NATURALISTIC ILLUMINATOR FOR LIVING/WORKING/LAB SPACES

NATURALISTIC ILLUMINATION PATTERNS ARE EITHER ABSENT OR ARBITRARILY MODIFIED IN MANY MODERN LIVING, WORKING, LABORATORY, AND HOSPITAL ENVIROMENTS. EVIDENCE POINTS TO DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF INADEQUATE ILLUMINATION ON HEALTH, MOOD, SLEEP, AND PRODUCTIVITY. THE DAY-NIGHT CYCLE IS ESSENTIAL TO CIRCADIAN PHYSIOLOGICAL TIMEKEEPING. CONVENTIONAL MIMICS OF DAY AND NIGHT IN THE LABORATORY^INVOLVING SUDDEN TRANSITIONS BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS^HAVE POSED UNNECESSARILY SHOCKING DISRUPTIONS. WE ARE DEVELOPING AN IMPROVED SYSTEM IN WHICH GRADUAL NATURALISTIC TWILIGHTS ARE PRESENTED, CLOSELY REPRESENTATIVE OF OUTDOOR PATTERNS AT ANY TIME OF YEAR AND LATITUDE. THE OUTPUT SIGNAL WILL ENCOMPASS ILLUMINATION LEVELS EFFECTIVE FOR HUMAN PLASMA MELATONIN SUPPRESSION, PHOTOTHERAPEUTIC RESPONSES IN SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER, AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM ENTRAINMENT. AN ""ESCAPE-FROM-LIGHT'' OPTION WILL PERMIT SELF-SELECTED EXPOSURE TO MOMENTARY NATURALISTIC DAY AND NIGHT ILLUMINATION, ACCOMMODATING THE BURROWING REPERTOIRE OF NOCTURNAL SPECIES. DEMONSTRATION TESTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE PLANNED IN BOTH LABORATORY AND HOSPITAL