The new memory center at the St. Augustinus hospitals (AMZ) in Neuss, Germany, was built as a care facility for dementia patients as well as a center for training and research area. Opened in December 2015, the research center is designed to allow studies of the biological effects of light to promote well-being and health and support circadian rhythm cycles in patients.
Osram, long interested in biologically effective lighting, supplied state-of-the-art lighting and control technology for a modern human centric lighting solution for the research project of the AMZ. Using its LED luminaires and control systems such as e:cue and Lightify, Osram developed a lighting concept to create the right light at the right time.
Professor Dr. Ulrich Sprick, chief physician at the AMZ day hospital in charge of the surveys for biologically effective light, described its essential content. “With Osram control technology we're able to check whether we can generate the effects of daylight that we have outside here in the hospital as well. We're aiming to carry out a total of three surveys.”
The first survey section will analyze which color temperatures are most pleasant for older people. In the second section it's a matter of utilizing the effects of light for synchronising the day-night rhythm. The third survey focuses on safety.
“For older people it's highly important to clearly identify certain objects, and this is achieved by having a higher intensity of light. In fact it's why we're hoping to reduce the number of falls thanks to the corresponding light intensity, or even avoid them completely,” Dr. Sprick said in an Osram release.
The Osram Lightify system was installed in the patient rooms. Lightify enables simple and user-friendly lighting solutions with modern LED luminaires and control components including smart devices. One advantage of this system is that individual components wirelessly communicate with each other via ZigBee signals.
When used in domestic surroundings, each Lightify user can program and manage light scenes using an app. It's possible for example to individually modify color temperature (e.g. warm white or cool white) according to individual wishes with the system’s Tunable White function. At the AMZ, the dining area features an LED daylight ceiling with Siteco Mira luminaires and tunable white functionality to enhance relaxation and a sense of calm. In the memory center, the lighting will address a common symptom of dementia where day-night rhythms are shifted due to light not being adequately processed. By using higher light intensities, the staff hopes to re-stabilise the day-night rhythm so that patients can sleep throughout the night.