Lighting system for medical procedures

• US 5,526,245 A
• Filed: 11/22/1993
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Kirlin Company
• Original Assignee: The Kirlin Company
• Inventors: Davis, Donald W., Brownell, Stephen C., Brownell, Jana K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/155,481
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 362/386, 362/233, 362/419, 362/804, 362/418, 362/364, 362/272, 362/285, 362/286, 362/802, 362/147, 362/801, 362/394, 248/206.5, 211/87, 211/DIG. 1, 211/13, 359/147, 359/142, 359/145, 359/572, 340/825.17, 340/825.72, 340/825.37
• US Class Current: 362/233
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/205 for operating theatres
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/088 by wireless means, e.g. infrared transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

A room lighting system specially suited for medical procedures. The system includes first and second light assemblies adapted to be mounted in the ceiling of the procedure room and each including a lamp movable between a plurality of angular positions. The lamps are controlled by a wall control unit mounted in a wall of the procedure room or by a remote control unit including an infrared transmitter communicating with an infrared receiver mounted in the wall control unit. The light assemblies can be controlled individually as to both intensity and angular position either from the wall control unit or from the remote control unit. Each light assembly includes a transformer which receives line power and steps the line power down to a 24 volt circuit to control the intensity of the lamp and a 12 volt circuit which includes all of the controls for the light assembly.

Claims

1. A room lighting system for medical procedures comprising:

a light assembly including a housing adapted to be mounted in a ceiling of a room and a lamp mounted within the housing for movement between a plurality of angular positions;

a wall control unit adapted to be mounted in a wall of the room and including control elements for controlling the light assembly; and

means establishing a first electrical circuit, including said lamp, of a first voltage and a second electrical circuit, including said wall control unit, of a second voltage lower than said first voltage;

said establishing means including a transformer receiving line power and operative to step down said line power to said first voltage for use by said first, lamp circuit and further operative to step down said line power to said second voltage for use by said second, wall control unit circuit.

2. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein:

the transformer is mounted on the housing of the light assembly.

3. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein:

said first circuit voltage is approximately 5 volts and said second circuit voltage is approximately 12 volts.

4. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein:

said wall control unit further includes an infrared receiver; and

said lighting system further includes a remote control unit including control elements for controlling the light assembly and operative in response to actuation of said control elements to generate infrared signals for transmission to said infrared receiver.

5. A room lighting system for medical procedures comprising:

a first light assembly adapted to be mounted in the ceiling of the room and including a lamp movable between a plurality of angular positions;

a second light assembly adapted to be mounted in the room ceiling in spaced relation to the first light assembly and including a lamp movable between a plurality of angular positions;

control means comprising a wall control unit hard wired to the light assemblies, adapted to be positioned in a wall of the room, and including control elements operative in response to selective actuation of the elements to selectively and individually adjust the angular position of each lamp of each light assembly; and

a remote control unit having control elements corresponding to the control elements of the wall control unit and including an infrared transmitter;

the wall control unit including an infrared receiver operative to receive the transmissions of the infrared transmitter;

the wall control unit defining a storage surface sized to store the remote control unit; and

the remote control unit including means operative to emit a warning signal if the remote control unit is separated from the wall control unit for a predetermined length of time or is not activated for a predetermined length of time.