SBIR-STTR Award

Energy Focus has envisioned a Generation 2 berth light LED system that incorporates an illumination spectrum consistent with the latest research in spectrally tuned adjustment and resetting of circadian rhythms. Research shows that the human eye contains specialized receptors for 420nm-560nm light which signal the body to suppress melatonin production. In the absence of this light, the body is signaled to produce melatonin, promoting sleep. The Generation 1 SSL berth light design will be exploited to provide a device with enhanced illumination options. During this project, spectra will be identified for general illumination and circadian modification along with the identification of the proper timing required for circadian modification. The target illumination patterns will be developed based on current Mil Specifications and the optical system. The updated berth light will be further refined using computer modeling. A prominent feature of this next generation system will be simple controls accessible to the user. The controls will allow the user to set the system to correspond with their individual sleep-wake requirements. Effort will also be directed to developing SSL driver specifications. The cost proposal associated with this work is included as the last page of the technical proposal.

Keywords:
Lighting, Efficiency, Energy Conservation, Solid State Lighting, Circadian Rythms

A significant amount of personal injury and property damage as well as lost productivity could be avoided by speeding up the body’s adjustment cycle to new circadian schedules or re-synchronizing body schedules that have slipped or advanced. For the military, this problem is especially acute because the warfighters’ duties include dangerous equipment and a need for 24-hour operational readiness. The current navy submarine berth light is inadequate and often detrimental for circadian management. Like many fixtures, the control is limited to ‘dumb’ on/off of the white light. The white light does not accomplish the circadian resetting avoidance that amber light does, while darkness does not provide any illumination for near-sleep or relaxing activities in the berth. The white light does not maximize circadian resetting upon waking as much of the energy is circadian spectrally ineffective and the brightness is often overwhelming, while darkness is obviously even less effective. The full on or full off does not provide smooth transitions between states, and the lamp cannot turn itself on/off independently after being programmed to do so by the user. The technical problem being addressed is how best to use a berth light to positively impact navy submariners’ circadian cycles.

Keywords:
LED, emitting, circadian, berth, bunk, light, optics, lighting