Systems and methods for target spectrum illumination

Abstract

A surgical light that illuminates 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, a second light source configured to emit light having a second spectrum that does not include a 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.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The present invention relates to a surgical light, and more particularly to a surgical light for open surgery.

Background Art

[0003] Surgical lights are used in operating rooms to provide relatively high-intensity light to a target surgical area in order to illuminate the target surgical area during open surgery. The target surgical area may be illuminated by one or more surgical lights for direct observation by a surgeon. Thus, many conventional surgical lights are configured to provide light that is close to natural light so that the tissue within the target appears according to its true color. During surgery, the target tissue is generally perfused with blood, and thus the scene 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 reduced, making it difficult for the surgeon to distinguish between various features of the tissue or various anatomical structures, which can lead to eye strain and fatigue.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to some embodiments, a 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. Thereby, the target tissue can be illuminated with light in which the contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum lacking in the second spectrum is reduced. According to some embodiments, the first spectrum can include the visible spectrum, either alone or in combination with the second spectrum, which can increase the contrast between features of the target due to the reduced contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum lacking in the second spectrum 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. As a result, the target is illuminated by light having a reduced red contribution relative to white light, and the amount of red light reflected by the target is decreased. In the procedure of open surgery, by reducing but not eliminating the red light reflected from the tissue, it is possible to provide an increase in contrast, a decrease in glare, and a decrease in 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 including the portion of the visible spectrum, a second light source configured to emit light having a second spectrum not including the portion of the visible spectrum, and a controller configured to operate the first and second light sources simultaneously to illuminate the target with light having a reduced contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum relative 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 the portion of the visible spectrum to the light at the target.

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

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

[0013] In any of these embodiments, the second light source may include at least one emitter configured to emit light over the second spectrum but not emit light in the part 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 part of the first spectrum and at least one filter for filtering light in the part 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 the 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 generation units, and each light generation unit may include at least one solid light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one solid light emitter.

[0023] In any of these embodiments, each light generation unit may include a plurality of solid light emitters.

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

[0025] In any of these embodiments, at least one light generation 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 light emitter.

[0027] In any of these embodiments, the filter may be disposed on an inner surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid 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 generation units, and each light generation unit may include at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter.

[0053] In any of these embodiments, each light generation unit may include a plurality of solid-state light emitters.

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

[0055] In any of these embodiments, at least one light generation 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 the 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 the inner 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 generation units of the first light source may be mixed with the plurality of light generation units of the second light source.

[0059] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light generation units of the first light source may be arranged in a plurality of first arrays, the plurality of light generation 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 the operating table.

[0061] In any of these embodiments, the first and second light sources may be attached to the housing.

[0062] According to some embodiments, a surgical light is a plurality of light generation units, each light generation 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 generation unit emits light that is a mixture of the first and second spectra, the plurality of light generation units, 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 the light generated by the plurality of light generation units.

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

[0066] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light generation units are arranged in a plurality of sub-assemblies, and each sub-assembly may include at least one first light generation unit and at least one second light generation 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 plurality of light generation units such that the plurality of light generation units are directed at the same spot.

[0069] In any of these embodiments, the at least one optical element may include a collator 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 collator channel may be integrated into a collimating optical system.

[0072] In any of these embodiments, each light generation unit may include a collimating optical system for collimating the 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 by 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 a relative intensity of the first and second lights to adjust a spectrum of the mixed light illuminating the target.

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

[0077] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light generation units may be arranged in a plurality of sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly including at least one first light generation unit and at least one second light generation 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 generation units, at least one first light generation unit configured to generate a first illumination pattern at an illumination target, and at least one second light generation unit configured to generate a second illumination pattern at the illumination target. The plurality of light generation units includes a controller configured to adjust the intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light generation unit relative to the intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light generation unit to adjust the illumination pattern at the illumination target, where the illumination pattern at the illumination target is a combination of the first illumination pattern and the second illumination pattern.

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

[0086] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light generation units can include at least one third light generation unit configured to generate a third illumination pattern at the illumination target.

[0087] In any of these embodiments, the plurality of light generation units can be arranged in a plurality of sub-assemblies, and each sub-assembly includes at least one first light generation unit and at least one second light generation unit.

[0088] In any of these embodiments, the first illumination pattern can have a smaller coverage area than the second illumination pattern, and the surgical light can have a smaller number of the first light generation units than the second light generation units.

[0089] According to some embodiments, a method of illuminating a target with a surgical light comprises emitting light from at least one first light generation unit of the surgical light, wherein the at least one first light generation unit is configured to generate a first illumination pattern at the illumination target, said emitting; emitting light from at least one second light generation unit of the surgical light, wherein the at least one second light generation unit is configured to generate a second illumination pattern at the illumination target, said emitting; adjusting the intensity of the light generated by the at least one first light generation unit relative to the intensity of the light generated by the at least one second light generation unit to adjust the illumination pattern at the illumination target, wherein the illumination pattern at the illumination target is a combination of the first illumination pattern and the second illumination pattern, said adjusting.

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

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

[0092] In any of these embodiments, the surgical light can include a plurality of light generation units arranged in a plurality of sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly including at least one first light generation unit and at least one second light generation unit.

[0093] In any of these embodiments, the first illumination pattern can have a smaller coverage area than the second illumination pattern, and the surgical light can have a smaller number of the first light generation units than the second light generation units. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094]

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[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 spectrally reduced portion of the light from the first light source. For example, the second light source may attenuate red, or one or more of 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 "attenuate" includes completely omitting, 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 over a broad spectrum, but the contribution of the spectrally attenuated portion is reduced compared to the light having a broad spectrum. Thus, according to some embodiments, it is possible to maintain at least some aspects of the natural appearance of the tissue while providing one or more advantages by reducing the contribution of the spectrally attenuated portion.

[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 a white light emitter, or by using one or more emitters that do not generate at least a portion of the red portion of the visible spectrum. The first and second light sources are operated simultaneously such that the target is illuminated by the combination of the light from the first and second light sources. The reduced red contribution reduces the amount of red from the target, which 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 the case of an open surgery. In other embodiments, different portions of the visible spectrum are attenuated from the second light source, which can, for example, improve 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. The process steps and instructions of the present disclosure may be embodied in software, firmware, or hardware, and when embodied in software, may reside on and be downloaded for operation from different platforms used by various operating systems. As will be apparent from the following discussion, unless otherwise specifically noted, throughout this specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "displaying," "generating," etc., 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 memory or registers of the computer system or other such information storage, transmission, or display device.

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

[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 a first spectrum to illuminate the tissue 104 with the light 112. The first spectrum may be a continuous spectrum having wavelengths of light in a range from a minimum wavelength to a maximum wavelength, or a discontinuous spectrum in which at least some wavelengths between the minimum wavelength and the maximum wavelength of the light having the first spectrum are absent from the light, such as a spectrum provided by a combination of red, green, and blue emitters. The second light source 110 emits light 114 having a second spectrum to illuminate the tissue 104 with the light 114. The light 114 from the second light source 110 either does not have some light in a part of the visible spectrum, or the light in that part of the visible spectrum is attenuated with respect to the relative contribution of that part 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 over a broad spectrum in which the relative contribution of the light in the part of the visible spectrum missing from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110 is reduced with respect to the relative contribution of that part of the visible light to white light. In some embodiments, the relative amount of the light in the part of the visible spectrum missing from the light 114 of the second light source 110 is reduced but not eliminated, thereby reducing but not eliminating the amount of that light reflected from the tissue, and it is possible to maintain 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 over at least a narrow spectral range of the narrow spectral light 114. In some embodiments, one or more second light emitters 118 are configured to generate light only over the narrow spectral range of the narrow spectral light 114. In other words, in these embodiments, one or more second light emitters 118 do not emit light in the portion of the spectrum that is 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 that is attenuated from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110. In these embodiments, the light emitted by one or more second light emitters includes light in the portion of the spectrum that is attenuated from the light 114 emitted by the second light source 110, and 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 the light from one or more second light emitters 118 for providing to the tissue of the subject. As further discussed below, one or more filters 120 can be disposed at any suitable location along the optical path from one or more second light emitters 118, such as between one or more second light emitters 118 and one or more optical elements 128, downstream of one or more optical elements 128, and / or directly on one or more surfaces of 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 the portion of the visible spectrum that is missing from 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 the 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 light in a 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 other than a portion of the visible spectrum 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 the portion 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 a portion 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 narrow-band emitters that do not generate the portion 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 disposed within a room (e.g., an operating room) and configured to provide increased light to a specific area of the room. The surgical light 200 can be disposed within the operating room, but the surgical light 200 can also be disposed in any area where increased light is desired, such as a treatment room, an emergency room, a 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 a suspension system 126 connected to the wall or ceiling of the operating room, can be connected to a further arm assembly (not shown) or suspension system directly connected 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 be rotated to direct the light from the light assembly 252 to a specific area within the operating room (the 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 on, turning 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 a mixed preset of one or more first / second light sources. In some embodiments, any of these controls can be provided via one or more mechanical buttons or dials, a touch panel (e.g., located remotely on the device or on a wall or other device), voice control, remote control (e.g., RF, IR), and / or gesture control.

[0116] The light generation unit 202 includes a set of first light generation units 202a that together form a first light source 208 for providing broad-spectrum light to the tissue, and a set of second light generation 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 generation units 202a are arranged in a plurality of first light source arrays 204, and a set of second light generation 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 the same. However, other embodiments can 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 generation units 202a, 202b can be arranged in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the light generation units 202a, 202b are interspersed among each other, which can include being evenly distributed. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the light generation units 202a can be alternately arranged with the light generation units 202b within each ring of light generation units.

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

[0119] As further described below, in some embodiments, each of the second light generation units 202b includes one or more filters for filtering the portion of the light that attenuates from the light emitted by the second light source 210. In some embodiments, a plate 212 including a plurality of filters 214 may be disposed on the second light generation unit 202b, such as on top of each second light source array 206, to filter the portion of the 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] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a light generation unit that can be used in various embodiments of the systems described herein, which generates both wider spectrum light and narrower spectrum light and includes surgical light 102 and surgical light 200. The light generation unit 500 is configured similarly to the light generation unit 300, except that a filter 502 is disposed over the first emitter 504 while no filter is provided over the second emitter 506. The first and second emitters 504, 506 can be configured to generate wide spectrum light. The filter 502 filters out the wide spectrum portion that is attenuated from the light of the second light source. The first optical element 508 integrates (e.g., homogenizes) the light from the two emitters such that the light emitted by the light generation unit 500 is a mixture of broadband spectrum light and narrowband spectrum light. In this embodiment, the first light source can include the first emitters 504 from a plurality of light generation units 500, and the second light source can include the second emitters 506 from a plurality of light generation units 500. The group of first emitters can operate as a group to provide broadband spectrum light from a plurality of light generation units 500, can provide narrowband spectrum light from a plurality of light generation units 500, and / or can provide a mixture of broadband spectrum light and narrowband spectrum light from a plurality of light generation units, and the assembly of second emitters can operate as a group to provide broadband spectrum light from a plurality of light generation 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-band light. The one or more filters can include absorption filters and / or interference / dichroic filters. The one or more filters can be disposed directly in 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 absorption dye coating.

[0132] According to some embodiments, 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 red light so 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 white light so 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 light, yellow light, green light, cyan light, blue light, 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 light and narrow-spectrum light. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the spectra of light provided to a target by a surgical light operating in different modes according to various embodiments. Curve 902 shows the spectrum of 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 that includes all wavelengths of light in the range from less than 425 nm to greater than 700 nm. Curve 904 shows the spectrum of a second mode in which only the second light source is activated. The second light source emits light with a narrower spectrum, omitting light having wavelengths greater than or equal to about 600 nm, including the red portion of the visible spectrum. Thus, the spectrum of the 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 wavelengths in a continuous range from 425 nm and below to about 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 is about 600 nm in the illustrated embodiment. One or more emitters of the second light source are the same as one or more emitters of the first light source (i.e., the same type of emitter), and thus the spectrum of light provided by the second light source that is below the filtering threshold of about 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 about 600 nm with curve 902. For example, both spectra include a peak at about 450 nm and a dip at about 480 nm.

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, the second light source is configured and / or controlled such 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 the light in the portion of the spectrum below the filter threshold is greater than the corresponding portion of the first light source mode to compensate for the lack of light in the portion of the spectrum where the threshold is omitted. As shown in the legend, the illuminance of both the first light source mode and the second light source mode is about 90 klux.

[0140] Curves 906, 908, and 910 show the emission spectra resulting from three different combinations of emissions of the first and second light sources according to three different operating modes. For example, curve 906 corresponds to a 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). Since the second light source does not provide light above a filter threshold of about 600 nm, the light above 600 nm is provided only by the first light source and thus has an intensity of about half that 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 (about 90 klux) as in the first and second modes. Thus, the intensity of the light in the portion of the spectrum below the filter threshold is greater than the corresponding portion of the first mode but less than the corresponding portion of 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 about 90 klux as in the first mode.

[0142] FIG. 10 provides an image of the tissue of a subject illuminated with light according to the five modes described above with respect to FIG. 9. Image 1002 shows tissue illuminated only by the first light source according to the first mode represented by curve 902 in FIG. 9. Due to the amount of blood present in the target tissue, the image contains a significant amount of red 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 having a reduced contribution of a portion of the visible spectrum, according to some embodiments. The method 1200 can be performed by a surgical light, such as the surgical light 102 of FIG. 1. At step 1202, light having a first spectrum that includes a portion of the visible spectrum to be reduced at the target is emitted by a first light source. The first light source may be a component of the surgical light, such as the first light source 108 of the surgical light 102. The first spectrum can include a portion of the visible spectrum whose contribution at the target is reduced compared to white light. The first spectrum may include substantially all of the visible spectrum or only a portion of the visible spectrum. Also, the first spectrum may 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 generated by a white light source, such as a solid white light emitter, or by a combination of narrow-band light emitters that together substantially simulate white light, such as red, green, and blue light emitters, or by one or more narrow-band light emitters that generate a spectral range narrower than white light and that includes, for example, just red light, just blue light, just green light, or just a portion of any of these. In some embodiments, the first spectrum includes 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, the target, such as the subject's target tissue, is illuminated with light from the first and second light sources such that the target is illuminated with light in which the target is omitted from the light of the second light source compared to white light and the contribution of the light in the visible spectrum portion included in the light of the first light source is reduced. Thus, the combination of the light from the first light source and the light from the second light source illuminates the target. In some embodiments, only the first light source, or the combination of the first light source and the second light source, illuminates the target with light over a broad spectrum (e.g., white light), so the target will be illuminated with light over a broad spectrum. However, since the light illuminating the target includes light from the second light source in which the contribution of the portion of the visible spectrum that is reduced by the target is missing or reduced, 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 can be reduced compared to white light. According to various embodiments, the light from the first light source and the light from the second light source can be mixed at the target or within 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 mixing of the first and second spectral lights illuminating the target. According to some embodiments, by reducing the relative amount of light from the second light source (a light source lacking a portion of the visible spectrum), the contrast between different portions of the target tissue illuminated by the light can be increased, improving the appearance of the 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 not be desirable for some users. Thus, in some embodiments, the surgical light can be enabled for the user to select the mixing of the light from the first and second light sources. In some embodiments, the surgical light can include preset mixtures of light from the first and second light sources, such as all of the first spectral light, all of the second spectral light, 50% of the first spectral light, 25% of the first spectral light, 10% of the first spectral light, and the like.

[0150] According to some embodiments, the relative mixing 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 mixing of light from the first and second light sources is adjusted while maintaining the total amount of light at the target. For example, when transitioning from a 50-50 mode where 50% of the light at the target 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 the total amount of light at the target may be adjusted by turning one or more light emitters on / 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, the user can select the mixing of the first and second spectral lights via a user interface on the surgical light, such as a switch on the housing or a switch on a handle used to reposition the light. In some embodiments, the user can select a combination of lights using an interface on one or more controllers operably connected to the surgical light. For example, the user can provide an input to a remote control or microphone connected to a controller that provides commands to the surgical light (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to change the combination of lights.

[0152] Figure 13 shows a surgical light 1300 configured for 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 will be further described below, the surgical light 1300 includes a plurality of light generation units 1302 capable of emitting light of an adjustable spectrum for illuminating the tissue of a subject. The surgical light 1300 can include a plurality of different sets of light generation units 1302 that generate different spot sizes and / or shapes in the subject, and by adjusting the relative intensities of the different sets of light generation units, it is possible to adjust the spot size in the subject. According to various embodiments, the light generation unit 1302 includes at least two different light sources that can be controlled to provide an adjustable mixture of light from 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 generation unit 1302 includes a plurality of light emitters that generate light of different spectra and can be controlled to provide an adjustable mixture of spectra to achieve the desired spectrum and intensity of illumination at the target. As will be further described below, the light generation unit 1302 including a plurality of emitters that emit different spectra can include one or more optical components for mixing different spectra in the light generation unit 1302. By mixing different light spectra within the surgical light 1300 rather than at the target, it is possible to avoid undesirable effects that can occur when different colors are mixed at the target, such as color ringing.

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

[0155] According to some embodiments, the surgical light 1300 includes a curved chassis 1330 that enables the light generating units mounted thereon to be directed at a single spot at an estimated position (task plane) of the illumination target.

[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 1�02B configured and arranged to generate a second illumination pattern at the target. According to various embodiments, the relative intensities of the sets of light generating units 1302A, B can be varied to generate different illumination spot patterns at the target.

[0157] FIG. 14 shows an example of an illumination pattern 1402 at the target generated by the first set of light generating units 1302A and an illumination pattern 1404 at the target generated by the second set of light generating units 1302B, according to some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the first set of light generating units 1302A is configured to generate a circular illumination pattern at the target that is smaller 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] Figures 15A - E show a plurality of different spot sizes generated by varying the relative intensities of light generated by two sets of light generation units 1302A, B of the surgical light 1300 according to various embodiments. Figure 15A shows a target illumination pattern obtained by providing light only from the first set of light generation units 1302A that generate the illumination pattern 1402. Figure 15E shows a target illumination pattern obtained by providing light only from the second set of light generation units 1302B that generate the illumination pattern 1404. Figure 15B shows a target illumination pattern where the contribution rate from the first light generation unit 1302A is 75% and the contribution rate from the second light generation unit 1302B is 25%. Figure 15D shows a target illumination pattern obtained by providing a 75% contribution from the second light generation unit 1302B and a 25% contribution from the first light generation unit 1302A. Figure 15C shows a target illumination pattern obtained by providing equal contributions from the first and second light generation 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 generation units 1302A, B. Also, the change in the illumination pattern (spot size) can be achieved without providing a movable part. In other words, although fixed at a predetermined position, the spot size at the target can be adjusted by adjusting the relative intensities of the light generation units that 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 generation unit 1304 includes a printed circuit board 1306 and a plurality of light emitters 1308 attached to the printed circuit board, and at least one light emitter 1308 is disposed at each position of the light generation unit. For each of the light generation units 1302A, B, any suitable number of light emitters 1308 can be provided. On at least one light emitter 1308, at least one optical component for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one light emitter 1308 is attached. In the illustrated embodiment, the first light generation unit 1302A includes a first optical component 1310 disposed on 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 emitter 1308, and thus may be the same for both the first and second light generation units 1302A, B. In some embodiments, the second optical component 1312 is configured to generate an illumination pattern at the target, and thus, to generate a different illumination pattern at the target, the second optical component may be different from the first light generation unit for the second light generation unit 1302B.

[0162] According to various embodiments, the light generation units 1302A, B are configured to generate light having an adjustable spectrum. Each of the light generation units 1302A, B can include a plurality of light emitters 1308 that generate different light spectra. The spectrum and illuminance of the light emitted by the light generation unit can be adjusted by changing the relative intensities of the light emitters 1308 of the light generation unit. One or more optical components of the light generation unit can be configured to combine the light from the emitter so that the light from the emitter is mixed at the light generation unit rather than at the target.

[0163] An example of the light generation units 1302A,B according to some embodiments is the light generation unit 300 of FIG. 3. The light generation unit 300 configured for the light generation units 1302A,B includes at least one first light emitter 302 that emits light having a first spectrum, and at least one second light emitter 302a having a spectrum of a second light 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 (for example, warm white 2800K and cool white 6500K). The spectrum of the light generated by the light generation units 1302A,B can be adjusted within a range 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 generation unit includes emitters that generate two or more different spectra, such as red, green, and blue emitters.

[0164] The light generation unit 300 configured for the light generation units 1302A,B can include a first optical element 306 configured to integrate the light from the emitter 308. The first optical element 306 can be, for example, a microlens array including a plurality of Kohler channels (for example, each facet of the first optical element 306 in FIG. 3 and each facet of the first optical component 1310 in FIG. 16), and this microlens array is configured to image the light source in each channel, and as a result, a uniform color distribution can be achieved 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 shows another alternative optical arrangement for mixing and directing the light emitted by the light emitters of the first and second light generation 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 provides the function of the inward lenses of a microlens array and images the light sources (emitters 302, 302a) onto the corresponding lenses 1810 of the second optical element 1804. The first lens of the second optical element 1804 images by virtually returning the main level of the corresponding lens of the first optical element 1802 to the source. The central main lens portion 1806 and the TIR portion 1808 image the virtual source within the light field.

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

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

[0171] Figures 21 and 22A-C show examples of different illumination patterns generated by three different light generation units according to various embodiments. FIG. 21 illustrates the illuminance of the entire light field, and FIGS. 22A-C illustrate the simulated intensity. The first light generation unit 1902 can generate a first illumination pattern 2102 (FIG. 22A), the second light generation unit 1904 can generate a second illumination pattern 2104 (FIG. 22B), and the third light generation 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 at the center. The second and third illumination patterns 2104, 2106 are annular patterns with zero intensity at the center. The third illumination pattern 2106 has a wider spread than the second illumination pattern 2104. By varying the relative intensities of the first, second, and third light generation units, different illumination spot sizes can be generated. For example, by combining the light from the first and second light generation units 1902, 1904, an illumination pattern represented by the dashed line 2108 can be provided. By adding the light from the third light generation unit 1906, an illumination pattern represented by the dashed line 2110 can be provided.

[0172] According to various embodiments, the light generation units (such as light generation units 1302A, B and light generation units 1902-1906) can be controlled by a controller (such as controller 122 in FIG. 1) to generate a desired light spectrum, intensity, and / or spot size at the target. According to various embodiments, the sub-assemblies of the light generation units (such as sub-assembly 1304 or sub-assembly 1908) operate identically to each other. For example, for a given spot size, the relative intensities of the light generation units are substantially the same from one sub-assembly to the next. Similarly, according to various embodiments, the spectrum from at least a portion of the light generation units can be the same from one light generation unit to the next. In some embodiments, the spectrum generated by each light generation 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 presented for purposes of illustration and description with reference to specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion 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. One skilled in the art can best utilize the technology with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated and various embodiments thereof.

[0177] 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 become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being 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 hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

Claims

1. A surgical light that illuminates a target with light in which the contribution of a single spectral range in the visible spectrum is reduced, comprising: a first light source configured to emit light in a first spectral range that encompasses the single spectral range; a second light source configured to emit light in a second spectral range that is the remaining range excluding the single spectral range from the first spectral range; a controller configured to operate the first light source and the second light source simultaneously to illuminate the target with light in which the contribution of the single spectral range is reduced compared to white light; A surgical light having the above.

2. The controller is configured to control the relative amounts of light provided by the first light source and the second light source to adjust the relative contribution of the light in the single spectral range to the light at the target. The surgical light according to claim 1.

3. The controller is configured to adjust the contribution of the light in the single spectral range while maintaining a constant illuminance at the target. The surgical light according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The single spectral range includes at least a part of the red portion of the visible spectrum. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second light source includes at least one emitter configured to emit light over the second spectral range but not emit light in the single spectral range. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second light source includes at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a part of the first spectral range and at least one filter for filtering light in the single spectral range. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. 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. The surgical light according to claim 6.

8. The at least one optical component includes a lens. The surgical light according to claim 7.

9. The at least one optical component includes a mirror. The surgical light according to claim 7.

10. 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. The surgical light according to claim 6.

11. The first light source and the second light source each include at least one solid-state white light emitter. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The first light source includes a plurality of narrow-band light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light in the first spectral range. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of light generation units, and each light generation unit includes at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. Each light generation unit includes a plurality of solid-state light emitters. The surgical light according to claim 14.

16. Each light generation unit includes an optical integrator for integrating the light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters. The surgical light according to claim 15.

17. At least one light generation unit of the second light source includes a filter disposed on the at least one optical component. The surgical light according to claim 14 or 15.

18. 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. The surgical light according to claim 17.

19. The filter is disposed on an inner surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter. The surgical light according to claim 17.

20. The plurality of light generation units of the first light source are mixed with the plurality of light generation units of the second light source. The surgical light according to any one of claims 14 to 19.

21. The plurality of light generation units of the first light source are arranged in a plurality of first arrays, the plurality of light generation units of the second light source are arranged in a plurality of second arrays, and the first array and the second array are arranged alternately. The surgical light according to any one of claims 14 to 20.

22. The surgical light is configured to be suspended above the operating table. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. The surgical light includes a housing, and the first light source and the second light source are attached to the housing. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. The controller is configured to operate the first light source and the second light source simultaneously in a first mode, and to deactivate the second light source in a second mode for illuminating the target with only the light in the first spectral range. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. It has a user interface for mode selection by the user. The surgical light according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. A method executed by a controller of a surgical light that illuminates a target with light in which the contribution of a single spectral range in the visible spectrum is reduced, the method comprising: emitting light in a first spectral range that encompasses the single spectral range from a first light source; emitting light in a second spectral range that is the remaining range excluding the single spectral range from the first spectral range from a second light source; simultaneously illuminating the target with light from the first light source and the second light source such that the target is illuminated with light in which the contribution of the single spectral range is reduced compared to white light; including.

27. The method further includes deactivating the second light source while the first light source remains activated in order to illuminate the target with only the light in the first spectral range. The method according to claim 26.

28. Deactivating the second light source includes deactivating the second light source in response to a user selection of a mode of broader spectral light. The method according to claim 27.

29. Further comprising controlling the relative amounts of light emitted by the first light source and the second light source to adjust the relative contribution of the light in the single spectral range to the light illuminating the target The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28 **Claim 30** Including adjusting the contribution of the light in the single spectral range while maintaining a constant illuminance at the target The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29 **Claim 31** The single spectral range includes at least a part of the red portion of the visible spectrum The method according to any one of claims 26 to 30 **Claim 32** The second light source includes at least one emitter configured to emit light over the second spectral range but not emit light in the single spectral range The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31 **Claim 33** The second light source includes at least one light emitter configured to emit light over at least a part of the first spectral range and at least one filter for filtering light in the single spectral range The method according to any one of claims 26 to 32 **Claim 34** 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 The method according to claim 33 **Claim 35** The at least one optical component includes a lens The method according to claim 34 **Claim 36** The at least one optical component includes a mirror The method according to claim 34 **Claim 37** 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 The method according to claim 33 **Claim 38** The first light source and the second light source each include at least one solid white light emitter The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37 **Claim 39** At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of white light emitters having different color temperatures The method according to any one of claims 26 to 38 **Claim 40** The first light source includes a plurality of narrowband light emitters having different spectral ranges that collectively emit light in the first spectral range The method according to any one of claims 26 to 39 **Claim 41** At least one of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of light generation units, and each light generation unit includes at least one solid-state light emitter and at least one optical component for manipulating the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light emitter. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 40.

42. Each light generation unit includes a plurality of solid-state light emitters. The method according to claim 41.

43. Each light generation unit includes an optical integrator for integrating the light from the plurality of solid-state light emitters. The method according to claim 42.

44. At least one light generation unit of the second light source includes a filter disposed on the at least one optical component. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 43.

45. 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. The method according to claim 44.

46. The filter is disposed on an inner surface of the at least one optical component facing the at least one solid-state light emitter. The method according to claim 44.

47. The plurality of light generation units of the first light source are mixed with the plurality of light generation units of the second light source. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 46.

48. The plurality of light generation units of the first light source are arranged in a plurality of first arrays, the plurality of light generation 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. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 47.

49. The first light source and the second light source are suspended above the operating table. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 48.

50. The first light source and the second light source are attached to the housing. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 49.

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