IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,745,337
Granted Patent B2
US 12,745,337 · App. 18/542,540 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Light pollution reduction techniques for medical environments

Inventors: Eric Alexander Hereford (North Richland Hills, TX); Sean Victor Hastings (Flower Mound, TX)
Assignee: Stryker Corporation
H05B47/19G16H40/40H05B47/11H05B47/12H05B47/125H05B47/155H05B47/165
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,745,337
App. No.
18/542,540
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are systems, methods, and programming to control light sources within a medical environment to avoid distracting a user (e.g., surgeon, nurse, medical staff, etc.) and/or inducing alarm fatigue. Some examples include determining that a setting of at least one light source of a medical environment is to be adjusted for use during a medical procedure. A determination may be made that the at least one light source is to be adjusted to a predefined setting associated with the medical procedure. The setting of the at least one light source may be adjusted to the predefined setting. This predefined setting may reduce the likelihood that the emitted light will distract the user while the medical procedure is being performed.

Claims (57)

1 . A computer-implemented method for reducing light pollution in a medical environment, comprising:

determining, by a computing system of the medical environment, that lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted for use during a medical procedure, the lighting in the medical environment comprising light emitted by a medical light for illumination of a subject for observation during the medical procedure;

identifying, by the computing system, a device in the medical environment that is communicatively connected to the computing system, the device including an indicator light source associated with the light pollution, the indicator light source configured to indicate a functionality of the device;

determining that a setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution is to be adjusted to a predefined setting associated with reducing the light pollution during the medical procedure; and

causing the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution to be adjusted to the predefined setting.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

receiving, by the computing system of the medical environment, a selection to use the medical environment for the medical procedure; and

sending, by the computing system, a notification to the device, the notification indicating that the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution is to be adjusted.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

identifying that a setting of the medical light has been adjusted for use during the medical procedure.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

determining, using one or more optical sensors of the medical environment, that an ambient light of the medical environment has been adjusted for use during the medical procedure, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the ambient light.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

receiving, from an image sensor of the medical environment, one or more images depicting the medical environment; and

detecting, using a machine learning model, at least one medical object associated with the medical procedure within the one or more images, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the at least one medical object being detected.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

receiving, from an image sensor of the medical environment, one or more images depicting the medical environment; and

identifying, using one or more machine learning models, an activity of a user within the medical environment based on the one or more images, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the activity of the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

receiving, using one or more image sensors, one or more images depicting the medical environment; and

determining an ambient light level of the medical environment based on the one or more images, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the ambient light level.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

detecting, using one or more audio sensors, a voice command to adjust the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a display screen within the medical environment, and causing the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution to be adjusted comprises:

sending an instruction to the display screen within the medical environment, the instruction indicating that a brightness of the display screen is to be reduced to a predefined brightness level.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

detecting, using one or more optical sensors, the light emitted by the medical light, the emitted light being associated with a light profile; and

determining the light profile of the light, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the light profile.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

detecting, using one or more optical sensors, light emitted by one or more additional light sources within the medical environment; and

determining that a setting of the light emitted by the one or more additional light sources has been adjusted to be the predefined setting.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an instruction to adjust the indicator light source associated with the light pollution to a new setting differing from the predefined setting; and

updating the predefined setting to be the new setting.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

designating an optical sensor within the medical environment for use in detecting an ambient light level of the medical environment; and

determining, using the optical sensor, the ambient light level of the medical environment, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the ambient light level.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an ambient light level of the medical environment subsequent to the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted to the predefined setting; and

causing light emitted by the medical light to be adjusted for use during the medical procedure based on the ambient light level.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an ambient light level of the medical environment subsequent to the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted to the predefined setting;

determining, based on the ambient light level, that the medical procedure has completed; and

causing the setting of the at least one indicator light source associated with the light pollution to be adjusted to a default setting corresponding to completion of the medical procedure.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined setting associated with reducing the light pollution during the medical procedure comprises at least one of: (1) a predefined intensity level of light to be output by the indicator light source associated with the light pollution, wherein the predefined intensity level of the light comprises a percentage of a maximum luminosity of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution, (2) a predefined color of light to be output by the indicator light source associated with the light pollution, and (3) a predefined blink rate of light to be output by the indicator light source associated with the light pollution.

17 . A system comprising one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a method for reducing light pollution in a medical environment comprising:

determining that lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted for use during a medical procedure, the lighting in the medical environment comprising light emitted by a medical light for illumination of a subject for observation during the medical procedure;

identifying a device in the medical environment that is communicatively connected to the system, the device including an indicator light source associated with the light pollution, the indicator light source configured to indicate a functionality of the device;

determining that a setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution is to be adjusted to a predefined setting associated with reducing the light pollution during the medical procedure; and

causing the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution to be adjusted to the predefined setting.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein determining that the lighting in the medical environment is to be adjusted comprises:

determining, using one or more optical sensors, that an ambient light of the medical environment has been adjusted for use during the medical procedure, the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution being adjusted based at least in part on the ambient light.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform a method for reducing light pollution in a medical environment comprising:

determining that lighting of the medical environment is to be adjusted for use during a medical procedure, the lighting in the medical environment comprising light emitted by a medical light for illumination of a subject for observation during the medical procedure;

identifying a device in the medical environment that is communicatively connected to the system, the device including an indicator light source associated with the light pollution, the indicator light source configured to indicate a functionality of the device;

determining that a setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution is to be adjusted to a predefined setting associated with reducing the light pollution during the medical procedure; and

causing the setting of the indicator light source associated with the light pollution to be adjusted to the predefined setting.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 18, 2024
From: STRYKER CORPORATION
To: STRYKER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069737/0184 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63476937 · Dec 22, 2022
Related Publication 20240215135A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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