System and method for targeted spectral illumination

Abstract

To provide a surgical light for illuminating a target with light that has a reduced contribution of a portion of a lower limb spectrum.SOLUTION: A surgical light for illuminating a target with light that has a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum, includes: a first light source 108 configured to emit light having a first spectrum; a second light source 110 configured to emit light having a second spectrum that does not include the portion of the visible spectrum; and a controller 122 configured to simultaneously activate the first and second light sources for illuminating the target with light that has a reduced contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum relative to white light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 871,586, filed July 8, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to surgical lights, and more particularly to surgical lights for open surgery. [Background technology]

[0003] Surgical lights are used in operating rooms to provide relatively high-intensity light to illuminate a target surgical area during an incision. The target surgical area may be illuminated by one or more surgical lights for direct observation by a surgeon. Therefore, many conventional surgical lights are configured to provide light that approximates natural light so that tissue within the target is visible according to its true color. During surgery, the target tissue is generally perfused with blood, and therefore, the view may be dominated by the color red. Due to this dominance of a single color, the contrast between different parts of the tissue may be low, making it difficult for the surgeon to distinguish various tissue features or various anatomical structures, which may lead to eye strain and fatigue. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to some embodiments, the surgical light is configured to illuminate a target with a combination of light having a first spectrum and light having a second spectrum that lacks a portion of the visible spectrum included in the first spectrum. This allows the target tissue to be illuminated with light that has a reduced contribution from the portion of the visible spectrum that is lacking in the second spectrum. According to some embodiments, the first spectrum, alone or in combination with the second spectrum, can encompass the visible spectrum, which can increase contrast between features of the target due to the reduced contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum that is lacking in the second spectrum relative to white light, while maintaining one or more aspects of the natural appearance of the tissue.

[0005] In some embodiments, the light having the first spectrum is white light and the light having the second spectrum lacks at least a portion of red light, such that the target is illuminated by light having a reduced red contribution relative to the white light, reducing the amount of red light reflected by the target. In open surgical procedures, reducing but not eliminating red light reflected from tissue can provide increased contrast, reduced glare, and reduced fatigue while maintaining the appearance of the tissue.

[0006] According to some embodiments, a surgical light for illuminating a target with light having a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum includes a first light source configured to emit light having a first spectrum that includes the portion of the visible spectrum, a second light source configured to emit light having a second spectrum that does not include the portion of the visible spectrum, and a controller configured to simultaneously operate the first and second light sources to illuminate the target with light having a reduced contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum compared to white light.

[0007] In any of these embodiments, the second spectrum may have a narrower spectral range than the first spectrum.

[0008] In any of these embodiments, the first spectrum may include the second spectrum.

[0009] In any of these embodiments, the first spectrum may have a narrower spectral range than the second spectrum.

[0010] In any of these embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the relative amounts of light provided by the first and second light sources to adjust the relative contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum to light at the target.

[0011] In any of these embodiments, the controller may be configured to adjust the contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum while maintaining constant illuminance at the target.

[0012] In any of these embodiments, the portion of the visible spectrum may include at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum.

[0013] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one emitter configured to emit light across the second spectrum but not in the portion of the visible spectrum.

[0014] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a portion of the first spectrum and at least one filter for filtering light in the portion of the visible spectrum.

[0015] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one optical component, and the at least one filter may be disposed on the at least one optical component.

[0016] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical component may include a lens.

[0017] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical component may include a mirror.

[0018] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one optical component, and the filter may be disposed between the at least one light emitter and the at least one optical component.

[0019] In any of these embodiments, the first and second light sources may each include at least one solid state white light emitter.

[0020] In any of these embodiments, at least one of the first light source and the second light source may include a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures.

[0021] In any of these embodiments, the first light source may include a plurality of narrowband light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light having the first spectrum.

[0022] In any of these embodiments, at least one of the first and second light sources may include a plurality of light-generating units, each of which may include at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0023] In any of these embodiments, each light-generating unit may include multiple solid-state light emitters.

[0024] In any of these embodiments, each light-generating unit may include an optical integrator for combining light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters.

[0025] In any of these embodiments, the at least one light-generating unit of the second light source may include a filter disposed on the at least one optical component.

[0026] In any of these embodiments, the filter may be disposed on an outer surface of the at least one optical component facing away from the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0027] In any of these embodiments, the filter may be disposed on an interior surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0028] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units of the first light source may be intermixed with the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source.

[0029] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units of the first light source may be arranged in a plurality of first arrays, and the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source may be arranged in a plurality of second arrays, and the first arrays and the second arrays may be arranged alternately.

[0030] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may be configured to be suspended above a surgical table.

[0031] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include a housing, and the first and second light sources may be mounted in the housing.

[0032] In any of these embodiments, the controller may be configured to simultaneously activate the first and second light sources in a first mode and deactivate the second light source in a second mode to illuminate the target with only light having the first spectrum.

[0033] Any of these embodiments may have a user interface for mode selection by the user.

[0034] According to some embodiments, a method of illuminating a target with light having a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum includes emitting light from a first light source having a first spectrum that includes the portion of the visible spectrum, and simultaneously emitting light from a second light source having a second spectrum that does not include the portion of the visible spectrum, and simultaneously illuminating the target with light from the first and second light sources such that the target is illuminated with light having a reduced contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum compared to white light.

[0035] In any of these embodiments, the second spectrum may have a narrower spectral range than the first spectrum.

[0036] In any of these embodiments, the first spectrum may include the second spectrum.

[0037] In any of these embodiments, the first spectrum may have a narrower spectral range than the second spectrum.

[0038] In any of these embodiments, the method may further include deactivating the second light source while leaving the first light source activated to illuminate the target only with light having the first spectrum.

[0039] In any of these embodiments, deactivating the second light source may include deactivating the second light source in response to a user selection of a broader spectrum light mode.

[0040] In any of these embodiments, the method may further include controlling the relative amounts of light emitted by the first and second light sources to adjust the relative contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum to light illuminating the target.

[0041] In any of these embodiments, the method may include adjusting the contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum while maintaining constant illuminance at the target.

[0042] In any of these embodiments, the portion of the visible spectrum may include at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum.

[0043] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one emitter configured to emit light across the second spectrum but not in the portion of the visible spectrum.

[0044] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a portion of the first spectrum and at least one filter for filtering light in the portion of the visible spectrum.

[0045] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one optical component, and the at least one filter may be disposed on the at least one optical component.

[0046] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical component may include a lens.

[0047] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical component may include a mirror.

[0048] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one optical component, and the filter may be disposed between the at least one light emitter and the at least one optical component.

[0049] In any of these embodiments, the first and second light sources may each include at least one solid state white light emitter.

[0050] In any of these embodiments, at least one of the first light source and the second light source may include a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures.

[0051] In any of these embodiments, the first light source may include a plurality of narrowband light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light having the first spectrum.

[0052] In any of these embodiments, at least one of the first and second light sources may include a plurality of light-generating units, each of which may include at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0053] In any of these embodiments, each light-generating unit may include multiple solid-state light emitters.

[0054] In any of these embodiments, each light-generating unit may include an optical integrator for combining light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters.

[0055] In any of these embodiments, the at least one light-generating unit of the second light source may include a filter disposed on the at least one optical component.

[0056] In any of these embodiments, the filter may be disposed on an outer surface of the at least one optical component facing away from the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0057] In any of these embodiments, the filter may be disposed on an interior surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0058] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units of the first light source may be intermixed with the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source.

[0059] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units of the first light source may be arranged in a plurality of first arrays, and the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source may be arranged in a plurality of second arrays, and the first arrays and the second arrays may be arranged alternately.

[0060] In any of these embodiments, the first and second light sources may be suspended above a surgical table.

[0061] In any of these embodiments, the first and second light sources may be mounted in a housing.

[0062] According to some embodiments, a surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units, each light-generating unit including at least one first light emitter that emits light having a first spectrum, at least one second light emitter that emits light having a second spectrum, and at least one optical element configured to mix light from the first and second light emitters such that the light-generating unit emits light that is a mixture of the first and second spectra; and a controller configured to adjust the relative intensities of the at least one first light emitter and the at least one second light emitter to adjust the spectrum of light generated by the plurality of light-generating units.

[0063] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may include at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first lighting pattern at the lighting target and at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second lighting pattern at the lighting target, and the controller may be further configured to adjust the intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to the intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the lighting pattern at the lighting target.

[0064] In any of these embodiments, the second illumination pattern may be an annular pattern.

[0065] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may include at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third lighting pattern at the lighting target.

[0066] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may be arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

[0067] In any of these embodiments, the light having the first spectrum may be white light having a first color temperature, and the light having the second spectrum may be white light having a second color temperature.

[0068] In any of these embodiments, the light may have a curved chassis for mounting the light-generating units such that the light-generating units are aimed at the same spot.

[0069] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical element may include a Kohler channel.

[0070] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical element may include a microlens array.

[0071] In any of these embodiments, the Kohler channel may be integrated into the collimating optics.

[0072] In any of these embodiments, each light-generating unit may include collimating optics for collimating light from the at least one optical element.

[0073] According to some embodiments, a method of illuminating a target with a surgical light includes emitting a first light having a first spectrum from at least one first light emitter of the surgical light, emitting a second light having a second spectrum from at least one second light emitter of the surgical light, mixing the first and second lights with at least one optical element of the surgical light, illuminating the target with the mixed light from the at least one optical element, and adjusting the relative intensities of the first and second lights to adjust the spectrum of the mixed light illuminating the target.

[0074] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include a plurality of light-generating units, each including a first and a second light emitter, wherein at least one first light-generating unit may be configured to generate a first lighting pattern and at least one second light-generating unit may be configured to generate a second lighting pattern, and the method may further include adjusting an intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the lighting pattern at the target of illumination.

[0075] In any of these embodiments, the second illumination pattern may be an annular pattern.

[0076] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may include at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third lighting pattern at the target of illumination.

[0077] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may be arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

[0078] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include a plurality of light-generating units, each including a first and a second light emitter, and the surgical light may include a curved chassis for mounting the plurality of light-generating units such that the plurality of light-generating units are directed toward the same spot.

[0079] In any of these embodiments, the first light having the first spectrum may be white light having a first color temperature, and the second light having the second spectrum may be white light having a second color temperature.

[0080] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical element may include a Kohler channel.

[0081] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical element may include a microlens array.

[0082] In any of these embodiments, the Kohler channel may be integrated into the collimating optics.

[0083] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include a plurality of light-generating units, each including a first and a second light emitter, and each light-generating unit including a collimating optical system for collimating light from the at least one optical element.

[0084] The surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units, the plurality of light-generating units including at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first lighting pattern at an illumination target and at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second lighting pattern at the illumination target; and a controller configured to adjust the intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to the intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the lighting pattern at the illumination target, wherein the lighting pattern at the illumination target is a combination of the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

[0085] In any of these embodiments, the second illumination pattern may be an annular pattern.

[0086] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may include at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third lighting pattern at the lighting target.

[0087] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light-generating units may be arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

[0088] In any of these embodiments, the first lighting pattern may have a smaller coverage area than the second lighting pattern, and the surgical light may have a smaller number of the first light-generating units than the second light-generating units.

[0089] According to some embodiments, a method of illuminating a target with a surgical light includes emitting light from at least one first light-generating unit of the surgical light, the at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first lighting pattern at the lighting target; emitting light from at least one second light-generating unit of the surgical light, the at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second lighting pattern at the lighting target; and adjusting an intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the lighting pattern at the lighting target, the lighting pattern at the lighting target being a combination of the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

[0090] In any of these embodiments, the second illumination pattern may be an annular pattern.

[0091] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the illumination target.

[0092] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light may include a plurality of light-generating units arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

[0093] In any of these embodiments, the first lighting pattern may have a smaller coverage area than the second lighting pattern, and the surgical light may have a smaller number of the first light-generating units than the second light-generating units. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0094] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 illustrates a surgical lighting system according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a surgical light including multiple light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a configuration of a light-generating unit according to some embodiments. [Figure 4A] 4A-4C show various positions for positioning the filter of the light-generating unit of FIG. 3. [Figure 4B] 4A-4C show various positions for positioning the filter of the light-generating unit of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a light-generating unit that generates both broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum light according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a configuration of a light-generating unit including a parabolic mirror according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a light-generating unit including multiple mirrors according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a surgical light having multiple light-generating units emitting light toward a central mirror unit according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] 1A-1C illustrate the spectrum of light provided to a target by a surgical light operating in different modes according to various embodiments. [Figure 10] 10A-B provide images of tissue of a subject illuminated with light according to the multiple modes of FIG. 9 in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 illustrates a chart of color rendering index for the five light modes of FIG. 9 according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a method 1200 for illuminating a target according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 illustrates a surgical light configured for adjustable illumination spectrum, adjustable brightness, and adjustable spot size in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 14]10A-10C illustrate examples of illumination patterns at a target generated by a first and second set of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 15A] 10A-10C illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 15B] 10A-10C illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 15C] 10A-10C illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 15D] 10A-10C illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 15E] 10A-10C illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] 14A-14C illustrate subassemblies of multiple light-generating units of the surgical light of FIG. 13 according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 illustrates an optical arrangement for mixing and directing light emitted by multiple light emitters of multiple light-generating units according to some embodiments. [Figure 18] 10A-10C illustrate alternative optical arrangements for mixing and directing light emitted by multiple light emitters of multiple light-generating units according to various embodiments. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 illustrates a surgical light including three different light-generating units for generating three different illumination patterns at a target, according to some embodiments. [Figure 20]20A-20C illustrate subassemblies of multiple light-generating units of the surgical light of FIG. 19 according to some embodiments. [Figure 21] 10A-10C illustrate examples of illuminance across a light field of different illumination patterns generated by three different light-generating units according to various embodiments. [Figure 22A] FIG. 1 illustrates a simulated illumination pattern. [Figure 22B] FIG. 1 illustrates a simulated illumination pattern. [Figure 22C] FIG. 1 illustrates a simulated illumination pattern. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0095] Reference will now be made in detail to implementations and embodiments of various aspects and variations of the systems and methods described herein. While several exemplary variations of the systems and methods are described herein, other variations of the systems and methods can include aspects of the systems and methods described herein combined in any suitable manner, including combinations of all or a portion of the described aspects.

[0096] The appearance of tissue can be controlled by changing the color of the illumination light, specifically by using reduced illumination. However, simply reducing the range of the illumination spectrum can make the surgical scene look unnatural and make it difficult or impossible to distinguish other tissues. Therefore, systems and methods according to various embodiments combine broad-spectrum illumination with illumination having attenuated portions relative to the broad-spectrum illumination to illuminate the target with light that reduces, but does not eliminate, the contribution of light in the attenuated portion of the visible spectrum from the reduced-spectrum illumination.

[0097] According to some embodiments, the surgical light includes a first light source for emitting light having a broad spectrum, such as white light. The surgical light includes a second light source for emitting light having a reduced portion of the spectrum relative to the light from the first light source. For example, the second light source may attenuate one or more of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet. According to some embodiments, one or more of these colors are completely omitted from the light of the second light source. As used herein, the term "attenuated" encompasses complete omission, and thus, a portion of the spectrum that is attenuated can include a portion of the spectrum that is completely omitted. The first and second light sources can be operated simultaneously such that the target is illuminated by light spanning a broad spectrum, but the contribution of the attenuated portion of the spectrum is reduced compared to light having a broad spectrum. Thus, according to some embodiments, at least some aspects of the natural appearance of tissue can be maintained while providing one or more benefits from reducing the contribution of the attenuated portion of the spectrum.

[0098] For example, in some embodiments, the first light source emits white light and the second light source emits light lacking at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum. This can be done by filtering red from the light emitted by the white light emitter or by using one or more emitters that do not produce at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum. The first and second light sources are activated simultaneously so that the target is illuminated by a combination of light from the first and second light sources. The reduced red contribution reduces the amount of red from the target, which, in the case of open surgery, can increase contrast, reduce glare, or reduce fatigue by reducing the amount of red saturation in the surgical field as perceived by the surgeon's eye. In other embodiments, a different portion of the visible spectrum is attenuated from the second light source, which can, for example, enhance the appearance of various features of the target tissue.

[0099] In the following description of various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which it is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments which may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments and examples may be practiced and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0100] It should further be understood that, as used in the following description, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and / or," as used herein, is also understood to refer to and encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should further be understood that, as used herein, the terms "includes," "including," "comprises," and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, values, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or units, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, components, units, and / or groups thereof.

[0101] Certain aspects of the present disclosure include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of algorithms. It should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the present disclosure may be embodied in software, firmware, or hardware, and, if embodied in software, may be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms for use by various operating systems. Unless otherwise specified, as will be apparent from the discussion below, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "displaying," and "generating" throughout this specification will be understood to refer to the operations and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's memory or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display device.

[0102] The present disclosure in some embodiments also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, a floppy disk, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, each of which may be coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, the computers referred to herein may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs to increase computing power.

[0103] The methods, apparatus, and systems described herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for these systems will appear from the description below. Further, the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be understood that a variety of programming languages ​​can be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein.

[0104] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a surgical lighting system 100 according to some embodiments. The surgical lighting system 100 includes a surgical light 102 for illuminating a target tissue 104 of a subject 106 with a mixture of light having a first spectrum and light having a second spectrum. The surgical light 102 includes a first light source 108 and a second light source 110. The first light source 108 emits light 112 having the first spectrum to illuminate the tissue 104 with the light 112. The first spectrum may be a continuous spectrum having wavelengths of light ranging from a lowest wavelength to a highest wavelength, or it may be a discontinuous spectrum in which at least some wavelengths between the lowest and highest wavelengths of the light having the first spectrum are absent, such as the spectrum provided by a combination of red, green, and blue emitters. The second light source 110 emits light 114 having the second spectrum to illuminate the tissue 104 with the light 114. The light 114 from the second light source 110 is absent from the portion of the visible spectrum, or the light in that portion of the visible spectrum is attenuated relative to the relative contribution of that portion of the visible spectrum to the light emitted from the first light source. The first and second light sources 108, 110 can be operated simultaneously such that the first spectrum light 112 and the second spectrum light 114 combine at or before reaching the target to illuminate the tissue 104 with a mixture of the first spectrum light 112 and the second spectrum light 114. Thus, the tissue can be illuminated with light across a broad spectrum in which the relative contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum missing from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110 is reduced relative to the relative contribution of that portion of visible light to white light. In some embodiments, the relative amount of light in the portion of the visible spectrum missing from the light 114 of the second light source 110 can be reduced, but not eliminated, thereby reducing, but not eliminating, the amount of that light reflected from the tissue, maintaining the normal appearance of the tissue while providing benefits to the user such as improved contrast between tissue features, reduced fatigue, and / or reduced glare.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first spectrum is broader than the second spectrum. For example, the first spectrum may be the visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the first spectrum is narrower than the second spectrum but includes a portion of the visible spectrum that is missing from the second spectrum. For example, the second spectrum may lack a certain color, such as red or blue, and the first spectrum may include only that color, such as red or blue, that is missing from the second spectrum. According to various embodiments, the first and / or second spectrum include non-visible light wavelengths, such as ultraviolet and / or infrared light.

[0106] The surgical lighting system 100 includes a controller 122 for controlling the first and second light sources 108, 110. The controller 122 can be a component of the surgical light 102, as shown, or can be operably coupled to the surgical light 102. The controller 122 controls the first and second light sources 108, 110 to simultaneously emit light 112, 114, respectively, to provide first and second spectrum light to tissue. In some embodiments, the controller 122 can control the first and second light sources 108, 110 according to different operating modes. For example, in a first mode, both light sources may be activated to provide first and second spectrum light to tissue, and in a second mode, the second light source 110 may be deactivated so that the tissue is illuminated with only the first spectrum light. In some embodiments, a third mode may be included in which the first light source 108 is deactivated and the second light source 110 is activated so that the tissue is illuminated only with the second spectrum light.

[0107] In some embodiments, the surgical light 102 includes a housing 124 that houses the first and second light sources 108, 110. In some embodiments, the controller 122 is housed within the housing 124. The housing 124 may be attached to a hanging arm assembly 126 so that the surgical light 102 can be suspended above the subject 106, such as above an operating table 148 in an operating room. The hanging arm assembly 126 may be mounted to a ceiling or other suitable support.

[0108] The first light source 108 includes one or more first light emitters 116 that individually or collectively generate light across a first spectrum of light 112. One or more optical elements 130 are provided in front of the one or more light emitters 116 and can manipulate the light emitted by the one or more light emitters to deliver light to the tissue of interest, such as by focusing, collimating, collecting, homogenizing, and / or directing the light. The one or more optical elements 130 can include, for example, one or more lenses, mirrors, collimators, and filters.

[0109] The second light source 110 includes one or more second light emitters 118 for generating light across at least the narrow spectral range of the narrow-spectrum light 114. In some embodiments, the one or more second light emitters 118 are configured to generate light across only the narrow spectral range of the narrow-spectrum light 114. In other words, in these embodiments, the one or more second light emitters 118 do not emit light in the portion of the spectrum attenuated from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110. In other embodiments, one or more filters 120 are provided to filter (in whole or at least in part) the portion of the spectrum attenuated from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110. In these embodiments, the light emitted by the one or more second light emitters includes light in the portion of the spectrum attenuated from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110, and the one or more filters 120 filter this light such that the filtered portion of the spectrum is attenuated from the light 114 provided by the second light source 110. In some embodiments, the second light source 110 includes one or more optical elements 128 for manipulating light from the one or more second light emitters 118 for delivery to the subject's tissue. As discussed further below, the one or more filters 120 can be positioned at any suitable location along the light path from the one or more second light emitters 118, such as between the one or more second light emitters 118 and the one or more optical elements 128, downstream of the one or more optical elements 128, and / or directly on one or more surfaces of the one or more optical elements 128.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first light source emits light over a narrower spectral range than the second light source. The spectral range of the second light source may lack a portion of the visible spectrum, and the first light source may emit light in a portion of the visible spectrum that is lacking in the light of the second light source. For example, the first light source may emit only red light, and the second light source may emit light that lacks at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the spectral range of the second light source includes all of the visible spectrum except for the portion of the visible spectrum provided by the first light source.

[0111] In some embodiments, the first light source includes an emitter that generates only a portion of the visible spectrum that is missing from the light from the second light source. In other embodiments, the first light source includes an emitter that generates light in a portion of the spectrum of the second light source and also includes a filter for filtering the light in that portion of the spectrum of the second light source. For example, the first light source may include a white light emitter and a filter for filtering out portions of the visible spectrum other than those provided by the first light source (e.g., one of red, blue, or green). In some embodiments, the second light source includes a filter for filtering out portions of the visible spectrum provided by the first light source. For example, the second light source may include a white light emitter and a filter for filtering out portions of the visible spectrum provided by the first light source (e.g., one of red, blue, or green). In other embodiments, the second light source includes one or more narrowband emitters that do not generate portions of the visible spectrum provided by the first light source. For example, the second light source may include one or more green and blue emitters, and the first light source may include one or more red emitters.

[0112] According to various embodiments, one or more light emitters of the first and second light sources can include any type of light emitter, such as an incandescent (halogen lamp or tungsten filament), discharge lamp, solid state, laser, or fluorescent light emitter. In some embodiments, the emitters of the first and second light sources include one or more types of solid-state light emitters, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), superluminescent diodes (SLDs), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). In some embodiments, the light emitters of the first and second light sources are narrow-spectrum light emitters, such as red, green, and blue LEDs. In some embodiments, the light emitters of the first and second light sources include broadband-spectrum light emitters, such as white-light LEDs. In some embodiments, the first and second light sources have the same type or type of emitter. In some embodiments, the first and second light sources can include phosphor. For example, the first light source can use the same type or type of emitter as the second light source. In some embodiments, the first and second light sources both use at least one type of white light LED.

[0113] According to various embodiments, the first and second light sources may each include multiple light-generating units disposed in the surgical light to provide an appropriate illumination pattern at the target. Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary surgical light 200 that may be used as the surgical light 102 in the system 100. The surgical light 200 includes multiple light-generating units 202 that generate light to illuminate the tissue of interest.

[0114] The surgical light 200 is configured to be placed within a room (e.g., an operating room) and provide increased light to a specific area of ​​the room. The surgical light 200 can be placed within an operating room, but the surgical light 200 can also be placed in any area where targeted increased light is desired, such as a procedure room, emergency room, patient room, etc. The surgical light 200 includes a light assembly 252 and an arm 254 for connecting the light assembly 252 to a static or movable structure within the operating room. For example, the arm 254 can be directly connected to the suspension system 126 connected to the wall or ceiling of the operating room, can be connected to an additional arm assembly (not shown) or suspension system connected directly to the wall or ceiling of the operating room, or can be directly or indirectly connected to a movable assembly located within the operating room.

[0115] In the illustrated example, the arm 254 of the surgical light 200 can rotate to direct light from the light assembly 252 to specific areas within the operating room (a suspension system allows the light assembly 252 to be selectively positioned within the operating room). The surgical light 200 can include a handle assembly 276 for moving the positioning of the surgical light 200. In some embodiments, the handle assembly 276 allows a user to change one or more aspects of the light provided by the surgical light 200, such as turning it on, off, increasing and decreasing the intensity of the light, increasing and / or decreasing the relative intensity of the first and second light sources, and / or changing the mode of the surgical light according to one or more first / second light source blend presets. In some embodiments, any of these controls can be provided via one or more mechanical buttons or dials, a touch panel (e.g., located on the device or remotely, such as on a wall or other device), voice control, remote control (e.g., RF, IR), and / or gesture control.

[0116] The light-generating unit 202 includes a set of first light-generating units 202a that together form a first light source 208 for providing broad-spectrum light to the tissue, and a set of second light-generating units 202b that together form a second light source 210 for providing narrow-spectrum light to the tissue.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, a set of first light-generating units 202a are arranged in a plurality of first light source arrays 204, and a set of second light-generating units 202b are arranged in a plurality of second light source arrays 206. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of first light source arrays 204 and second light source arrays 206 is equal. However, other embodiments may include more first light source arrays than second light source arrays, or more second light source arrays than first light source arrays. The first and second light-generating units 202a, 202b may be arranged in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the light-generating units 202a, 202b are interspersed with each other, which may include being evenly distributed. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the light-generating units 202a may be arranged alternately with the light-generating units 202b within each ring of light-generating units.

[0118] The light-generating units 202a can be driven together such that when the first light source 208 is activated, each of the light-generating units 202a emits light. Similarly, the light-generating units 202b can be driven together such that when the second light source 210 is activated, each of the light-generating units 202b emits light. The first light-generating units 202a can be configured to generate the same broad-spectrum light and can be arranged to provide a uniform spot of broad-spectrum light at the tissue. The second light-generating units 202b can be configured to generate the same narrow-spectrum light that omits a portion of the spectrum of the broad-spectrum light and can be arranged to provide a uniform spot of narrow-spectrum light at the tissue. The first and second light-generating units 202a, 202b can be arranged relative to each other such that when both are activated, a uniform spot of mixed light is provided at the tissue. Any suitable number and combination of first and second light-generating units 202a, 202b can be provided. In some embodiments, more first light-generating units 202a are provided than second light-generating units 202b. In other embodiments, more second light-generating units 202b are provided than first light-generating units 202a. In other embodiments, an equal number of first and second light-generating units 202a, 202b may be provided.

[0119] As described further below, in some embodiments, the second light-generating units 202b each include one or more filters for filtering portions of light that are attenuated from the light emitted by the second light sources 210. In some embodiments, a plate 212 including multiple filters 214 may be disposed above the second light-generating units 202b, such as above each second light source array 206, for filtering portions of light.

[0120] 3 illustrates a configuration of a light-generating unit 300 according to some embodiments that may be used in a surgical light, such as for the first light source 108 and / or the second light source 110 of the surgical light 102, or the light-generating unit 202 of the surgical light 200. The light-generating unit 300 includes at least one solid-state light emitter 302 for generating light. The at least one emitter 302 is mounted on a substrate 304 that includes at least a portion of a circuit for driving the at least one emitter 302. In some embodiments, a first optical element 306, such as a microlens array or other type of optical integrator, is positioned over the at least one emitter 302 to integrate (e.g., homogenize) the light emitted by the at least one emitter 302.

[0121] The second optical element 308 may be disposed over the first optical element 306 to direct the light from the first optical element 306, which may include collimating and / or focusing the light from the first optical element 306. In some embodiments, the second optical element 308 is a total internal reflection (TIR) ​​element.

[0122] In some embodiments, at least one emitter 302 generates broad-spectrum light. In some embodiments, multiple emitters 302 are provided, with each emitter generating light in a different band, such that the aggregate light from the multiple emitters 302 together provides broad-spectrum light. In other embodiments, each emitter 302 generates broad-spectrum light. In some embodiments, multiple emitters are provided that generate the same broad-spectrum light. In some embodiments, multiple emitters are provided that generate different broad-spectrum light. For example, an emitter 302 may generate white light having a first color temperature, and a second emitter 302a may generate white light having a second color temperature different from the first color temperature.

[0123] According to some embodiments, the light-generating unit 300 can be configured for use with a first light source, such as the first light source 208, to provide broad-spectrum light to tissue. For example, the at least one emitter 302 can include one or more broad-spectrum emitters, such as one or more white-light emitters. In other embodiments, the at least one emitter 302 can be multiple narrow-spectrum emitters that combine to provide broad-spectrum light. For example, the at least one emitter 302 can include red, green, and blue LEDs.

[0124] According to some embodiments, the light-generating unit 300 can be configured for use with a second light source, such as the second light source 210, to provide narrower spectrum light in which a portion of the broad spectrum has been attenuated. In some embodiments, the light-generating unit 300 is configured for use with the second light source by including one or more emitters 302 that emit light with a reduced spectrum that does not include the portion of the spectrum to be attenuated. For example, in an embodiment in which the red portion of the spectrum is omitted entirely from the light emitted by the second light source, the one or more emitters 302 can include blue and green LEDs, but not a red LED.

[0125] In some embodiments, the light-generating unit 300 can be configured to provide reduced-spectrum light by including one or more filters in the optical path downstream of the one or more emitters 302. FIGS. 4A and 4B show various positions for positioning filters on the light-generating unit 300 to configure the light-generating unit to generate narrow-band light. The filter 402 can be provided on the first optical element 306, such as by coating the inner and / or outer surface of the first optical element 306. The filter 404 can be provided on a third optical element disposed on the outer surface 312 of the second optical element 308. The third optical element can be, for example, a lens or a glass coating. The filter 408 can be provided directly on the outer surface 312. The filter 406 can be provided on the inner surface 314 of the second optical element 308 (the surface facing the first optical element 306). The filter 410 can be provided on the conical outer surface of the second optical element 308. Various embodiments may include one or more of these filters.

[0126] 5 illustrates an embodiment of a light-generating unit that generates both broader and narrower spectrum light and can be used in any of the various embodiments of the systems described herein, including surgical light 102 and surgical light 200. Light-generating unit 500 is configured similarly to light-generating unit 300, except that a filter 502 is disposed on first emitter 504, while no filter is provided on second emitter 506. First and second emitters 504, 506 can be configured to generate broad-spectrum light. Filter 502 filters out the attenuated broad-spectrum portion of the light from the second light source. First optical element 508 combines (e.g., homogenizes) the light from the two emitters so that the light emitted by light-generating unit 500 is a mixture of broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum light. In this embodiment, the first light source may include a first emitter 504 from the plurality of light-generating units 500, and the second light source may include a second emitter 506 from the plurality of light-generating units 500. The group of first emitters may operate as a group to provide broadband spectrum light from the plurality of light-generating units 500, narrowband spectrum light from the plurality of light-generating units 500, and / or a mix of broadband and narrowband spectrum light from the plurality of light-generating units, and the collection of second emitters may operate as a group to provide broadband spectrum light from the plurality of light-generating units 500.

[0127] FIG. 6 illustrates a light-generating unit 600 according to some embodiments. The light-generating unit 600 includes a light emitter assembly 602, which can include multiple light emitters, such as one or more LEDs, that generate broad-spectrum light. The light emitter assembly 602 is positioned at the center of a substantially parabolic mirror 604, which directs the light from the light emitters into a beam. The light-generating unit 600 can be configured to emit a narrower band of light by including one or more filters in the light path. For example, the mirror 604 can be coated with a filter material to filter out portions of the broadband spectrum that should be attenuated. In other embodiments, a filter can be positioned between the emitters of the light emitter assembly 602 and the mirror 604.

[0128] 7 illustrates a light-generating unit 700 according to some embodiments. The light-generating unit 700 includes a light emitter 702 that emits light toward a central reflector 704. The central reflector 704 reflects the light from the light emitter 702 toward a parabolic reflector 706, directing the light out of the light-generating unit 700. The light-generating unit 700 may be configured to generate narrower spectrum light by including a broad-spectrum emitter 702 and providing one or more filters 708 in the light path. The one or more filters 708 may be positioned between the emitter 702 and the central reflector 704, directly on the central reflector 704, or directly on the parabolic reflector 706. The light-generating unit 700 may be configured to emit broad spectrum light by including a broad-spectrum emitter and omitting one or more filters 708. As described above, the surgical light may be configured to provide combined broadband and narrowband illumination by including at least one light-generating unit 700 configured with a filter 708 to provide narrow-spectrum illumination and at least one light-generating unit 700 configured without a filter 708 to provide broad-spectrum illumination. The relative number of broadband and narrowband light-generating units and / or the respective manner in which they are driven can be tailored to the desired combination of narrowband and broadband illumination.

[0129] 8 illustrates a surgical light 800 in which multiple light-generating units 802 are arranged along a wall 806 and directed inward to emit light toward a central mirror unit 804, which reflects light from the light-generating units 802 outward from the center of the surgical light 800. Each light-generating unit 802 can include one or more light emitters 808 and one or more optical elements 810 (which can include multiple different types of optical elements) for manipulating the light from the one or more light emitters 808. Some of the light-generating units 802 can be configured to emit narrowband light by including one or more filters 812 at one or more locations along the optical path. For example, a filter can be positioned between the emitter 808 and the optical element 810, between two optical elements 810, or downstream of the optical element 810.

[0130] As described above, a surgical light can include a first light source emitting light having a first spectrum and a second light source emitting light having a second spectrum in which light in a portion of the visible spectrum is reduced or completely absent. The second light source can be configured in any suitable manner to emit light having a desired spectral range. For example, in some embodiments, the light from the second light source can lack light in at least a portion of the red spectrum. In other embodiments, the blue or green portion of the spectrum can be absent from the light from the second light source. In some embodiments, multiple different portions of the visible spectrum can be reduced or omitted from the light from the second light source. These are merely examples, and one skilled in the art will understand that the second light source can be configured to provide light of any spectrum through the use of appropriate filters and / or light emitters.

[0131] According to various embodiments, one or more filters are included in the second light source to filter narrow bands of light. The one or more filters can include absorptive filters and / or interference / dichroic filters. The one or more filters can be placed directly on one or more optical systems, such as by coating one or more surfaces of a lens or mirror with a dichroic filter coating or an absorbing dye coating.

[0132] According to some embodiments, the one or more filters of the second light source can filter light in a relatively narrow portion of the visible spectrum. For example, one or more filters can be provided to filter at least a portion of the red light, such that the light provided by the second light source lacks at least a portion of the red light. The second light source can be configured such that at least a portion of the red light is filtered from the white light, such that the spectrum of the light provided by the second light source includes other colors of visible light and lacks only at least a portion of the red light.

[0133] According to various embodiments, the second light source can be configured to omit other portions of the visible spectrum, such as orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or violet light, or any combination of these colors. In some embodiments, the second light source is configured to omit a single color, such as any one of red, orange, green, cyan, blue, or violet. In other embodiments, the second light source is configured to omit two or more colors, such as by filtering at least a portion of the red light and at least a portion of the orange light.

[0134] In some embodiments, the second light source is configured to provide light across the entire visible light spectrum except for a narrow band comprising at least a portion of wavelengths between 400 and 450 nm, at least a portion of wavelengths between 450 and 490 nm, at least a portion of wavelengths between 490 and 520 nm, at least a portion of wavelengths between 520 and 560 nm, at least a portion of wavelengths between 560 and 590 nm, at least a portion of wavelengths between 590 and 635 nm, or at least a portion of wavelengths between 635 and 700 nm.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first light source is configured to provide light across the visible spectrum, such as white light. In some embodiments, the first light source is configured to provide light across only a portion of the visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the first light source is configured to provide light only in a portion of the visible spectrum that is lacking in the second light source. For example, in some embodiments, the second light source lacks red light and the first light source emits only red light, or the second light source lacks blue light and the first light source emits only blue light.

[0136] In some embodiments, the portion of the visible light spectrum that is attenuated from the light of the second light source, such as through filtering, may be less than the portion of the visible light spectrum included in the light emitted by the second light source. According to various embodiments, the portion of the visible light spectrum that is attenuated from the light of the second light source ranges from less than 50% of the visible light spectrum, less than 40% of the visible light spectrum, less than 30% of the visible light spectrum, less than 10% of the visible light spectrum, or less than 5% of the visible light spectrum. According to some embodiments, the portion of the visible light spectrum that is attenuated from the light of the second light source can be filtered from the light emitted by the emitter using one or more bandpass filters, lowpass filters, highpass filters, and / or notch filters.

[0137] Surgical lights according to various embodiments can include first and second light sources configured and controlled to provide any desired combination of broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum light. Figure 9 illustrates the spectrum of light provided to a target by surgical lights operating in different modes according to various embodiments. Curve 902 shows the spectrum in a first mode in which only the first light source is activated. As shown, the light from the first light source is broad-spectrum white light, including all wavelengths of light ranging from below 425 nm to above 700 nm. Curve 904 shows the spectrum in a second mode in which only the second light source is activated. The second light source emits light in a narrower spectrum, omitting light having wavelengths above approximately 600 nm, including the red portion of the visible spectrum. Thus, the spectrum of light emitted by the second light source is narrower than the spectrum of the first light source. The light emitted by the second light source includes a continuous range of wavelengths from below 425 nm to approximately 600 nm.

[0138] In the illustrated embodiment, the second light source includes one or more filters that filter light having wavelengths above a filter threshold, which in the illustrated embodiment is approximately 600 nm. The emitter(s) of the second light source are the same (i.e., the same type of emitter) as the emitter(s) of the first light source, and therefore the spectrum of light provided by the second light source below the filtering threshold of approximately 600 nm is substantially the same as the spectrum provided by the first light source, as can be seen by comparing the shape of curve 904 below approximately 600 nm with curve 902. For example, both spectra include a peak at approximately 450 nm and a dip at approximately 480 nm.

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, the second light source is configured and / or controlled so that the illuminance at the target provided in the second mode is the same as the illuminance at the target provided in the first mode. Thus, the intensity of light in the portion of the spectrum below the filter threshold is greater than the corresponding portion in the first light source mode to compensate for the lack of light in the omitted portion of the threshold. As shown in the legend, the illuminance in both the first and second light source modes is approximately 90 klux.

[0140] Curves 906, 908, and 910 show emission spectra resulting from three different combinations of first and second light source emissions according to three different operating modes. For example, curve 906 corresponds to the third mode, in which 50% of the light at the target is provided by the first light source (broadband light source) and the remaining 50% is provided by the second light source (narrowband light source). Because the second light source does not provide light above a filter threshold of approximately 600 nm, light above 600 nm is provided only by the first light source, resulting in approximately half the intensity of the first light source mode (see curve 902). In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second light sources are controlled to provide substantially the same illuminance (approximately 90 klux) as the first and second modes. Therefore, the intensity of light in the portion of the spectrum below the filter threshold is greater than the corresponding portion in the first mode, but less than the corresponding portion in the second mode.

[0141] Curve 908 shows the emission spectrum for a fourth mode in which 10% of the light is provided by the first light source and the remaining 90% is provided by the second light source. Curve 910 shows the emission spectrum for a fifth mode in which 25% of the light is provided by the first light source and the remaining 75% is provided by the second light source. In both the fourth and fifth modes, the first and second light sources are controlled so that the illuminance at the target is the same as in the first mode, approximately 90 klux.

[0142] Figure 10 provides images of tissue of a subject illuminated with light according to the five modes described above with respect to Figure 9. Image 1002 shows tissue illuminated only by the first light source according to the first mode represented by curve 902 in Figure 9. Due to the amount of blood present in the target tissue, the image contains a significant amount of red color with little contrast between different parts of the tissue.

[0143] Image 1004 shows tissue illuminated only by the second light source in a second mode represented by curve 904 in Figure 9. Because the second light source filters red light, image 1004 has substantially no red color due to the absence of red in the illumination light reflected by the tissue. Compared to image 1002 in the first mode, image 1010 in the second mode has improved contrast between different portions of the tissue.

[0144] Image 1006 shows tissue illuminated with 50% white light in Mode 3. Image 1008 shows tissue illuminated with 25% white light in Mode 4, and image 1010 shows tissue illuminated with 10% white light in Mode 5. Comparing the images from left to right, it can be seen that as the relative contribution of red light decreases, contrast generally increases, but the tissue appears more unnatural. By adjusting the relative amounts of white and red light, a balance of contrast and natural appearance can be achieved according to the surgeon's preference.

[0145] FIG. 11 is a graph of the color rendering index (CRI) according to CIE 013.3 "Method of measuring and specifying color rendering properties of light sources" and the 15 test colors and average CRI (Ra) for the five light modes of FIG. 9. The CRI for the first light source (white light source) is provided by line 1102. The R9 (red) CRI of the first light source is high, exceeding 90. The R9_CRI for the second light source (red-omitted light source) is, of course, very low, as shown by line 1104. The R9_CRI for the three blending modes is also very low, as shown by lines 1106, 1108, and 1110, due to the low red contribution to the white light.

[0146] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a method 1200 for illuminating a target with light in which the contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum is reduced, according to some embodiments. Method 1200 can be performed by a surgical light, such as surgical light 102 of FIG. 1. In step 1202, light having a first spectrum that includes the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced at the target is emitted by a first light source. The first light source can be a component of a surgical light, such as first light source 108 of surgical light 102. The first spectrum can include the portion of the visible spectrum whose contribution at the target is reduced compared to white light. The first spectrum can include substantially all of the visible spectrum or only a portion of the visible spectrum. Additionally, the first spectrum can be a continuous spectral range in which light of all wavelengths within upper and lower thresholds of the first spectral range is emitted, or a discontinuous spectrum that includes discrete portions of the visible spectrum. The light emitted by the first light source may be produced by a white light source such as a solid-state white light emitter, may be produced by a combination of narrowband light emitters that together substantially simulate white light, such as red, green, and blue light emitters, or may be produced by one or more narrowband light emitters that produce a spectral range narrower than white light, for example, including just red light, just blue light, just green light, just some of any of these, etc. In some embodiments, the first spectrum encompasses the red, green, and blue portions of the visible spectrum.

[0147] In step 1204, light having a second spectrum that is reduced relative to white light that does not include any portion of the visible spectrum is emitted from a second light source simultaneously with the light from the first light source. The second light source can be a component of a surgical light that includes the first light source, such as second light source 110 of surgical light 102. In some embodiments, light having the second spectrum is emitted by filtering light from a portion of the visible spectrum. In other embodiments, light having the second spectrum is emitted by generating light from one or more emitters that together do not produce light from a portion of the visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the second spectrum is narrower than the first spectrum. For example, the first spectrum may include the visible spectrum, and the second spectrum may include less of the visible spectrum than the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced at the target. In some embodiments, the second spectrum is broader than the first spectrum. For example, the second spectrum may include the visible spectrum excluding the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced at the target, and the first spectrum may include only the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced at the target. In some embodiments, the portion of the visible spectrum that is targeted for reduction is light of one particular color (e.g., red light, green light, blue light, etc.), with the first spectrum encompassing only the particular color (e.g., red light, green light, or blue light) and the second spectrum encompassing portions of the visible spectrum other than the particular color (e.g., green and blue light, red and green light, or red and blue light).

[0148] In step 1206, a target, such as a target tissue of a subject, is illuminated with light from the first and second light sources such that the light from the second light source is omitted compared to white light, thereby reducing the contribution of light from the portion of the visible spectrum included in the light from the first light source. In this manner, a combination of light from the first light source and light from the second light source illuminates the target. In some embodiments, the first light source alone, or a combination of the first and second light sources, illuminates the target with light across a broad spectrum (e.g., white light), resulting in the target being illuminated with light across a broad spectrum. However, the light illuminating the target includes light from the second light source that lacks or reduces the contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced at the target, thereby reducing the contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum omitted from the light emitted by the second light source to the light illuminating the target compared to white light. According to various embodiments, the light from the first light source and the light from the second light source may be mixed at the target or in the surgical light itself, such that the light is mixed before reaching the target.

[0149] According to some embodiments, the first and second light sources can be controlled to adjust the mix of first and second spectrum light illuminating the target. According to some embodiments, reducing the relative amount of light from the second light source (a light source lacking a portion of the visible spectrum) can increase the contrast between different portions of the target tissue illuminated by the light and improve the appearance of features of interest. However, reducing the relative amount of light emitted by the second light source, thereby reducing the amount of light in the omitted portion of the visible spectrum, can increase the unnatural appearance of the tissue, which may be undesirable for some users. Therefore, in some embodiments, the surgical light can allow the user to select the mix of light from the first and second light sources. In some embodiments, the surgical light can include preset mixes of light from the first and second light sources, such as all first spectrum light, all second spectrum light, 50% first spectrum light, 25% first spectrum light, 10% first spectrum light, etc.

[0150] According to some embodiments, the relative mix of light from the first and second light sources is adjusted by adjusting the power supplied to one or both of the second light sources. In some embodiments, the relative mix of light from the first and second light sources is adjusted while maintaining a target total amount of light. For example, when moving from a 50-50 mode in which 50% of the target light is provided by each of the first and second light sources to a 100% first light source mode, the power supplied to the first light source may be doubled. In some embodiments, the amount of light provided by the first and / or second light sources to maintain a target total amount of light may be adjusted by turning one or more light emitters on or off. For example, to double the light from the first or second light source, the number of emitters of the first or second light source that are activated may be doubled.

[0151] In some embodiments, a user can select the mix of first and second spectral lights via a user interface on the surgical light, such as a switch on the housing or a switch on the handle used to reposition the light. In some embodiments, a user can select the light combination using an interface on one or more controllers operably connected to the surgical light. For example, a user can provide input to a remote control or microphone connected to the controller that provides commands to the surgical light (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to change the light combination.

[0152] FIG. 13 illustrates a surgical light 1300 configured for an adjustable illumination spectrum, adjustable brightness, and adjustable spot size, according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the surgical light 1300 can be used for the surgical light 102 of the system 100. As described further below, the surgical light 1300 includes multiple light-generating units 1302 capable of emitting light of adjustable spectrums for illuminating tissue of a subject. The surgical light 1300 can include multiple different sets of light-generating units 1302 that generate different spot sizes and / or shapes at the target, allowing for adjustment of the spot size at the target through adjustment of the relative intensities of the different sets of light-generating units. According to various embodiments, the light-generating unit 1302 includes at least two different light sources that can be controlled to provide an adjustable mix of light from the different light sources at the target, according to the principles described above with respect to the system 100 of FIG. 1.

[0153] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the light-generating unit 1302 includes multiple light emitters that generate light of different spectra and can be controlled to provide an adjustable mix of the spectra to achieve a desired spectrum and intensity of illumination at the target. As described further below, a light-generating unit 1302 that includes multiple emitters that emit different spectra can include one or more optical components for mixing the different spectra at the light-generating unit 1302. Mixing the different light spectrums within the surgical light 1300, rather than at the target, can avoid undesirable effects, such as color ringing, that can occur when different colors are mixed at the target.

[0154] The surgical light 1300 may include any suitable arrangement of light-generating units, including light-generating units that produce an adjustable spectrum and / or an adjustable spot size, and one or more light-generating units that do not produce an adjustable spectrum and / or an adjustable spot size. In the illustrated embodiment, four "microspot" light-generating units 1350 are configured to generate small spots of light at the target and may not include adjustable color and / or adjustable spot size.

[0155] According to some embodiments, the surgical light 1300 includes a curved chassis 1330 that allows the light-generating unit mounted thereon to be aimed at a single spot at the estimated location of the illumination target (task plane).

[0156] According to various embodiments, the surgical light 1300 includes a first set of light-generating units 1302A configured and arranged to generate a first illumination pattern at the target and a second set of light-generating units 1302B configured and arranged to generate a second illumination pattern at the target. According to various embodiments, the relative intensities of the set of light-generating units 1302A,B can be varied to generate different illumination spot patterns at the target.

[0157] 14 shows an example of an illumination pattern 1402 at a target generated by a first set of light-generating units 1302A and an illumination pattern 1404 at a target generated by a second set of light-generating units 1302B, according to some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the first set of light-generating units 1302A are configured to generate a smaller, circular illumination pattern at the target than the second set of light-generating units 1302B. The surgical light 1300 can be controlled to vary the relative intensities of the two sets of light-generating units to generate different spot sizes.

[0158] 15A-E illustrate different spot sizes produced by varying the relative intensities of light generated by the two sets of light-generating units 1302A, B of a surgical light 1300, according to various embodiments. FIG. 15A illustrates an illumination pattern at a target obtained by providing light only from the first set of light-generating units 1302A to generate illumination pattern 1402. FIG. 15E illustrates an illumination pattern at a target obtained by providing light only from the second set of light-generating units 1302B to generate illumination pattern 1404. FIG. 15B illustrates an illumination pattern at a target obtained by providing a 75% contribution from the first light-generating unit 1302A and a 25% contribution from the second light-generating unit 1302B. FIG. 15D illustrates an illumination pattern at a target obtained by providing a 75% contribution from the second light-generating unit 1302B and a 25% contribution from the first light-generating unit 1302A. FIG. 15C illustrates an illumination pattern at a target obtained by providing equal contributions from the first and second light-generating units.

[0159] Thus, according to various embodiments, the illumination pattern at the target can be adjusted by adjusting the relative intensities of the different light-generating units 1302A, B. Also, changing the illumination pattern (spot size) can be achieved without any moving parts. In other words, the spot size at the target can be adjusted by adjusting the relative intensities of the light-generating units that are fixed in position but generate different illumination patterns.

[0160] According to various embodiments, the light-generating units 1302A, B may be arranged in a subassembly 1304 that is fixedly mounted to the chassis 1330. In some embodiments, each subassembly 1304 includes at least one first light-generating unit 1302A and at least one second light-generating unit 1302B. An example of a subassembly 1304 is shown in FIG. 16. The subassembly 1304 of FIG. 16 includes one first light-generating unit 1302A and two second light-generating units 1302B. Because the illumination pattern of the second light-generating unit 1302B can be larger than the illumination pattern of the first light-generating unit 1302A, the number of second light-generating units 1302B in the subassembly 1304 can be larger to provide a similar illumination intensity at the target. The relative number of light-generating units 1302A,B is merely exemplary, and other embodiments may include any suitable number and combination of first and / or second light-generating units 1302A,B.

[0161] The light-generating unit 1304 includes a printed circuit board 1306 and a plurality of light emitters 1308 mounted on the printed circuit board, with at least one light emitter 1308 disposed at each location on the light-generating unit. Any suitable number of light emitters 1308 may be provided for each light-generating unit 1302A,B. At least one optical component is mounted on the at least one light emitter 1308 for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one light emitter 1308. In the illustrated embodiment, the first light-generating unit 1302A includes a first optical component 1310 disposed on the at least one light emitter 1308 and a second optical component 1312 disposed on the first optical component. According to various embodiments, the first optical component 1310 is configured to mix (homogenize) the light emitted by the light emitters 1308 and therefore may be the same for both the first and second light-generating units 1302A,B. In some embodiments, the second optical component 1312 is configured to generate an illumination pattern at the target, and therefore the second optical component may be different for the second light generating unit 1302B than for the first light generating unit in order to generate a different illumination pattern at the target.

[0162] According to various embodiments, the light-generating units 1302A,B are configured to generate light having an adjustable spectrum. Each of the light-generating units 1302A,B may include multiple light emitters 1308 that generate different spectrums of light. The spectrum and illuminance of the light emitted by the light-generating units may be adjusted by varying the relative intensities of the light emitters 1308 of the light-generating units. One or more optical components of the light-generating units may be configured to couple the light from the emitters such that the light from the emitters is mixed at the light-generating unit rather than at a target.

[0163] An example of a light-generating unit 1302A,B according to some embodiments is the light-generating unit 300 of FIG. 3. The light-generating unit 300 configured for the light-generating unit 1302A,B includes at least one first light emitter 302 emitting light having a first spectrum and at least one second light emitter 302a having a second light spectrum different from the first light. In some embodiments, the first light spectrum is white light having a first color temperature, and the second light spectrum is white light having a second color temperature different from the first color temperature (e.g., warm white 2800K and cool white 6500K). The spectrum of light generated by the light-generating units 1302A,B can be adjusted from the first color temperature to the second color temperature by changing the relative intensities of the emitters. According to some embodiments, one or more emitters generate narrow-band light, such as monochromatic light. Any suitable number of first and second light emitters 302, 302a can be used. In some embodiments, the light-generating unit includes emitters that generate two or more different spectra, such as red, green, and blue emitters.

[0164] The light-generating unit 300 configured for the light-generating units 1302A,B may include a first optical element 306 configured to combine light from an emitter 308. The first optical element 306 may be, for example, a microlens array including multiple Kohler channels (e.g., each facet of the first optical element 306 in FIG. 3 and each facet of the first optical component 1310 in FIG. 16 ), configured to image a light source in each channel, thereby achieving a homogeneous color distribution at the target.

[0165] The second optical element 308 is configured to collimate and / or focus the light from the first optical element 306. The second optical element 308 may be a total internal reflection (TIR) ​​element. According to some embodiments, the second optical element 308 is different for the first and second light generating units 1302A,B to create different illumination spot sizes at the target. For example, the second optical element 308 for the first light generating unit 1302A may be configured to generate a smaller spot size at the target than the second optical element 308 of the second light generating unit 1302B.

[0166] According to various embodiments, the light-generating units 1302A,B can be configured to generate light with a reduced spectrum or a reduced contribution from a portion of the spectrum in accordance with the principles described above. For example, one or more of the light-generating units 1302A,B can include a filter, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, that filters a portion of the spectrum generated by the light emitter. In some embodiments, one or more of the light-generating units 1302A,B can be configured to mix broad-spectrum light from the first emitter 302 with omitted light from the second emitter 302a, thereby generating light with a broad spectrum but reduced contribution from the omitted portion of the spectrum, as shown in FIG.

[0167] 17 shows an alternative optical arrangement for mixing and directing light emitted by the emitters of the first and second light-generating units 1302A,B, according to various embodiments. Instead of a lens, the emitters 302, 302a are covered by a single optical element 1702 that includes a TIR section 1704 combined with a central Kohler channel 1706. A portion 1708 of the outer surface of the TIR section 1704 can be faceted to blur the images of the different emitters 302, 302a in the light field for better mixing.

[0168] FIG. 18 illustrates another alternative optical arrangement for mixing and directing light emitted by the light emitters of the first and second light-generating units 1302A,B, according to various embodiments. The optical arrangement of FIG. 18 includes a first optical element 1802 covering the emitters 302, 302a and a second optical element 1804 covering the first optical element 1802. The first optical element 1802 functions as an inward-facing lens in the microlens array and images the light source (emitters 302, 302a) onto a corresponding lens 1810 of the second optical element 1804. The first lens of the second optical element 1804 virtually images the main level of the corresponding lens of the first optical element 1802 back to the source. The central main lens portion 1806 and the TIR portion 1808 image the virtual source within the light field.

[0169] 19 illustrates a surgical light 1900 similar to the surgical light 1300 of FIG. 13 , except that each light-generating subassembly includes three different light-generating units for generating three different illumination patterns at the target, as opposed to the two different light-generating units of the surgical light 1300. The surgical light 1900 includes a plurality of first light-generating units 1902 configured to generate a first illumination pattern at the target, a plurality of second light-generating units 1904 configured to generate a second illumination pattern at the target, and a plurality of third light-generating units 1906 for generating a third illumination pattern at the target. The illumination pattern at the target can be varied by adjusting the relative intensities of the first, second, and third light-generating units.

[0170] According to various embodiments, the three light-generating units can be arranged in a plurality of subassemblies 1908. An example of a subassembly 1908 is shown in Figure 20. The subassembly 1908 can include one each of the first, second, and third light-generating units 1902, 1904, 1906.

[0171] 21 and 22A-C show examples of different illumination patterns generated by three different light-generating units, according to various embodiments, with FIG. 21 illustrating the illuminance across the light field and FIGS. 22A-C illustrating the simulated intensities. The first light-generating unit 1902 can generate a first illumination pattern 2102 (FIG. 22A), the second light-generating unit 1904 can generate a second illumination pattern 2104 (FIG. 22B), and the third light-generating unit 1906 can generate a third illumination pattern 2106 (FIG. 22C). The first illumination pattern 2102 can be a circular pattern with the highest intensity in the center. The second and third illumination patterns 2104 and 2106 are annular patterns with zero intensity in the center. The third illumination pattern 2106 is more spread out than the second illumination pattern 2104. The relative intensities of the first, second, and third light-generating units can be varied to generate different illumination spot sizes. For example, light from the first and second light-generating units 1902, 1904 can be combined to provide the illumination pattern represented by dashed line 2108. Light from the third light-generating unit 1906 can be added to provide the illumination pattern represented by dashed line 2110.

[0172] According to various embodiments, the light-generating units (e.g., light-generating units 1302A, B and light-generating units 1902-1906) can be controlled by a controller (e.g., controller 122 of FIG. 1) to generate a desired light spectrum, intensity, and / or spot size at a target. According to various embodiments, subassemblies of the light-generating units (e.g., subassembly 1304 or subassembly 1908) operate identically to one another. For example, for a given spot size, the relative intensities of the light-generating units will be substantially the same from one subassembly to the next. Similarly, according to various embodiments, the spectrum from at least some of the light-generating units can be identical from one light-generating unit to the next. In some embodiments, the spectrum generated by each light-generating unit is the same.

[0173] Thus, according to some embodiments, a method for adjusting a spot size from a surgical light, such as the surgical light 1300 of FIG. 13 or the surgical light 1900 of FIG. 19, includes receiving a spot size command at a controller of the surgical light, and in response, the controller adjusting the intensity of a set of first light-generating units (each generating a first illumination pattern) and / or the intensity of a set of second light-generating units (each generating a second illumination pattern) and / or the intensity of other light-generating units (generating other illumination patterns) until the commanded spot size is achieved. The commanded spot size can be achieved through as few as one set of light-generating units, with fewer than all of the light-generating units in the set, or with a combination of all of the light-generating units. In some embodiments, all of the first light-generating units of the surgical light are commanded to the same intensity level. Similarly, all of the second light-generating units of the surgical light can be commanded to the same intensity level, which may be the same or different from the intensity level of the first light-generating units. According to various embodiments, the relative intensity levels of the first and second light-generating units (and other light-generating units, if applicable) can be adjusted based on maintaining a predetermined illuminance at the target. For example, if a larger spot size is commanded by a user, the intensity of the light provided by the larger spot size light-generating unit can be increased in response to the user's command, and the intensity of the light provided by the smaller spot size light-generating unit can be decreased to maintain the illuminance level at the target.

[0174] According to various embodiments, a method for adjusting the spectrum of light at a target from a surgical light, such as the surgical light 1300 of FIG. 13 or the surgical light 1900 of FIG. 19, includes receiving a command for a desired spectrum (e.g., a desired color temperature of white light) at a controller of the surgical light, and in response, the controller adjusting the relative intensities of at least two different emitters emitting at least two different spectra of the light-generating unit to achieve the desired spectrum at the target. According to various embodiments, each light-generating unit having at least two different emitters is driven identically to the other light-generating units so that all light-generating units having at least two different emitters emit light having the same spectrum.

[0175] According to various embodiments, commands to adjust the spot size and / or spectrum of light provided by a surgical light according to any of the systems and methods described herein can be received, without limitation, via one or more selectors on the surgical light housing, via a knob on the surgical light, via a wall control communicatively coupled to the surgical light, via some other remote control for the surgical light, via an imaging system communicatively coupled to the surgical light, or via any other suitable user input. In some embodiments, the spot size, spectrum, and / or other aspects of the light provided by the surgical light can be altered based on commands from a system, such as an image processing system, that monitors one or more parameters of the surgical scene and adjusts the illumination provided by the surgical light to maintain and / or achieve predetermined characteristics of the target illumination. For example, the imaging system may monitor the level of red reflected from the surgical scene and instruct the surgical light to reduce the relative contribution of red in the illumination.

[0176] The foregoing description has been described with reference to specific embodiments for purposes of explanation. However, the exemplary discussion above is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application. Those skilled in the art may thereby best utilize the technology and various embodiments with various modifications suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0177] Although the present disclosure and examples have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications should be understood to be included within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined by the claims. Finally, the entire disclosures of the patents and publications referenced in this application are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. 1. A surgical light that illuminates a target with light having a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum, comprising: a first light source configured to emit light having a first spectrum that includes said portion of the visible spectrum; a second light source configured to emit light having a second spectrum that does not include said portion of the visible spectrum; a controller configured to simultaneously operate the first and second light sources to illuminate the target with light having a reduced contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum compared to white light; A surgical light having

2. The second spectrum has a narrower spectral range than the first spectrum.

10. The surgical light of claim 1.

3. The first spectrum includes the second spectrum.

3. The surgical light of claim 2.

4. The first spectrum has a narrower spectral range than the second spectrum.

4. A surgical light according to claim 1.

5. The controller is configured to control the relative amounts of light provided by the first and second light sources to adjust the relative contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum to light at the target.

5. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The controller is configured to adjust the contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum while maintaining constant illuminance at the target.

6. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The portion of the visible spectrum includes at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum.

7. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The second light source includes at least one emitter configured to emit light across the second spectrum but not in the portion of the visible spectrum.

8. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. the second light source includes at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a portion of the first spectrum and at least one filter for filtering light in the portion of the visible spectrum.

9. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The second light source includes at least one optical component, and the at least one filter is disposed on the at least one optical component.

10. The surgical light of claim 9.

11. The at least one optical component includes a lens.

11. The surgical light of claim 10.

12. The at least one optical component includes a mirror.

11. The surgical light of claim 10.

13. The second light source includes at least one optical component, and the filter is disposed between the at least one light emitter and the at least one optical component.

10. The surgical light of claim 9.

14. The first and second light sources each include at least one solid state white light emitter.

14. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures.

15. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The first light source includes a plurality of narrowband light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light having the first spectrum.

16. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. At least one of the first and second light sources includes a plurality of light-generating units, each light-generating unit including at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter.

17. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. Each light-generating unit includes a plurality of solid-state light emitters.

18. The surgical light of claim 17.

19. Each light-generating unit includes an optical integrator for combining light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters.

20. The surgical light of claim 18.

20. At least one light generating unit of the second light source includes a filter disposed on the at least one optical component.

19. A surgical light according to claim 17 or 18.

21. The filter is disposed on an outer surface of the at least one optical component facing away from the at least one solid-state light emitter.

21. The surgical light of claim 20.

22. The filter is disposed on an inner surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter.

21. The surgical light of claim 20.

23. The plurality of light-generating units of the first light source are intermixed with the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source.

23. A surgical light according to any one of claims 17 to 22.

24. The light-generating units of the first light source are arranged in a plurality of first arrays, and the light-generating units of the second light source are arranged in a plurality of second arrays, and the first arrays and the second arrays are arranged alternately.

24. A surgical light according to any one of claims 17 to 23.

25. The surgical light is configured to be suspended above the operating table.

25. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. The surgical light includes a housing, and the first and second light sources are mounted in the housing.

26. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

27. The controller is configured to simultaneously activate the first and second light sources in a first mode and deactivate the second light source in a second mode to illuminate the target only with light having the first spectrum.

27. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. A user interface for user mode selection is provided.

28. A surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. 1. A method for illuminating a target with light having a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum, the method comprising: emitting light from a first light source having a first spectrum that includes said portion of the visible spectrum; simultaneously emitting light from a second light source having a second spectrum that does not include said portion of the visible spectrum; simultaneously illuminating the target with light from the first and second light sources such that the target is illuminated with light having a reduced contribution of light in the portion of the visible spectrum compared to white light; A method comprising:

30. The second spectrum has a narrower spectral range than the first spectrum.

30. The method of claim 29.

31. The first spectrum includes the second spectrum.

31. The method of claim 30.

32. The first spectrum has a narrower spectral range than the second spectrum.

30. The method of claim 29.

33. and deactivating the second light source while leaving the first light source activated to illuminate the target only with light having the first spectrum.

33. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 32.

34. Deactivating the second light source includes deactivating the second light source in response to a user selection of a broader spectrum light mode.

34. The method of claim 33.

35. and controlling the relative amounts of light emitted by the first and second light sources to adjust the relative contribution of light in the portions of the visible spectrum to light illuminating the target.

35. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 34.

36. adjusting the contribution of light in said portion of the visible spectrum while maintaining constant illuminance at said target.

36. The method of any one of claims 29 to 35.

37. The portion of the visible spectrum includes at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum.

37. The method of any one of claims 29 to 36.

38. The second light source includes at least one emitter configured to emit light across the second spectrum but not in the portion of the visible spectrum.

38. The method of any one of claims 29 to 37.

39. the second light source includes at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a portion of the first spectrum and at least one filter for filtering light in the portion of the visible spectrum.

39. The method of any one of claims 29 to 38.

40. The second light source includes at least one optical component, and the at least one filter is disposed on the at least one optical component.

40. The method of claim 39.

41. The at least one optical component includes a lens.

41. The method of claim 40.

42. The at least one optical component includes a mirror.

41. The method of claim 40.

43. The second light source includes at least one optical component, and the filter is disposed between the at least one light emitter and the at least one optical component.

40. The method of claim 39.

44. The first and second light sources each include at least one solid state white light emitter.

44. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 43.

45. At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures.

45. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 44.

46. The first light source includes a plurality of narrowband light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light having the first spectrum.

46. ​​A method according to any one of claims 29 to 45.

47. At least one of the first and second light sources includes a plurality of light-generating units, each light-generating unit including at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter.

47. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 46.

48. Each light-generating unit includes a plurality of solid-state light emitters.

48. The method of claim 47.

49. Each light-generating unit includes an optical integrator for combining light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters.

49. The method of claim 48.

50. At least one light generating unit of the second light source includes a filter disposed on the at least one optical component.

50. The method of any one of claims 47 to 49.

51. The filter is disposed on an outer surface of the at least one optical component facing away from the at least one solid-state light emitter.

51. The method of claim 50.

52. The filter is disposed on an inner surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter.

51. The method of claim 50.

53. The plurality of light-generating units of the first light source are intermixed with the plurality of light-generating units of the second light source.

53. A method according to any one of claims 47 to 52.

54. The light-generating units of the first light source are arranged in a plurality of first arrays, and the light-generating units of the second light source are arranged in a plurality of second arrays, and the first arrays and the second arrays are arranged alternately.

54. A method according to any one of claims 47 to 53.

55. The first and second light sources are suspended above the operating table.

55. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 54.

56. The first and second light sources are mounted in a housing.

56. A method according to any one of claims 29 to 55.

57. A surgical light, comprising: a plurality of light-generating units, each light-generating unit comprising: at least one first light emitter that emits light having a first spectrum; at least one second light emitter emitting light having a second spectrum; at least one optical element configured to mix light from the first and second light emitters such that the light-generating unit emits light that is a mixture of the first and second spectra; the plurality of light-generating units, a controller configured to adjust the relative intensities of the at least one first light emitter and the at least one second light emitter to adjust the spectrum of light generated by the plurality of light-generating units; A surgical light having

58. The plurality of light-generating units include at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first light pattern at an illumination target and at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second light pattern at the illumination target, and the controller is further configured to adjust an intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the light pattern at the illumination target.

58. The surgical light of claim 57.

59. The second illumination pattern is an annular pattern.

59. The surgical light of claim 58.

60. The plurality of light-generating units includes at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the illumination target.

60. A surgical light as claimed in claim 58 or 59.

61. The plurality of light-generating units are arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

61. A surgical light according to any one of claims 58 to 60.

62. The light having the first spectrum is white light having a first color temperature, and the light having the second spectrum is white light having a second color temperature.

62. A surgical light according to any one of claims 57 to 61.

63. a curved chassis for mounting the light-generating units so that the light-generating units are directed toward the same spot; 63. A surgical light according to any one of claims 57 to 62.

64. The at least one optical element includes a Kohler channel.

64. A surgical light according to any one of claims 57 to 63.

65. The at least one optical element includes a microlens array.

65. The surgical light of claim 64.

66. The Kohler channel is integrated into the collimating optics 66. A surgical light according to claim 64 or 65.

67. Each light-generating unit includes a collimating optic for collimating light from the at least one optical element.

67. A surgical light according to any one of claims 57 to 66.

68. 1. A method for illuminating a target with a surgical light, the method comprising: emitting first light having a first spectrum from at least one first light emitter of the surgical light; emitting second light having a second spectrum from at least one second light emitter of the surgical light; mixing the first and second lights with at least one optical element of the surgical light; illuminating the target with the mixed light from the at least one optical element; adjusting the relative intensities of the first and second lights to adjust the spectrum of the mixed light that illuminates the target; A method comprising:

69. The surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units each including a first and a second light emitter, at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first illumination pattern and at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second illumination pattern, and the method further includes adjusting an intensity of light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust the illumination pattern at the target of illumination.

69. The method of claim 68.

70. The second illumination pattern is an annular pattern.

70. The method of claim 69.

71. the plurality of light-generating units includes at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the target of illumination; 71. The method of claim 69 or 70.

72. The plurality of light-generating units are arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

72. A method according to any one of claims 69 to 71.

73. The surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units, each including a first and a second light emitter, and the surgical light includes a curved chassis for mounting the plurality of light-generating units such that the plurality of light-generating units are directed toward the same spot.

73. A method according to any one of claims 68 to 72.

74. The first light having the first spectrum is white light having a first color temperature, and the second light having the second spectrum is white light having a second color temperature.

74. A method according to any one of claims 68 to 73.

75. The at least one optical element includes a Kohler channel.

75. A method according to any one of claims 68 to 74.

76. The at least one optical element includes a microlens array.

76. The method of claim 75.

77. The Kohler channel is integrated into the collimating optics 77. The method of claim 75 or 76.

78. The surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units, each including a first and a second light emitter, and each light-generating unit includes a collimating optic for collimating light from the at least one optical element.

78. A method according to any one of claims 68 to 77.

79. A surgical light, comprising: A plurality of light-generating units, at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first illumination pattern at the illumination target; at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second illumination pattern at the illumination target; the plurality of light-generating units, a controller configured to adjust an intensity of light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust a lighting pattern at the lighting target, the lighting pattern at the lighting target being a combination of the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern; A surgical light having

80. The second illumination pattern is an annular pattern.

80. The surgical light of claim 79.

81. The plurality of light-generating units includes at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the illumination target.

81. A surgical light according to claim 79 or 80.

82. The plurality of light-generating units are arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

82. A surgical light according to any one of claims 79 to 81.

83. The first illumination pattern has a smaller coverage area than the second illumination pattern, and the surgical light has a smaller number of the first light-generating units than the second light-generating units.

83. A surgical light according to any one of claims 79 to 82.

84. 1. A method for illuminating a target with a surgical light, the method comprising: emitting light from at least one first light-generating unit of the surgical light, the at least one first light-generating unit configured to generate a first illumination pattern at an illumination target; emitting light from at least one second light-generating unit of the surgical light, the at least one second light-generating unit configured to generate a second illumination pattern at the illumination target; adjusting an intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light-generating unit relative to an intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light-generating unit to adjust a lighting pattern at the lighting target, wherein the lighting pattern at the lighting target is a combination of the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern; A method comprising:

85. The second illumination pattern is an annular pattern.

85. The method of claim 84.

86. The surgical light includes at least one third light-generating unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the illumination target.

86. The method of claim 84 or 85.

87. The surgical light includes a plurality of light-generating units arranged in a plurality of subassemblies, each subassembly including at least one first light-generating unit and at least one second light-generating unit.

87. A method according to any one of claims 84 to 86.

88. The first illumination pattern has a smaller coverage area than the second illumination pattern, and the surgical light has a smaller number of the first light-generating units than the second light-generating units.

88. A method according to any one of claims 84 to 87.

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