PULSE LAMP

OPI PROJECT

 

 

Background and purpose

In the National Hospital Glostrup, in the neurological section N35, the effects of circadian lighting have been measured the past 2 years. The neurological patients are amongst the patients that are hospitalised the longest. Their basic human needs of a supplement of cold and bright light in the daytime are big, because they are not outside in the daylight. The measurements are done as a part of a PhD project, and the collected data must be analysed. The purpose of the project is to get potential evidence to show that circadian lighting can help both patients and staff get a more stable circadian rhythm with better sleep at night and much more energy in the daytime.

 

The measurements have been done in two identical sections, where one, N35, has had circadian lighting installed. During these 2 years there have been a lot of measurements on most of the patients of N35 and on the patients of the identical section. By comparison of data from the two sections there are the possibility of documenting potential impact of circadian lighting on patients and staff.

 

The circadian lighting is installed by changing the lamps in the ceiling with special luminaires in the ceiling, where the light varies in both strength and colour tones in a gradual transition through the 24 hours. There are surface mounted cold white and warm white diodes and a lot of special coloured diodes. It comes with a combination of the diodes in variety, and the light stimulates to activity in the daytime and at night time the light is sleep-inducing.

 

Besides the luminaires in the ceiling there are also installed luminaires on the walls with circadian lighting. The light from here is sent to towards the ceiling. But even though these luminaires cover the basic human needs for light, the patients also need a bed lamp for individual light for e.g. reading. The staff in the offices also have the need for a lamp on the table. To obtain a complete and consistent circadian lighting these lamps must be changed to circadian lighting too.

 

 

 

 

OPI project

In the autumn of 2013, the Service Centre at the National Hospital – Glostrup, took the initiative to develop a bedside lamp with circadian light and inspection light. Region H funds were available to cover part of the development work and the purchase of 25 bed- and table lamps for department N35. The remaining funds came from the relevant private partners through partial self-financing of own time and other development costs.

 

The first private co-operation was with PLH Architects, who has many years of experience with design and development of lighting to the professional market. Together with the service centre on the national hospital, Glostrup, and the medical specialists on N35, the management department and PLH made a requirement specification, which amongst others included requirements to ergonomics, operation, hygiene, cleaning-friendly, range, and flexibility. The bed lamp had to switch on with circadian light but could also switch to white inspection light in connection to the supervision of the patients and e.g. insertion of a catheter.

 

Based on the requirements PLH made different suggestions to the design of the lamp. The chosen suggestion stood out because it is easy-to-handle with round and ergonomic grip-friendly geometry, which especially the many neurological patients with weak motor co-ordination in their fingers can benefit from. The design of the chosen suggestion was later adapted so a relevant manufacturer could relate to it.

 

Amongst several possible manufacturers Lightcare was the best match. Lightcare had the experience of installation of circadian lighting, and a bedside lamp with circadian lighting would fit in the portfolio just perfectly. The project between the National Hospital Glostrup, PLH Architects, and Luminex Lightcare started.

 

By the end of September 2015 Luminex Lightcare delivered and installed 25 prototype luminaires in the neurological section N35 on the National Hospital Glostrup. These luminaires are tested daily by patients and staff. Based on these experiences there will possibly be some changes made before the series production start.

 

The bedside lamp has got the name PULSE, because PULSE can describe the connection between the circadian lighting and the human level of activity.

 

 It´s the intention that PULSE is to be used in the neurological section N35 on the National Hospital Glostrup – as well as many other hospitals.

 

 

 

 

Design and Functionality

The design of PULSE has not come like an idea or expression, which afterwards is adjusted to the functional situation. The design is on the contrary the result of many different functional considerations and demands. However, the design has been worked upon to make it exquisite, so the patient doesn´t meet a technical device, but on the contrary a nice bedside lamp which can also fit into a private home. The bedside lamp is one of the very few machines that a patient operates on their own. Therefore, it is extra important that the design of the bedside lamp is easy to use.

 

A bedside lamp for hospitals has to be used by everyone, and neurological patients often have reduced mobility in their fingers. On the head of the lamp the handle is slim and round off and is integrated in each side of it. That makes it easier for the patients to grab the lamp and if necessary, only with one finger. An orange power switch is put as an eye catcher in the front and is made of rubber and it peeps out, so it can be found easily in the dark. The head of the lamp has the form of an ellipsoid, so it doesn´t stick to a sleeve or similar things.

 

On the orange power switch the PULSE lamp is turned on with circadian lighting, i.e. the strength and spectrum of the light correspond to the actual time of day. But if the staff in the evening of at night have the need for white light – inspection light, in connection to the supervision of the patients and e.g. insertion of a catheter, it is necessary that the light can be changed. A changing of function from circadian lighting to inspection light (or vice visa) is discreetly placed on the top side of the lamp directed at the staff.

 

The light is sent to the middle of the underside of the lamp and the diodes are covered by a lens that controls the spreading of the light. PULSE is therefore a downlight and the light is more powerful under the head and fade to the sides.

 

PULSE is in principle an architect lamp with a head, that can be tilted up and down and turned to the sides, and a part that can be bend half way and at the bottom. But opposite the architect lamp PULSE has its cord and spring hidden inside the arm to make the luminaire hygienic and cleaning-friendly. The parts are the shape of a ball and to make cleaning easier the changes of the parts are without sudden difference in levels.

 

Head, arm, and parts are made in aluminium, which makes the construction light, strong and lasting. All moving parts have a friction built in, which can be adjusted when needed. Aluminium leads efficiently the heat from the diodes and thereby giving them a long lifetime. When the lamps are to be replaced and destroyed, the aluminium construction very easy to melt and re-use.

 

PULSE is delivered with white lacquer in RAL 9010 as standard feature. But the lamp come in other colours if wanted.

 

 

 

 

Variants

PULSE is based upon a bedside lamp with circadian lighting and inspection light to use for hospitals, but it is not limited to this use. The diodes combination can be customized to the users´ needs, where other colour ranges and programmed lightings can be delivered. In nursing homes, sheltered housing units for the elderly, workstations with night work circadian lighting can be relevant. While offices, clinics, laboratories etc. can use PULSE changing between cold and warm white light and maybe special ranges of colours which assist in seeing clearer.