Patent for Multi-Channel LED Lighting

Typical indoor lights can disrupt our body’s internal clock and contribute to fatigue, depression, and sleep disorders. While researchers have spent decades fine-tuning the light spectrum of electric lighting to promote well-being, the results have been ineffective or visually unappealing. The University of Michigan recently received a U.S. patent for a multi-channel LED light fixture conceived by Kwoon Y. Wong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, that won’t interfere with our natural body clock. The retina contains special nerve cells that drive subconscious responses to light, particularly body clock activities such as sleep timing and alertness. The new light fixture targets those specific cells rather than other retinal cells that we use to see objects. The result is that to our perception, the light appears constant while enabling the body’s natural clock to work with less interference. Professor Pei-Cheng Ku, Ph.D., of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, performed mathematical simulations with Wong’s team, including Ph.D. student Garen Vartanian and engineer Scott Almburg, to ensure there was no distortion of color perception. While prototypes cost upwards of $300, commercial production could drive the cost below $30.