Improve throughput rates with research-verified luminous sky ceilings

Research-Verified Virtual Skylights

The illumination in radiology environments affects the emotional balance of patients as they prepare for their diagnostic or therapeutic session. While natural daylight provides the most reassuring visual connection, in metropolitan hospitals where inward-facing planning is an unavoidable part of building design, a wide array of ambient, task, and accent artificial lighting is required.

These three lighting functions are limited to illuminating the interior envelope.

Unlike natural daylight, which conveys environmental depth by virtue of its natural medium—the sky—only a content-based architectural luminaire, can restore light's organic connection to open space by channeling its healing spatial attributes.

Multisensory Illusions of Sky Calm Patients

Representational nature photography is the most common application in radiology lighting design, which relies on backlit panels that feature an assortment of outdoor scenes. Commercial images are captured with a variety of applications in mind, ranging from printed literature to marketing banners and POS displays.

Unfortunately, multi-purpose nature art imagery is not captured with the compositional cues necessary to establish environmental context.

Sky Factory's approach to radiology lighting is unique. Rather than employ symbolic nature images, many of which distort the field of view with a wide angle shots or other photographic effects, our team of artists capture and frame our photographic compositions with the single purpose of creating a simulation of open sky.

The Restorative Benefits of Virtual Skylights

Unlike representational photography, Sky Factory's photographic compositions are part of a wider design framework called Open Skies Image Technology. This method employs proprietary nature imagery as the first element in creating genuine architectural illusions. Calibrated printing techniques working in tandem with modulated light intensity and color temperature yield distinct visual planes.

The result is an impressive luminescence that allows modular compositions to achieve a three-dimensional effect on a two-dimensional plane. When we combine the image panels with architectural reveals, we enhance visual perspective and lend the sky composition a measure of illusory depth. This design cue further contributes to the perceptual notion that the view forms part of a natural exterior, rather than affixed to the ceiling.

This creates an illusory effect that triggers a deeper "Relaxation Response" in radiology patients that enlivens our innate Biophilia—our our hard-wired love of nature. Through this automatic psycho-physiological reaction, patients vividly reconnect with humankind's most universal experience: a visual connection to open sky.

The Most Therapeutic Modular Ceiling System

Sky Factory's illusions of nature are a unique, fourth type of radiology lighting that not only provide a therapeutic portal to open skies, but also use one of our two RF-free LED lighting systems (edge-lit or backlit) with daylight-balanced light that supports circadian function.

Immediate Benefits for Clinical Environments

Sky Factory's evidence-based radiology lighting:

• Promotes patient relaxation and emotional balance
• Enhances clinical health outcomes (reduces acute stress and anxiety)**
• Reduces claustrophobia and disorientation in enclosed interiors
• Generates higher patient satisfaction scores
• Aids staff wellness and productivity

**Sky Factory's healthcare lighting is the only product of its kind with published, peer-reviewed studies highlighting the positive clinical outcomes of its products on patients.

Experience Sky Factory First-Hand

You can experience our content-based radiology lighting systems by requesting a visit from our mobile gallery showroom, the SkyMobile. See our schedule.

Sky Factory also showcases its suite of products at the leading diagnostic and therapeutic radiology (ASTRO, RSNA, ECR), healthcare (HCD, HFSE, Planetree), and specialized trade shows (BOMA Medical) in the U.S. and around the world.

Please check our eNews archive regularly for the most recent trade show schedule.

Custom-Tailored to your Workspace

Our family of Luminous SkyCeilings and Luminous Virtual Windows, in addition to our Digital Cinema line are designed to enhance the patient experience in every area of a hospital, clinic, or care-giving facility.

You can enhance occupant wellness in:

• Diagnostic radiology — MRI, CT, PET/CT and other imaging environments
• Therapeutic radiology — Linac, Tomotherapy, and CyberKnife
• Patient environments — individual rooms, treatment spaces, and ER bays
• Public areas — receptions, waiting rooms, and cafeterias
• Transitions spaces — mezzanines, hallways, and elevator corridors
• Work & healing spaces — Conference rooms, wellness and therapeutic areas

While the most immediate benefits are seen in patient care, our content-based LED lighting systems are also highly effective in:

• Senior living and eldercare facilities
• Treatment centers
• Counseling services
• Controlled clinical spaces
• Hospitality and resort facilities
• SPAs, cosmetic and personal services
• Health clubs and fitness centers

Inquire, Get a Free Quote

Our experienced Sky Designers look forward to work with you and give your healthcare facility an evidence-based advantage that translates to higher HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores.

With the rise of P4P (Pay-for-Performance) systems where the quality of patient care has a direct bearing on healthcare reimbursements, our radiology LED lighting systems contribute to enhance the patient experience. More relaxed and comfortable patients result in higher customer loyalty and reimbursements.

Excel in Environmental Design

Sky Factory's research-verified virtual skylights—illusory views to nature that alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and mitigate pain medication usage—are the only radiology lighting LED systems to have earned a Design & Health International Academy Award for the research behind their unique effect on spatial cognition (depth perception).

Because of our installations' superior realism and exquisite composition, as well as their unmatched luminescence and quality craftsmanship, Sky Factory Luminous SkyCeilings and Luminous Virtual Windows transform the look and feel of isolated diagnostic and therapeutic radiology treatment suites with restorative illusions of sky.

In Their Own Words, Customer Quotes

Our Luminous SkyCeiling helps provide a very calming atmosphere in our Preoperative Area. It is very much like having a real skylight in the room. -CH, RN

It's amazing what you see in those images, it really takes your mind off the procedure. -MF, Cancer Patient

The Sky Factory SkyCeilings help patients relax. When patients are relaxed, they experience less pain and recover faster. Therefore they leave the facility sooner, which decreases our personnel cost as well as the cost of supplies that we use to keep them comfortable -NJ, Surgical Services Manager

Patients immediately respond to the Luminous SkyCeiling. It gives us something to converse about, and it helps the patients feel relaxed. It has changed the whole ambiance of the room. -CH, RN

Our patients respond positively to the Sky Factory SkyCeiling. They love its light and the image of a sunny day, especially when it is stormy and dreary outside. The view is soothing and takes their mind off the exam, reduces stress, and sets them at ease. When patients are less stressed, they have a more positive experience. -EZ, CT Supervisor