Thorn Enlarge Image
Menlosoft SR Dual Colour

News

Dual Colour office lighting may influence our biological clocks


03 August 2007

 
Field studies are examining the hypothesis that cooler, blue light can affect our biological clocks and hence our feeling of mood and alertness. Now Thorn, with its MenloSoftSR Dual Colour luminaire, offers customers the ability to trial this technology by providing ultra cool fluorescent lighting for the workplace. By employing three T16 lamps of mixed colour appearance within a suspended optic (only 82mm below the ceiling), the luminaire delivers a perfect balance of upward and downward light to walls, ceilings and task areas. The outer two lamps are 17000K, providing ultra cool white light in the upper hemisphere of vision, whilst a central, 4000K, lamp provides normal colour in the task area, giving faces that familiar warm flesh tone appearance.

Easy to use controls allow this balance of ultra cool and warmer light to be adjusted automatically or manually throughout the day. Used with a wall mounted scene plate three preset scenes can be stored and recalled, while the light intensity (level) and balance (direct/indirect) can also be adjusted.

In this way, MenloSoft SR Dual Colour creates a stimulating visual working environment.  It brings the outside inside by mimicking daylight patterns over time. It caters for personal preferences as the user can adjust the light to their mood. Above all it create atmospheres with warm and cool spaces.

There is a choice of models: 600 x 600mm with 3 x 24W T16 lamps or 300 x 1200mm with 3 x 54W T16 lamps. The optic has a low glare louvre, flanked by micro-perforated wings, which enables areas with display screens to be lit without the need for any additional luminaires.

Thorn continues to monitor research into the long-term effects of blue light on people in workplaces, including its own in-house studies. These will yield valuable and reliable assurance on the appropriateness of blue light in the workplace and are expected during the middle of 2008.