AU2002334239A1 - A method and a system for transforming a common room into a healing environment - Google Patents

Description

A METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR TRANSFORMING A COMMON ROOM INTO A HEALING ENVIRONMENT

The aim of this invention is to change a plain, neutral or uninteresting room (where there are people affected by this negative environment) and, by using temporary means, to transform it into a positive, healing environment. Images can be formed in the room as following:

- Pictures which are specially formed (see explanation below) are placed on transparent, translucent or mirror-like surfaces in the room, so that the user can see them often. The dynamic element of these structures is their texture (transparent), as well as the way one color, or material, interacts with its neighboring one.

- Surfaces not suitable to host pictures can be changed by putting hidden colored light sources, and video or slide projectors, so that soft color light projections can be produced. These projections can accompany and compliment the pictures to create an aesthetic overall image in the room.

This invention isn't an improvement on a previous method, because it is addressed to a human need that only recently has been developed in high-tech, impersonal, environments (it has not yet been well understood by the majority). More and more researchers have proven that modern high-tech rooms as well as some modern artifacts (placed in these rooms for decoration) can create negative feelings to a patient and slow down the process of his or her recovery. There is already a tendency to plan new medical purpose-built facilities which look less threatening to a patient than the conventional ones. But how is it possible for the existing facilities to improve? How can patients (staying in a neutral, non-personal room during their recovery) be helped to feel more relaxed and cheerful? This invention is specifically addressed to each person that is hospitalized in such a depressing room; also to each hospital manager who cares to find a low-cost way to humanize existing hospital spaces until he or she can find the required capital to enable building a new, more human and less threatening, construction. This invention is also addressed to any person that feels trapped in the modern buildings of our civilization, any person that loves nature, but cannot bring it into the environment that he or she lives in (due to a variety of reasons).

The advantage of an image done in the way proposed by this method instead of using any other similar method is that it uses mainly rainbow transparent colors. It is common knowledge that a rainbow always gives pleasure to the eye of viewers and urges them to get well. From a psychological point of view, opaque colors represent all the unhealthy, unnecessary and unpleasant things which, the viewer wants to get rid of, while transparent rainbow colors and clear white sunlight represent the desirable progress from sickness to absolute health. In a circular rainbow, surrounded by various opaque colors (see fig.1), the three outer rings of its seven colors (that is, the red, orange and yellow ring) are considered warm colors (which, psychologically, indicate the fight of a sick body against disease). The three inner rings with the cool colors (cyan, blue, violet) are the opposite of the warm colors. Being cool they prepare, psychologically, a patient to enjoy the peace that health brings after any victory over disease. Finally, for the poor patient who feels surrounded by threatening diseases (represented by the dark opaque area around the circular rainbow), this central bright and clear white area becomes an unexpectant, ideal escape towards a direction full of light, where dark disease doesn't dare to go! The middle green ring stands on its own, because it doesn't belong to either group of colors. Green is made by mixing a warm color (yellow) and a cool one (blue), so in a way it represents the gate through which someone can enter from the warm colors into the cool ones. It's interesting that, from a psychological point of view, we tend to consider green as a cool color and not as a warm one.

So, we could say that the "peaceful" ring of cool colors is wider and richer in colors than the ring of warm ones. This gives a positive boost to a patient struggling for health.

These positive feelings can be reinforced by reading or listening to special stories accompanying the images and explaining what means for the spirit of the patient to be able to pass from one chromatic zone to the next. Also the rapid, and in-front of the viewer's eyes magic change of his/her immediate environment from negative to positive conveys the message that the sick body can be transformed into a healthy one as easily as it is done to the room! It's said that the environment is another layer of our own skin.

A necessary part of integrating these pictures is light which by interacting with their colors gives them life. Light can be natural or artificial. The best arrangement is when it comes from the opposite direction of the one that the viewer sees the picture, but it can come from any other direction (for example, there are special arrangements where the light comes from a hidden light source on the thin side of the glass, goes through the material and lights up only the inscriptions engraved in the glass, while the rest of the glass remains dark). Whatever other means that can reinforce the liveliness of the overall image is also welcomed and strongly recommended. The aim is for the viewer to have the impression that he or she is in the picture, like in virtual reality scenes (computer techniques are included). For example:

A. An image about country-side scenery can be accompanied by:

1. sound tracked bird's singing, blowing wind, running water, etc.

2. real water running on a natural or artificial rock or on a glass surface. The water is collected and recycled through a small hidden pump. Also, local fog can be produced on a tiny water surface by means of a special ultrasound device.

3. breeze produced by hidden ionizers or fans which can distribute, in addition to fresh air, different odors relevant to the theme, such as wildflowers, cut grass, etc.

4. theatrical scenery techniques imitating natural scenes. (Let's assume that a patient desires to see open fire in a rural fireplace, but it is not permitted to light a real fire in the room.

A device with light, wind and thin, silky material can be used to give the impression of a flickering flame.)

B. An image about a dream-like trip of a child-patient through the rainbow can be accompanied by:

1. machine-produced fog changing colors through the use of hidden lamps; 2. sound tracked noises of a trip in the universe or relevant stories presented in a form of radio theater.

3. flower bouquets in rainbow colors and their smells.

4. round lollipops having layers of colored caramel in the colors of the rainbow. As the child licks each layer, the next is revealed (the color of the room changes accordingly at the same time).

5. video games or virtual reality glasses with suitable programs (directed to create feelings of peace and security instead of anxiety).

Of course, in the process of creating all these images there is a general rule stating that means dangerous to health cannot be used, even if it makes the image more lively!

As mentioned previously, the theme of each image might vary widely, but the way of construction is always the same. There is a succession of 7 colors, exactly like the one that exists in the rainbow. The transparent colors cover the vast majority of the image, while there can be some dark, black or opaque colors in some small areas. Sometimes in some pictures there can be just one, or only a few colors, and not the whole range of them, because this specific picture is a part of a series which altogether presents the total succession of the rainbow colors. However, in all images the way of presentation will be identical, that is (starting from the lower or most insignificant part of the picture and moving up towards the center of the theme) the successive colors will be: black ( or any other dark or opaque color), then transparent red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, royal blue, violet and white (totally transparent). Also, it is better for the chosen subject of the image to be something relating to nature. It has been proven that nature is extremely helpful in creating a positive healing environment.

The way of creating these pictures is basically the same, differentiated only by the creator's decision to construct it in one piece, or several pieces joined together. The material used for making these pictures allows this choice, but it requires:

1. To predetermine the sizes of the picture's parts.

2. to decide whether empty glass spaces are to be left in the pattern or not.

3. to calculate the thickness of the material of the various parts, and whether it can be removable or not.

4. to plan to put first the extra materials needed to give more

"body" to the picture.

If the picture is portable and it has no borders between neighboring colors (this technique better represents the appearance of the actual rainbow with its uninterrupted colors) it has to be transferred altogether as a whole. It's more realistic to see a continuity of succession from one color to the next without obstacles or gaps. If there is a need for a cut, another place can be found in the picture, where neighboring colors aren't intermingling. This will depend on the specific picture and its concept, but there is always a solution (to cut the parts in a way so that the aesthetics of the overall design isn't damaged).

The special 3-D paints (used to make these pictures) have the following characteristics:

- Initially they are in a liquid form, so they have to be applied on a horizontal, smooth, shiny surface. It's useful for this surface to be transparent because this facilitates the creator to copy the pattern which is placed underneath. When the paint is in liquid form it is opaque, so it is not easy to discern the pattern laid underneath. The maker has to organize his or her own job in such a way that each pattern will remain visible throughout the whole process of a picture's construction.

The freshly made picture needs to stay on a horizontal position undisturbed for several hours, while drying.

- When it solidifies it makes a transparent, flexible, waterproof foil which has different thicknesses at different points, giving the impression of old-fashioned uneven glass. This foil can be removed from its base to be attached to any smooth surface - even a vertical one - without needing to use glue. The self-adhesive composition of the paint allows it to be removed from a surface and be put on an other, as often as needed without it losing its adhesive quality. It can, also, be applied to uneven surfaces because it is elastic and can change its shape slightly by pulling on it.

- If there is a part of the finished composition that needs to be altered for some reason, it can be done very easily. The undesired part is cut away with an x-acto knife, and fresh paint can be applied to fill in the gap (after the whole part of the picture to be repaired is again in horizontal position). The new material blends with the old one. Only the edge of the cut might show, due to a difference in thickness, but even this can be mended by applying another layer. So actually, a picture that is done for a specific patient is never wasted! It can be used many times because it can be altered to fit the specific needs of another client. Archives of basic pictures can be developed accompanied by an index from which the client can choose a specific image which can then be modified according to the need. - Also, if a picture is made in parts, a change in the arrangement of the parts can result in a new picture altogether.

The colors of the picture, always, remain surprisingly bright and lively because they can be washed as often as needed. When someone cleans the glass, they are on, they are cleaned also (the pictures and the surface which they are applied on, behave like one solid thing, when they are washed with water). The material they are made of does not lose its elasticity and its color does not fade as some other stain glass imitations do (when time passes).

It won't make any difference if the picture is large or small. The way of construction can handle both, either large enough to cover a whole glass wall, or small enough to decorate a transparent page of a book or tiny glass artifacts. For example fig. (2a), (2b), (2c) shows how a common workshop (2a) can be transformed instantly into an image of underwater environment (2b) or a travel within a rainbow (2c). On the contrary fig.

(3b) is a small picture (fits the pages of a book). Specifically the image of fig. (3a) and (3b) is a double back and front cover of a book. The first layer (3b) is a transparent plastic sheet painted with transparent rainbow colors and the second (3 a) is its regular paper cover. This extra layer (3b) with its colored reflections gives more life to the whole appearance of the book. Letters opaque or transparent (in opposing colors to the ones of the surrounding area) can be added on the transparent cover according to the need. Also the trasparent sheet could be a page or a part of a page inside the book and not just its cover. In such a case the appearnce of the picture will be somehow like the one of fig. (1) or (4b) (only in relation to the technique used to distinguish between an opaque area of a page and a.trasnparent one).

Of course, if we apply this invention on transparent plastic pages we cannot use the 3-D paints that we use for making the large pictures, because they are sticky, when enclosed in pages of a book. There are two solutions to this problem: either we paint the picture with the 3-D paints on a plastic sheet and we cover it with another transparent plastic sheet (like the one in fig.l) or we paint with conventional transparent paints (like the one in fig. (3b) able to be reproduced by machines).

It is very important the ability that the 3-D paints aquire to have a thickness changeable from place to place in the picture. As a result the viewer gets a more appealing view than the one he or she gets by looking at a picture painted with other stained glass imitation paints (which usually form only a thin, even layer, and can't give any extra "body" to the glass). If the picture needs to be even more three-dimensional than the one succeeded with the paint material, little pieces of glass or other light, transparent, material can be used to form a part of the picture. They are kept in their right place by the adhesiveness of the paint. This saves money because they fill the place that was meant to be filled by the more expensive paint material. Sometimes the picture can be formed using only little pieces of glass and transparent glue which will glue them on the glass base without using any paint. Especially valuable for such a use are broken securit glasses (like those used for car windows). These pieces, although small and independent from one another, stay together as their borders fit perfectly with each other. So, although they are separate, they can be handled as a whole. They form an uneven glass sheet which is very interesting aesthetically and is also more flexible than an unbroken glass surface. As you can see in fig. (4a), (4b), a simple, clear, cylindrical vase can be transformed into an artifact by adding some fragments of broken green tinted windshield (made of securit glass). In fig. (4a) the pieces of green glass are glued with transparent glue without using any paint, while in fig. (4b) there is, also, transparent paint gluing together the little pieces of broken glass.

Another advantage of a picture made with the proposed special paints, as opposed to the conventional stained glass method is that these paints do not need the metallic strips that are necessary to hold the different pieces of glass together. The creator can put them in, or omit them, according to his/her wanting to give a stained glass impression or not; to form definite borders between neighboring colors or leave them to intermingle freely; to combine them with other light, transparent or opaque, small items or leave them plain. The final product will be like a real rainbow which is a play of colored light, sometimes mixed with clouds or other objects. It's an advantage that these pictures do not necessarily need to have an opaque strip of metallic joint that always exists in a stained glass work. This gives freedom to the creator to more accurately imitate the succession of rainbow colors than he/she could do, in case of working with the traditional stained glass technique. Pictures made with the proposed method look more realistic because the actual rainbow colors are the reflections of colored light intermingling freely at their borders and taking the shape of every object, they are projected on..

Note explaining further the paragraph starting from line 20 of pg. 2 and finishing at line 14 of pg. 3. "In reality a rainbow contains thousands of different combinations and shades of the three primary colors; but the way that people perceive these colors is different (influenced by their culture mainly). The traditional way is to recognize seven distinct hues in the rainbow (the ones mentioned above). Nowadays people tend to recognize only six distinct hues (3 primary colors and 3 secondary ones). This paper goes along with the traditional way of dividing the rainbow into seven hues ... because of a very important reason! A six - hued rainbow contains two equal zones of warm and cool colors, (representing sickness and health) each having exactly the same width! Because the war -like colors of the first zone are warm and vivid, usually they make a stronger impression than the peaceful ones of the second zone. So the mind tends to incline to the war-area of sickness than the peace-area of health! On the contrary a seven - hued rainbow has its middle on the green color... It' s interesting that - although green is made of one warm and one cool color and must be neutral - it is allied with the cool colors, because of its blue ingredient... Blue is the only cool color of the three primary and it' s such a strong color that defeats the other primary color, the warm yellow! Consequently in the seven-hued rainbow the "peace and health" zone has 4 colors and the "war and sickness" zone only 3 ! This makes the 7-hued rainbow to move towards health dynamically. The viewer sees a small war-area and a bigger peace-area and this is promising and encouraging".

Claims (5)

1. A method and a system for transforming a given room without making permanent changes. This consists of: a) pictures colored in the seven rainbow colors plus the two extreme colors produced by excess, or absence of light, that is: transparent white (totally see through) and black or any other opaque color (totally blocking the light). These pictures are made of special materials and can be put on any transparent, translucent, or mirror-like surface of any size. The surface serving as a base for the picture can vary from large window glasses or mirrors to A4 size, transparent plastic pages of printed material (books, periodicals, etc.) or other small items. The surface on which the picture will be placed is not necessarily flat. It can also be curved, provided that the curve does not exceed the flexibility limit that the material of the picture has.

The materials mentioned above (to make the pictures) are:

- beads, small light items, and glass fragments (especially the ones coming from broken securit glass used for car windshields). These fragments look like independent, small crystals, but at the same time all together look like a mosaic. Their borders fit exactly to the border of the next crystal, so there is a certain cohesion that enables them to be utilized either in groups of various sizes, or one by one. These groups of crystals aren't anymore a rigid, flat, surface as they were originally before being broken, but form a flexible sheet of glass which can follow the curves of a non-flat base of the picture. - liquid paints, able to solidify. These paints are new in the market. They are three- dimensional, transparent paints (made to imitate traditional stained glass constructions). When they are first applied they need to be on a flat, smooth and shiny horizontal base, but after solidifying they can be removed from their original location and be transferred to any other smooth surface (even a vertical one).

b) colored light (video or slide) projections, sounds, voices or other sense stimulants relevant to the subject of the overall image created in the room with the above mentioned pictures (point (a) of this claim) and other means of temporal change. All these means will focus on creating the illusion that the viewer is in the actual scene (as occurs in virtual reality).

2. The construction of the images and pictures (described in claim 1) of the transferable and the non-transferable ones.

3. The use of this method and system (described in claim 1) specifically in places where sick people stay (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.). The aim is to change a neutral, and indifferent, room into a personal, cheerful room that lifts up the patients' spirit and helps them to recover sooner (than if they are left in a dull, impersonal, place).

The ease that these images can be changed makes them an excellent environmentally healing tool because it is adapted to the special needs of each patient (who remains only temporarily in a nursing room). After the first patient's departure, the room can be rearranged easily for the needs of the next patient, or be left as it was originally, before the creation of the image.

4.The use of the method and the system of claim (1), in general, in rooms whose quality isn't satisfactory and is necessary to be changed temporarily (without any permanent elements obstructing the space coming back into its previous condition).

5. Method and system for transforming a room as is mentioned in the claim (1) where, alternatively, the images are produced on any surface (smooth or rough) by projection (video, slides, virtual reality techniques, etc.).