Architectural Strategies to obtain light characteristics appropriate for human circadian stimulation

• US 20090182189A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Lira, Adriana
• Application Number:
  US12/291,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182189A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a method of stimulating the circadian system of a subject comprising the step of reflecting light off of a surface towards the subject.

Claims

1. A method of stimulating the circadian system of a subject comprising the step of reflecting light off of a surface towards the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said light is non-monochromatic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said light comprises blue light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said light comprises light having a wavelength between about 460 nm and about 480 nm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiant intensity of the light is between about 2,000 W/sr and about 5,000 W/sr.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiant intensity of the light is between about 3,000 W/sr and about 4,000 W/sr.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiant intensity of the light is about 3,500 W/sr.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the red radiant intensity is about 1,000 W/sr;

the green radiant intensity is about 1,000 W/sr; and

the blue radiant intensity is about 1,500 W/sr.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RGB reflectance of the surface is about 0.1 (red), about 0.3 (green) and about 0.6 (blue).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the RGB reflectance of the surface is about 0.5 (red), about 0.5 (green) and about 0.5 (blue).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the RGB reflectance of the surface is about 0.6 (red), about 0.3 (green) and about 0.1 (blue).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specularity of the surface is between about 0.01 and about 0.09.

13. The method of claim 1, where the roughness of the surface is between about 0.01 and 0.20.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a non-metallic opaque insulator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a plastic.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a metal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is substantially flat.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is curved.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is part of a wall.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the stimulation leads to improved performance, alertness, mood, or sense of well being of a subject.