LIGHT + HEALTH ROUNDUP

tipping point is defined as “the critical point in a situation, process or system A beyond which a significant and oft en unstoppable eff ect or change takes place.” And a tipping point is what our industry appears to have reached in the broad area of light and health. Research, applications and a growing number of conferences (witness the two IES Re- search Symposiums on the topic; see sidebar) are proliferating, as lighting design continues to extend its reach beyond the visual task and the architectural aesthetic to a whole new realm. Granted, most case studies linking light and health are still qualitative, not quantitative; as such, anecdotal evidence is more abundant than empirical data. Still, each application helps build the foundation for future design practice. Here, we look at two examples where the goal was to use lighting to promote better health—be it for ballplayers or babies. From Babies to Ballplayers

Health-conscious lighting is good for all ages, shapes and sizes

BY PAUL TARRICONE

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THE DODGERS BATTLE JET LAG The Los Angeles Dodgers liked the lighting so time diff erence. As players reported poor sleep or much in Australia that they brought it home to fatigue, sleep times were adjusted by Lighting Sci- Los Angeles. To help mitigate jet lag, the team ence’s director of research, Robert Soler. used “biologically corrected lighting” supplied by The Dodgers played a total of three games in Lighting Science for their trip to Australia to start Australia, including an exhibition game against the 2014 baseball season. The LED lights were also the Australia National Team and two off icial MLB used on the return trip home and later installed in games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Aft er the bullpen of Dodger Stadium, considered one of the exhibition game, Los Angeles Dodgers’ direc- the darkest in Major League Baseball. tor of medical services, Stan Conte, noticed that Once it was announced that the Dodgers many members of the team had not fully adjusted would open the season 17 time zones away in to the time diff erence. To address this, Awake & Australia, Lighting Science presented a plan to Alert lights were placed in the dugout during the the team’s medical and training staff to help the first of the two games against the Diamondbacks, team “reprogram” the players’ and coaches’ time which took place on two following evenings. for sleep. The prescription included adjusting the Soler was also on hand to adjust light prescrip- players’ and coaches’ activities during the days tions daily for the players depending on their own leading up to the trip, as well as the use of LED reporting and coach observations of their jet lag, lighting developed by NASA and Lighting Science fatigue and performance. The result on the field: to help astronauts sleep better while on board the Dodgers won the exhibition game against the International Space Station. the Australia National Team and the two games Prior to departure from the U.S., players de- against the Diamondbacks. layed their circadian rhythms, thus preparing With the goal of returning to peak performance their bodies for a later sleep schedule. On the upon their return to Los Angeles, the Dodgers flight, Lighting Science’s Awake & Alert lights were used the lights on their flight home throughout placed throughout the first class cabin where the the plane cabin in order to delay sleep and adjust players and coaches were seated. The lights as- the circadian clocks of the players to later in the sisted in keeping the players awake longer in or- day. In addition, the players were able to take der to begin the adjustment to the time diff erence home both the Awake & Alert lights and Lighting in Sydney. Once on the ground in Australia, all 30 Science’s Good Night LED light—which reduces players were given Awake & Alert lights to install melatonin-suppressing blue light—along with an in the lamps in their hotel rooms in order to delay application schedule, to aid them in readjusting sleep time on a prescribed basis, which varied to the Pacific Time Zone. depending on how each player acclimated to the

Bulbs from Lighting Science used on the plane and in the dugout helped “reprogram” the players’ time for sleep.

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PREPARING INFANTS TO GO HOME One is never too young to reap the benefits of manually adjusted and automatically operated healthy lighting, as the Surrey Memorial Hospital in a diurnally controlled light cycle when select- ably demonstrates. The 48-bed Neonatal Infant ed by the user.” In addition, a master OFF control Care Unit (NICU) at the British Columbia, Canada, provides rapid room darkening. hospital now contains an adjustable day-night light The system is a radical departure for the hospi- cycle to help an infant’s transition to home. MMM tal. “Previously in our NICU, we had an older light Group Limited Lighting Studio, Vancouver, BC, de- system that was just bright light,” says Brenda signed the lighting and collaborated with CDm2 Haan, clinical lead, NICU, Surrey Memorial Hos- LIGHTWORKS, Vancouver, on the design and imple- pital. “Our newborns may spend months in the mentation of the control system. Philips Strand NICU and they need to start feeling a normal Lighting supplied the dimming panels and controls. day-night rhythm. With the old system it was all “Each patient room includes indirect lighting or nothing and we needed better control. So with over the bed, low level lights at the head wall, this new lighting system, we can now set it and concealed task lights and cutoff lighting in the forget it, and this helps the newborns make a family section,” explains MMM’s Michael Graham. much easier transition on their way home.” The indirect lighting is provided by wall-mounted The design team established the lighting levels luminaires located on two sides due to the ar- and certified the vital and normal power require- chitectural design. Each luminaire measures 8-ft ments. Since the new system is separate from all long and has two 54-W T5HO 3500K lamps in two other lighting controls in the building, a central rows. Each row has its own dimmable ballast controller is able to maintain the diurnal cycle for to allow for separate controls and provide an il- all 48 patient rooms, while six-button keypads lumination range of 10 to 600 lux over the bed. were installed in each room that would all be fed Graham adds that while they’re conceivable in with vital power to keep the cycles intact during the future, “separate warm and cool color tem- any power interruption. perature lamps for circadian lighting were not “The ambient light fixtures in each care unit re- provided at this time, as research is still ongoing. ceive the same control signal from the touchscreen, We decided to remain with the 3500K lamps, until delivering 12 hours of light starting at 7 a.m. and 12 there is more conclusive research on the use of hours of dark starting at 7 p.m.,” says Rawlings. warm and cool light sources on infants.” Adds Haan, “The beauty of the system is that “The ambient lighting had to be adjustable we can now allow the babies to start feeling the [through the 10-600 lux range] and indepen- normalcy of a day-night transition, which is key dently controlled within each room,” adds David for their strengthening and development.”  Rawlings of CDm2 LIGHTWORKS. “It can also be

A six-button control facilitates the cycle of light in this neonatal infant care unit.

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