  15. supermonkey

    supermonkey Deal with it

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    You both got scanned, and you both got bad results. The parent company just happens to sell nutritional supplements to help you get better results. I think that says it all, really.

    -monkey
     
  16. Herbicide

    Herbicide Lurktacular

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    What about pointing Dan in their general direction. He likes this sort of thing.
     
  17. Cthippo

    Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

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    Yes, it's BS, but there are a lot of medical devices that read through the skin. Mostly these are for blood gasses, but i read recently one for reading blood sugar is coming out soon. We use optical pulse oximiters all the time to read the oxygen saturation and pulse of the patient. I've seen ads for ones that also read carbon monoxide levels.

    I think one clue that it's BS is the blue LED. Every legit device I've seen uses red because tred light passes through tissue whereas blue is blocked. From what i can find with a quick Google it looks like all legitimate tests for free radical levels involve actually drawing blood.
     
  18. Journeyer

    Journeyer Minimodder

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    Yes.
    I think I concluded it was all steaming BS as soon as I saw it in "operation". Also I have not been able to find any articles from independent sources saying anything positive about this.

    However, the one thing that I wondered about have not been answered. I want to see what's inside it. :D

    Oh, and according to the "scientific litterature" on these scanners on Nu Skin Enterprises' website states that the blue LED is in fact a low power blue laser which does the scanning. :hehe:
     
  19. Flibblebot

    Flibblebot Smile with me

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    I think probably what you'd find inside is a PIC and probably not much else.
     
  20. DXR_13KE

    DXR_13KE BananaModder

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    the BS meter is hitting the galactic level.....
     

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