Light and Human Biology: BIOS SkyBlue’s Blue Light Tuning

BIOS SkyBlue can tune light wavelengths to communicate directly with human biology in order to regulate circadian rhythms.

Just a few years ago, LED manufacturers were simply trying to perfect the static warm light of incandescent lamps. Now, the next frontier in LEDs involves lamps where the color spectrum of light is automatically changed throughout the day to mimic natural changes in sunlight. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but circadian or human-centric lighting is deeply rooted in science.

Circadian lighting even has a proven track record of boosting office productivity and employee mood! One University of London study found that after switching to circadian lighting, employees were 20% more productive overall, 10% more focused and even 38% calmer.

Not all circadian lighting solutions are the same. Some lighting solutions called intensity tuning, claim to simulate natural daylight using a fixed color temperature while the intensity of the fixture is adjusted through a controlled dimming system. Alternatively, color tuning tackles the spectral output or color temperature, not the intensity (brightness) of light. Lastly, stimulus tuning works by emitting bright bluish light of a specific wavelength during the day and then reducing the blue light wavelengths during the evening/nighttime. Many of the circadian lighting systems today combine these technologies.

There is still much debate about the ideal circadian light spectrum. Today, many manufacturers are experimenting with products that offer circadian stimulus, which can be automatically synced with the time of day, or tuned to your preference. One company claims it has found the ideal light wavelength that communicates directly with human biology to promote wellness. Meet Biological Innovations and Optimization Systems (BIOS).

Communicating directly with the human body to regulate the circadian rhythm, BIOS created a product line called SkyBlue that emits specific wavelengths of light to enhance alertness during the day and promote better sleep at nighttime.

BIOS’ SkyBlue is based on earlier work at NASA where BIOS’ Vice President Robert Soler developed technology to provide the International Space Station’s astronauts with the natural light that they lacked during space exploration. Now, BIOS uses this technology in the commercial space.

To understand how light wavelengths can be tuned for health, it’s helpful to understand how light works on the human eye. The human eye is sensitive to three basic light colors: red, green and blue with wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. On one end of the spectrum is blue light, made of short wavelengths with a lot of energy. Sunlight is the main source of this light, but blue light can also come from artificial light sources and electronic devices. Blue light below 460 nanometers, a very small wavelength, is considered “bad blue” light. Such levels of blue light can put strain on the eyes, cause eventual retinal damage, and directly block the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Poor sleep is linked to health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even some kinds of cancer.

However, some blue light exposure, especially from sunlight, is essential for good health. Research has shown that high-energy visible light can boost alertness, helps with memory and cognitive function and can elevate mood.

BIOS SkyBlue attempts to simulate the “good blue” light at a wavelength typically found in daylight in order to help regulate circadian rhythm and negate “bad blue” light. This is done by creating light at the precise wavelength of 490nm through a non-visual photoreceptor.

Studies report that 490nm is the wavelength nearest to the center of circadian sensitivity in humans, meaning it may positively enhance wellbeing during the day. By using this specific light wavelength, SkyBlue aims to communicate directly with human body, providing healthier sleep patterns and ultimately, better health.

To the outside user, SkyBlue is almost imperceptible even when active. As SkyBlue’s color temperature can stay the same throughout the day, there is no visual shift in color. It works with traditional white light LEDs, so a lamp using SkyBlue technology looks very similar in color temperature to a regular LED light. Several lighting manufacturers have partnered with BIOS to include the technology in their luminaires, including Intense, Pinnacle, Axis and Prudential.

BIOS believes its special sauce is in the manipulation of blue light. BIOS says that current LED technology doesn’t supply enough of the “good blue” light and emits too much of the “bad blue” light.

Circadian lighting has been all the rage in the smart systems universe, but as it continues to evolve it can be confusing to try to wade through solutions that would work best for your built environment. Lighting Environments, with its trained design and lighting solutions professionals, can help find solutions that work best for you!