Method and apparatus for reducing eye fatigue

• US 7,234,814 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brackett, Charles Cameron, Morita, Mark Masao, Fors, Steve Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J.
• Application Number:
  US10/686,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20050094098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 351/203, 403/61, 405/48, 348/602, 362/11, 362/600, 362/602, 362611-614, 362/559, 362/561
• US Class Current: 351/203
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/22 telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/26 Pivoted arms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/00 Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

Some configurations of the present invention provide a method for reducing eye fatigue that includes adjusting an intensity of an essentially white light source behind a display device to set an ambient light level in a room behind the display device, and adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside the display device to dilate pupils of the eyes of a viewer of the display device.

Claims

1. A method for reducing eye fatigue comprising:

adjusting an intensity of an essentially white light source behind a display device to set an ambient light level in a room behind the display device;

adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside the display device to dilate pupils of the eyes of a viewer of the display device; and

presetting a plurality of light parameters of the essentially white light source and the blue light source, wherein the light parameters correspond to a plurality of medical examinations.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjusting an intensity of an essentially white light source comprises adjusting an incandescent light source.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjusting an intensity of the blue light source comprises adjusting an intensity of an incandescent blue light source.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjusting an intensity of the blue light source comprises adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside a left side of the display device and adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside a right side of the display device.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said white light source and said blue light source comprise light emitting diodes.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said white light source comprises a fluorescent light source.

7. A method for reducing eye fatigue comprising:

adjusting an intensity of an essentially white light source behind a display device to set an ambient light level in a room behind the display device;

adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside the display device to dilate pupils of the eyes of a viewer of the display device; and

displaying a medical image on the display device,

wherein adjusting an intensity of the white light source further comprises adjusting an intensity of the white light source in accordance with a type of medical image displayed, and wherein adjusting an intensity of the blue light source further comprises adjusting an intensity of the blue light source in accordance with the type of medical image displayed.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said adjusting an intensity of the blue light source comprises adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside a left side of the display device and adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside a right side of the display device.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising separately controlling said white light intensity and said blue light intensity utilizing a dimmer with preset white light intensities and preset blue light intensities corresponding to selected types of medical images.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said displaying a medical image on the display device comprises utilizing a computer to control the display device, and further comprising utilizing the computer to communicate a signal indicative of the type of medical image displayed on the display device to the dimmer, and utilizing the indicative signal to select a preset white light intensity and a preset blue light intensity.

11. An apparatus for reducing eye fatigue comprising:

a first light fixture;

a second light fixture;

a mount mechanically coupled to said first light fixture and said second light fixture and configured to attach to a rear portion of a display device so that said first light fixture is behind the display device and said second light fixture is beside the display device; and

a dimmer configured to separately control an intensity of lighting from said first light fixture and said second light fixture when said dimmer is powered and light sources are provided at said first light fixture and at said second light fixture, wherein said intensity of lighting corresponds to an image displayed on the display device.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first light fixture and said second light fixture comprise electrical sockets configured to receive and power light sources.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12 further comprising an essentially white light source in said first light fixture, and a blue light source in said second light fixture.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 further comprising a third light fixture, wherein said mount is further configured so that said second light fixture is beside a left side of the display device and said third light fixture is beside a right side of the display device when said mount is attached to the rear of the display device, wherein said dimmer is further configured control an intensity of lighting from said third light fixture separately from said first light fixture, and said apparatus further comprises a blue light source in said third light fixture.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said essentially white light source comprises an incandescent light source, and said blue light sources comprise incandescent light sources.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 11 further comprising an essentially white light source in said first light fixture, and a blue light source in said second light fixture, and further comprising a third light fixture and a blue light source in said third light fixture;

wherein said mount is further configured so that said second light fixture is beside a left side of the display device and said third light fixture is beside a right side of the display device when said mount is attached to the rear of the display device, and said dimmer is further configured control an intensity of lighting from said third light fixture separately from said first light fixture.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said essentially white light source comprises light emitting diodes, and said blue light sources comprise light emitting diodes.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said essentially white light source comprises a fluorescent light source.

19. An apparatus for reducing eye fatigue comprising:

a stationary arm having a first light fixture,

an arm mechanically coupled to said stationary arm and having a second light fixture;

a mount mechanically coupled to said stationary arm and configured to attach said stationary arm to a rear portion of a display device so that said first light fixture is behind the display device and said second light fixture is beside the display device; and

a dimmer configured to separately control an intensity of lighting from said first light fixture and said second light fixture when said dimmer is powered and light sources are provided at said first light fixture and at said second light fixture, wherein said intensity of lighting corresponds to a plurality of medical examinations.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 19 further comprising an arm having a third light fixture, wherein said mount is configured so that, when attached to the rear portion of the display device, said second light fixture is left of the display device and said third light fixture is right of the display device.

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said arm having the second light fixture and said arm having the third light fixture are telescoping.

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said arm having the second light fixture and said arm having the third light fixture are hinged to said stationary arm.

23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said dimmer includes a selection of preset intensity combinations.

24. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein said dimmer comprises a computer interface, and said dimmer is responsive to a signal input to said computer interface to select one of said preset intensity combinations.

25. An apparatus in accordance with claim 20 further comprising shades configured to shade light sources in said second light fixture and said third light fixture from an observer looking at a monitor to which the apparatus is attached.

26. A display apparatus for reducing eye fatigue comprising:

a computer display;

a first light fixture mechanically coupled to and behind said computer display;

a second light fixture mechanically coupled to and at a side of the computer display; and

a dimmer configured to separately control an intensity of lighting from said first light fixture and said second light fixture, when said dimmer is powered and light sources are provided for said first light fixture and said second light fixture, wherein said intensity of light corresponds to an image displayed on said computer display.

27. A display apparatus in accordance with claim 26 wherein the second light fixture is at a left side of the computer display and further comprising a third light fixture mechanically coupled to and at a right side of the computer display, and said dimmer is further configured to control an intensity of lighting from said third light fixture when said dimmer is powered and a light source is provided for said third light fixture.

28. A display apparatus in accordance with claim 27 further comprising an essentially white light source in said first light fixture, a blue light source in said second light location, and a blue light source in said third light location.

29. A display apparatus in accordance with claim 28 wherein said second light fixture and said third light fixture are on separate arms mechanically coupled to said stationary arm.

30. An apparatus in accordance with claim 28 further comprising shades configured to shade said blue light sources from eyes of a viewer of said computer display.

31. A display device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said dimmer includes a selection of preset intensity combinations.

32. An apparatus in accordance with claim 30 wherein said dimmer comprises a computer interface, and said dimmer is responsive to a signal input to said computer interface to select one of said preset intensity combinations.