Surgical Lighting Systems

Abstract

A medical illumination system is provided for adjusting a characteristic of light emitted by a light source of the medical illumination system based on a characteristic of a spot size that defines an area illuminated by the emitted light.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 288,005, filed December 10, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. [Technical field]

[0002] The present invention relates to medical lighting systems, and more particularly to lighting in labor and delivery rooms. [Background technology]

[0003] The success of surgery in the operating room depends in part on effective illumination of the surgical site. Effective lighting is equally important in the delivery room. Effective medical lighting (1) focuses on the area near the physician, (2) provides high-intensity light over a wide or narrow area, and (3) minimizes shadows cast by obstructions. Another goal of effective medical lighting is to reduce shadows, glare, and obstructions in the area of ​​interest.

[0004] Effective medical lighting combines sufficient ambient light with focused light at specific angles for specific surgical steps. By emitting a delicate light rather than simply emitting a bright light, the adverse effects caused by bright light (glare, eye strain, etc.) are reduced. Currently, three lighting methods are mainly used in the medical field: operating room lighting, lighted retractors, and headlights. In traditional delivery rooms, standard operating room lights are widely used to illuminate the operating room during surgery. Illuminated surgical retractors provide focused lighting to illuminate a surgical site. Healthcare professionals may also wear headlamps for portability and maneuverability of lighting range. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an improved medical lighting system, such as for use in delivery rooms or operating rooms, that adjusts the spot size characteristics that define the area illuminated by the light emitted by the medical lighting system.

[0007] Although a number of features are described herein with respect to embodiments of the present invention, features described with respect to a particular embodiment may also be employed in conjunction with other embodiments. In the following description, specific embodiments of the present invention are illustrated. However, these embodiments are indicative of but a few of the many ways in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict various aspects of the present invention, and like reference numbers are used in different drawings to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a medical lighting system including a light source. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a medical illumination system having a light source with multiple light emitters and an illumination area including an illumination anomaly; [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic diagram of the illuminated area of ​​FIG. 2 with mitigated illumination anomalies; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a light source having a mask region and an illumination region. [Diagram 5] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the illumination area of ​​FIG. 6 with a mask area. [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a medical lighting system including an actuator. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a medical lighting system including a remote control element. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the illumination area and multiple measurement locations of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged illuminated area of ​​FIG. 8 surrounding a number of measurement positions.

[0010] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, each element having a reference number is a similar element to other elements having the same reference number, regardless of the letter designation following the reference number. In this text, a reference number having a particular letter designation following it refers to the particular element having that number and letter designation, and a reference number without a particular letter designation refers to all elements having that same reference number regardless of the letter designation following it in the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The various elements described below may be used alone or in combination to improve the lighting in a delivery room.

[0012] According to a general embodiment, a medical lighting system is presented that includes one or more light sources that emit electromagnetic radiation and processing circuitry 16 that conditions characteristics of the emitted electromagnetic radiation.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, a medical lighting system 10 for illuminating a work area (also called a surgical work area) is shown. The medical lighting system 10 includes a light source 12 , a support 14 , and processing circuitry 16 . The light source 12 emits radiation 18 (also called electromagnetic radiation) and includes optics 20 that adjust a spot size 22 characteristic of the radiation 18 . The support 14 mechanically supports the light source 12 and maintains its position. The processing circuitry 16 adjusts a characteristic of a spot size 22 that defines an area 24 illuminated by the radiation 18 (also referred to as an illumination area). The adjusted characteristics of the light source 12 may include at least one of the position of the illumination area 24, the size (e.g., diameter) of the illumination area 24 (also called the illumination field), the focus setting of the optics 20, and the brightness of the illumination area 24.

[0014] For example, optics 20 may include a focusing mechanism (such as a deformable lens or mirror) for adjusting the size of illuminated area 24 (also referred to as spot size). Processing circuitry 16 may be configured to control the focusing mechanism and / or light source 12 . Additionally, the focusing mechanism may include at least one of a liquid lens or a gradient index (GRIN) lens for adjusting the spot size 22.

[0015] Furthermore, the focusing mechanism does not perform any mechanical action to adjust the spot size 22 . For example, the focusing mechanism may focus and steer the beam to adjust the spot size 22 without mechanical movement. In another embodiment, processing circuitry 16 may control the beam angle of light source 12 . For example, the optics 20 may include a liquid crystal (LC) beam shaper that adjusts the beam angle of the light emitted by the light source 12 .

[0016] Processing circuitry 16 may control the operation of the focusing mechanism to eliminate focus wander caused by this operation. For example, processing circuitry 16 may utilize a tuned proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller or machine learning algorithms to mitigate the effects of noisy motion (i.e., unintentional motion associated with focusing).

[0017] Processing circuitry 16 may then correct working distance 26 of light source 12 while maintaining at least one of the area of ​​spot size 22 , the brightness of spot size 22 , the position of spot size 22 , or the pattern of spot size 22 . Here, working distance 26 is the distance between light source 12 and the area 24 illuminated by emitted light 18 . For example, processing circuitry 16 may measure working distance 26 using time of flight and adjust the focus based on the measured working distance 26 .

[0018] And, the medical lighting system 10 includes a distance sensor 30 for measuring the distance between the illumination area 24 and the light source 12 . The distance sensor 30 may be any suitable non-contact sensor for measuring distance, such as an ultrasonic sensor or a light-based sensor. Processing circuitry 16 may receive a measurement of working distance 26 from distance sensor 30 and adjust the characteristics of light source 12 based on the measured working distance 26 . For example, the spot size 22 may be maintained at a desired size (eg, 10 inches) regardless of the working distance 26 (eg, 75 inches, 150 inches, etc.).

[0019] As an example, based on known characteristics of light source 12, processing circuitry 16 may determine (eg, using a look-up table) characteristics of illuminated area 24 from measured working distance 26. As an example, based on the focus setting of light source 12 and the measured working distance 26 , processing circuitry 16 may determine the size (eg, area or diameter) of spot size 22 . The processing circuitry 16 may also adjust the characteristics of the light source 12 (e.g., adjust the focus setting of the light source 12) so that the characteristics of the illuminated area 24 fall within a received tolerance range (e.g., so that the diameter of the spot size 22 is approximately equal to a particular size).

[0020] The medical lighting system 10 may also include a light detector 32 configured to measure at least one of the characteristics of the spot size 22 or the brightness of the ambient light. For example, the photodetector 32 may measure at least one of the position, brightness, area, or pattern of the spot size 22 . The pattern of spot sizes 22 may refer to the shape of the spot sizes 22 (eg, oval, circle, square, rectangle, etc.). Processing circuitry 16 may be configured to adjust light source 12 (eg, optics 20) so that measured spot size 22 is a desired size or falls within a desired size range. For example, the photodetector 32 may measure the brightness of the field of view to identify the illuminated area 24 . For example, the measured brightness may be a peak brightness, an average brightness, or any other suitable measurement indicative of the brightness of the entire illuminated area 24 or of a portion of the illuminated area 24 . Processing circuitry 16 may be configured to adjust light source 12 so that the measured brightness is the desired brightness or falls within a desired brightness range.

[0021] The brightness of the ambient light may be determined by measuring the brightness at a location 34 outside the illuminated area 24 . For example, processing circuitry 16 may adjust the brightness of emitted light 18 based on the brightness of the ambient light such that the brighter the ambient light, the brighter the brightness of illuminated area 24. Alternatively, processing circuitry 16 may adjust the brightness of emitted light 18 so that the measured brightness falls within a desired brightness range.

[0022] The photodetector 32 may include any suitable sensor for measuring a characteristic of the illuminated area 24 . For example, the light detector 32 may include a light sensor, a camera, a CCD camera, a spectrometer, or the like. Measured characteristics may include spot size, brightness, color, CRI, lighting uniformity, correlated color temperature (CCT), etc. And, the photodetector 32 may be mounted on any suitable structure. For example, the photodetector 32 may be mechanically supported by the light source 12 or the support 14 . The photodetector 32 is included in the light source 12 .

[0023] 2 and 3, processing circuitry 16 may also detect illumination anomalies 36 within illumination region 24. The illumination anomaly 36 may be at least one of a glare and a shadow present within the illuminated area 24 . Illumination anomalies 36 may also be detected based on the output of photodetector 32 . For example, processing circuitry 16 may detect whether the affected portion of illuminated area 24 is getting brighter or darker. Any portion of illuminated area 24 whose brightness differs from the average brightness of illuminated area 24 by more than an anomaly threshold (eg, 10%, 20%, 30%, etc.) may be defined as an illumination anomaly 36. Processing circuitry 16 may then adjust the characteristics of light source 12 so that the detected lighting anomaly 36 is mitigated. For example, processing circuitry 16 may change the drive current of light source 12, adjust the focus setting of light source 12, change the position of light source 12, and so on. As an example, movement of an obstruction (such as a person or equipment) may be detected and the light source 12 may be reconfigured to compensate for this movement in order to reduce shadows cast by the obstruction.

[0024] In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the light source 12 includes a plurality of light emitters 40a, 40b, 40c, 40. In FIG. 2, light emitters 40b and 40d emit radiation 18 that creates two illumination anomalies 36: a glare (represented by a light circle) and a shadow (represented by a dark square). In FIG. 3, processing circuitry 16 has stopped emitting light from light emitter 40b and started emitting light from light emitters 40a and 40d. This reduces lighting anomalies 36 (eg, less bright glare and brighter shadows).

[0025] Processing circuitry 16 may also adjust spot size 22 characteristics by sending control signals 38 to optics 20 of light source 12 . The optics 20 may adjust the spot size 22 characteristic based on a control signal 38 received from the processing circuitry 16 .

[0026] The light source 12 may include multiple light emitters 40 arranged at different spatial locations. For example, at least a portion of the light emitters 40 may be arranged in a grid or array. Furthermore, processing circuitry 16 may control the characteristics of spot size 22 without mechanically moving light source 12 by individually controlling the characteristics of the light emitted by light emitters 40 . For example, the brightness of the light emitted by the light emitters 40 may be controlled individually (for example, some of the light emitters 40 may not emit light). Similarly, processing circuitry 16 may selectively control light emitting emitters 40 to affect the characteristics of illuminated area 24 without changing the focus of emitted light 18 .

[0027] 4 and 5, the light source 12 may include a mask 42 for reducing the transmission (i.e., reducing the brightness) of the emitted light 18 in a region of the illumination area 24, referred to as a mask region 44. Mask 42 may be any suitable device for reducing (eg, blocking) the transmission of light. Processing circuitry 16 may control at least one of the position, size or shape of mask region 44. Processing circuitry 16 may control the characteristics of mask area 44 to achieve a desired brightness within mask area 44 . For example, mask 42 may include a liquid crystal filter or other light blocking material, with processing circuitry 16 controlling the transmission of light through the pixels of the liquid crystal filter.

[0028] Optics 20 may include any optical element that affects the transmission of emitted light 18 from light source 12 . For example, the optical component 20 may include at least one of a focusing mechanism, an aperture, a diffraction grating, a mask, a lens, or a wavelength filter (e.g., one or more LCDs, polymer nanolayers, etc.) configured to modify the wavelength of the emitted electromagnetic radiation.

[0029] In addition to the light source 12 , the support 14 may also mechanically support a processing circuit 16 . Furthermore, the support 14 includes a boom arm (also called a swing arm). The position of the light source 12 may be adjusted relative to the boom arm.

[0030] Support 14 may include any suitable hardware for physically maintaining the position of light source 12 . For example, the support 14 may be portable for emergency situations or military deployments. In this example, the support 14 may include lockable wheels that can be unlocked during movement. If the medical lighting system 10 is to remain stationary, the wheels may be locked to prevent movement of the support 14.

[0031] The support 14 is then attached to the ceiling of the room. The support 14 may be fixed in place or may be mobile, allowing the support 14 to move across the ceiling. For example, the support 14 may include a ball joint for moving the illumination area 24 . Additionally, the support 14 may include a slider to which the light source 12 is attached. The light emitters 40 may be individually movable along a slider to change the illumination area 24 . The support 14 includes a Z-axis translator. The Z-axis translator may then be configured to move the light emitter 40 along the Z-axis to change the size of the illuminated area 24 .

[0032] Referring to FIG. 6, the support 14 may include an actuator 46 that controls the position of the illumination area 24 by adjusting at least one of the position or angle of at least one of the light source 12 or the optical component 20. Additionally, by arranging the light emitters 40 in an array, the processing circuitry 16 may control (e.g., electronically) the position of the illumination area 24 by controlling which light emitters 40 emit light (e.g., without mechanically operating the light source 12 or the focusing mechanism).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7, the medical lighting system 10 may also include a remote control element 50 that transmits remote control signals 52 to the processing circuitry 16. For example, remote control element 50 may include a user interface (eg, buttons, a touch screen, etc.) that receives commands from a user that are passed to processing circuitry 16 by the remote control. The remote control signal 52 may also include at least one of a measurement location 54 based on the position of the remote control element 50 or a brightness measured at the measurement location 54 . The processing circuitry 16 may receive a remote control signal 52 from a remote control element 50 and, based on the remote control signal 52, control the position of the illumination area 24 so that the center of the illumination area 24 is at a predetermined position relative to the measurement location 54. For example, the illumination area 24 may be centered on the measurement location 54 . Alternatively, processing circuitry 16 may control the brightness of illumination area 24 based on remote control signal 52 so that the brightness measured at the location of remote control element 50 is within a desired brightness range.

[0034] The remote control element 50 includes a light sensor (eg, a photosensor) configured to measure the brightness of the received electromagnetic radiation. This remote control element 50 may then be placed at a measurement location 54 and the brightness of the measurement location 54 may be transmitted to the processing circuitry 16 . The location of measurement location 54 may be transmitted to processing circuitry 16 or may be determined by processing circuitry 16 (eg, using a camera).

[0035] The remote control signal 52 includes information of a number of measurement locations 54 . For example, in FIG. 7, the first measurement location 54 is captured. This measurement location 54 is shown as 54a in FIG. Also shown in FIG. 8 are measurement locations 54 b and 54 c that were similarly captured using remote control element 50 . Processing circuitry 16 then receives the information from the plurality of measurement locations 54 and adjusts the characteristics of light source 12 so that the brightness at each of the plurality of measurement locations 54 falls within a desired brightness range. For example, in FIG. 9, illumination area 24 has been modified to include measurement locations 54a, 54b, and 54c.

[0036] For example, the medical lighting system 10 may include a remote sensor (such as a camera) that identifies the position of the remote control element 50 each time the processing circuitry 16 receives a request to capture a measurement position 54 . As an example, the user may press a capture button on the remote control element 50 at each measurement location 54 . Then, when processing circuitry 16 receives a signal from remote control element 50 indicating that the capture button has been pressed, processing circuitry 16 may use a remote sensor to identify the position of remote control element 50 when the capture button was pressed. Each of these identified locations may be one of a plurality of measurement locations 54 .

[0037] Remote control element 50 may be any device suitable for transmitting information to processing circuitry 16 . For example, remote control element 50 may be a sensor that is attached or placed at a particular location and configured to transmit a measured brightness value to processing circuit 16 . In another embodiment, the remote control element 50 may include one or more cameras for receiving gesture controls from a user and / or a microphone for receiving voice controls from a user.

[0038] Upon receiving information of the multiple measurement locations 54, processing circuitry 16 may adjust at least one of the position, focus, and brightness of illumination area 24 so that the brightness at each of the multiple measurement locations 54 falls within a desired range. Additionally, the brightness at each of the multiple measurement locations 54 may be measured using a remote sensor.

[0039] Processing circuitry 16 may control the wavelengths included in emitted light 18 based on the received color profile. If the received color profile includes duration, timing and / or intensity for a range of wavelengths, processing circuitry 16 may then control the amount of light of the wavelengths received at illumination area 24 . The processing circuitry 16 receives a program of light characteristics identifying the wavelengths involved, the intensity of the wavelengths, the spot size and the brightness.

[0040] Light source 12 may be any suitable structure for emitting light. For example, the light source 12 may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), micro LEDs, laser diodes, mini LEDs, quantum dot (QD) conversion, phosphor conversion, excimer lamps, halogen lamps, multiphoton coupling, or SLM wavefront manipulation. The light source 12 may emit an appropriate wavelength, color rendering index (CRI), and color temperature of electromagnetic radiation. For example, the light source 12 may be controllable to adjust the wavelength of the emitted electromagnetic radiation. And, the light source 12 includes at least one laser light source, simplifying aiming and reducing potential temperature issues.

[0041] The light source 12 may be mounted on any suitable structure. For example, as described in more detail below, light source 12 may be supported by a support 14 . As another example, the light source 12 may be attached to an object in the room (eg, a reinforcing bar, a rail, etc.).

[0042] Light source 12 may emit light of any suitable wavelength. For example, the light source 12 may include filters to change the wavelengths contained in the emitted light 18 . Alternatively, the light source 12 includes multiple light emitters 40 that emit light at different wavelengths. Light source 12 may control which light emitters 40 emit light and the intensity of the light those light emitters 40 emit, thereby controlling the wavelengths contained in the light they emit.

[0043] The processing circuitry 16 may take a variety of implementations. For example, the processing circuitry 16 may include any suitable device, such as a processor (such as a CPU), a programmable circuit, an integrated circuit, memory and I / O circuitry, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a complex programmable logic device, or other programmable circuit. And, the processing circuitry 16 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), or other suitable medium. Instructions for performing the methods described below may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed by processing circuitry 16. The processing circuitry 16 may be communicatively connected to the computer-readable medium and the network interface via a system bus, a motherboard, or using any other suitable structure known in the art.

[0044] In addition to illuminating medical procedure sites (such as childbirth, Caesarean sections), the emitted electromagnetic radiation may also be used for photobiomodulation and sterilization. For example, the emitted electromagnetic radiation may include ultraviolet (UV) light for germicidal purposes, infrared light for wound healing, and the like.

[0045] The control system is configured to illuminate at least a portion of the room in which the medical lighting system 10 is located. For example, the control system may be configured to irradiate a portion of a room with electromagnetic radiation configured to sterilize the portion. As an example, the medical lighting system 10 may be used to sterilize a room when the room is not in use. For example, the medical lighting system 10 may include a occupancy detector (eg, a thermal camera or a motion sensor) configured to detect when no one is present in the room. The control system may be configured to sterilize a portion of a room only if the occupancy detector identifies the room as unoccupied.

[0046] And, the medical lighting system 10 includes a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to receive notifications. Processing circuitry 16 may be configured to alter the color of the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the received notification. For example, the medical lighting system 10 may illuminate an evacuation route (eg, illuminate an exit) when a fire alarm, hurricane alarm, etc. is received over the communications interface.

[0047] The communications interface also receives communications from nearby devices. For example, the communications interface may use radio frequency identification (RFID) or Bluetooth to identify nearby devices. Processing circuitry 16 may adjust the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on detected nearby devices.

[0048] The communications interface may receive medical information from a medical monitoring device. Processing circuitry 16 may then control the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the received medical information. For example, the brightness of the electromagnetic radiation may be altered based on the received contraction interval (eg, the brightness may increase as the contraction interval decreases).

[0049] Processing circuitry 16 is configured to vary the range of wavelengths included in the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the time of day. For example, the wavelength range of the emitted electromagnetic radiation may be changed to include less blue light later in the day.

[0050] The processing circuitry 16 then controls the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the illumination profile. The illumination profile identifies at least one of wavelength, brightness, and the like. The lighting profile may be selected based on the identified user. For example, different physicians may have different lighting profiles. Processing circuitry 16 may identify different physicians (i.e., select the appropriate profile) using RFID, facial recognition, Bluetooth, etc.

[0051] Additionally, processing circuitry 16 controls the emitted electromagnetic radiation based on usage. Such usage situations include indoor personal use, use during medical procedures, etc. For example, when used with neonates, processing circuit 16 may limit the emitted electromagnetic radiation to include near infrared radiation. As another example, the medical lighting system 10 may be located in a room associated with a particular medical procedure. Upon sensing motion in the room, processing circuitry 16 may execute a lighting profile associated with the medical procedure.

[0052] The medical lighting system 10 may include monitoring sensors configured to monitor the performance of the medical lighting system 10. For example, the monitoring sensor may include at least one of a current sensor, a temperature sensor, a brightness sensor, or a wavelength sensor. The monitoring sensors may then transmit the measured characteristics to processing circuitry 16. The monitoring sensor may also be configured to determine the status of the medical lighting system 10 by detecting characteristics of the medical lighting system 10 (e.g., the current consumed by the light source 12, the brightness of the light emitted, and the temperature of the light source 12). For example, based on the measured current consumed by light source 12 and the brightness of the electromagnetic radiation it emits, processing circuitry 16 may determine that light source 12 will soon require maintenance (e.g., at least one light emitter 40 may soon fail).

[0053] Additionally, the processing circuitry 16 may alter the operation of the medical lighting system 10 based on the characteristics detected by the monitoring sensors. For example, processing circuitry 16 may detect that light emitter 40 is outputting less radiant light 18 (ie, light emitter 40 is becoming dimmer). The processing circuitry 16 may also use nearby light emitters 40 to compensate for underperforming light emitters 40 (e.g., by turning on other light emitters 40 or increasing the light production of nearby light emitters 40).

[0054] Processing circuitry 16 may identify potential problems by monitoring characteristics of the components using monitoring sensors. For example, the processing circuitry 16 may identify a change in a monitored characteristic from a previous reading as an indication of a current or future component failure.

[0055] All range and ratio limits disclosed in the specification and claims may be combined in any manner. Unless otherwise specified, the articles "a," "an," and / or "the" may be used to include one or more elements and a reference to a singular element may include a reference to a plural element.

[0056] While the invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular, with regard to the various functions performed by the elements (elements, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.) described above, the terms used to describe such elements (including references to "means") are intended to correspond to any element that performs the particular function of the described element (i.e., is functionally equivalent), unless otherwise indicated, even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structures that perform that function in the embodiments of the invention described herein. Moreover, while certain features of the present invention are described above only with respect to one or more of the illustrated embodiments, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments as may be desirable and advantageous for any particular application.

Claims

1. 1. A medical lighting system for illuminating a work area, comprising: a light source that emits light and includes an optical component that adjusts a spot size characteristic of the emitted light; a support part that mechanically supports the light source to maintain a position of the light source; and processing circuitry for adjusting the spot size characteristic that defines an area illuminated by the radiation.

2. the processing circuitry corrects the working distance of the light source while maintaining at least one of the area of ​​the spot size, the brightness of the spot size, the position of the spot size, or the pattern of the spot size; The medical lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the working distance comprises a distance between the light source and the illuminated area.

3. The medical lighting system of claim 2 , further comprising a distance sensor for measuring the working distance.

4. 4. The medical lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a photodetector for measuring at least one of characteristics of the spot size including at least one of the position, the brightness, the area or the pattern of the spot size, or a characteristic of brightness of ambient light by measuring brightness at locations outside the illuminated area.

5. 5. The medical lighting system of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry detects lighting anomalies, including at least one of glare and shadows, based on the output of the light detector and adjusts characteristics of the light source to mitigate the detected lighting anomalies.

6. 6. The medical lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry adjusts the brightness of the emitted light based on a brightness of the ambient light such that the brightness of the illumination area is increased as the brightness of the ambient light increases.

7. 6. The medical lighting system of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry adjusts the brightness of the emitted light such that the measured brightness falls within a desired brightness range.

8. the processing circuitry sends control signals to the optical components of the light source; 8. The medical illumination system of claim 1, wherein the optical component adjusts the characteristic of the spot size based on the control signal received from the processing circuitry.

9. the light source includes a plurality of light emitters arranged at different spatial locations; 9. The medical lighting system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls the characteristics of the spot size by controlling characteristics of the light emitted by the light emitter without mechanically moving the light source.

10. the light source includes a mask that reduces transmission of the emitted light in a region of the illumination area, referred to as a masked region; 10. The medical illumination system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls at least one of the position, size or shape of the mask region.

11. The medical illumination system of claim 10 , wherein the mask comprises a liquid crystal filter.

12. 12. The medical illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser light source.

13. 13. The medical illumination system of claim 1, wherein the optical components include at least one of a focusing mechanism, an aperture, a diffraction grating, a mask, or a lens.

14. 14. The medical lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the support includes an actuator for controlling a position of the illumination area by adjusting at least one of a position or an angle of the light source or at least one of the optical components.

15. a remote control element for transmitting a remote control signal to the processing circuit; the remote control signal includes at least one of information of a measured position based on a position of the remote control element or a measured brightness at the measured position; 15. The medical lighting system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls the position of the illumination area such that a center of the illumination area is at a predetermined position relative to the measurement position, or controls the brightness of the illumination area such that the brightness measured at the measurement position is within a desired brightness range.

16. the remote control signal includes information of a plurality of measurement locations; 16. The medical lighting system of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry adjusts characteristics of the light source such that the brightness at each of the plurality of measurement locations falls within the desired brightness range.

17. 17. The medical lighting system of claim 16, wherein the characteristics of the light source that are adjusted include at least one of a position, a focus, and a brightness of the illuminated area.

18. 18. The medical lighting system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry controls the wavelengths contained in the emitted light based on a received color profile.

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