The high tech atmosphere in treatment rooms can be lessened by sophisticated interior and lighting design, reducing the stress of patients
A visit to the hospital is one of life’s most stressful events. Yet, good lighting design and acoustics, complemented by sympathetic interior design, can help to reduce anxiety when in a high-tech environment for treatments for diseases such as cancer.
One example is the use of intelligent light control from Traxon Technologies at the University Hospital in Münster, Germany. In the hospital’s radiation therapy centre, lighting and acoustics can now be controlled by Lighting Control Engines from Osram subsidiary Traxon Technologies. In this way, and as part of the overall concept by NextMove, the high-tech atmosphere in the treatment rooms is lessened by sophisticated interior design and lighting design.
An emphasis was placed on an overall therapy room concept in the treatment rooms – in addition to state-of-the-art therapeutic devices. Thanks to warm wall colours as well as light and media applications, the special-purpose rooms provide a more homely atmosphere and a certain level of distraction during the sometimes longer treatment sessions.
Depending on individual preferences, patients can listen to their favourite music or the radio and select from various colour sequences. Visual accents, for example the display of light rays shining through a roof of green leaves or the appearance of sea waves − implemented by means of LED video panels in the ceiling as well as downlights and cove luminaires − create a feeling of well-being and trust for the patient during the treatment. In an emergency though, the lighting automatically switches to a white light scene, providing the requisite 500 lux on the treatment surface.
The room atmosphere is controlled by the Lighting Control Engine and Butler XT2 from e:cue. These enable the selection of various colour sequences which can also be acoustically modified. High tech and a homely ambience thus become an integral part of the Münster University Hospital philosophy for the successful treatment of patients.
