The labor room of future: Light, Sound and Imagery providing a seamless experience.

Denmark hospital's first delivery room of future.

Philips developed a new and innovative concept to help women stay calm and improve the experience of a major life event. With the collaboration with Philips the simple delivery room is changed into a sensory room, with soothing lights and image formation that provides a stimulating ambience.   

The project was started in Denmark hospital. Katrine Hornum-Stenz, chief midwife at Nordsjællands Hospital says “The use of lighting, sound and imagery in delivery rooms is based on developments over many years. It is intended to help women in labour to experience calm and reassurance during the birth, thereby enhancing the experience of giving birth for both the woman and her family. We also expect the new sensory birthing rooms to help create a more pleasant working environment for staff.”[1]

The experience varies according to the woman’s stage of labor. In the early stages of labor, it consists of an app which help the women practice various breathing techniques. It includes a special audiovisual programme that supports the women breathing. The rhythm of breathing is displayed on to a large audiovisual panel through changing light and sound in the room. The app also helps woman and her family to change the colors in labor room according to her need.

As the women progresses in labor, the visualization grows and changes in response to data obtained from woman’s contraction. The animation is based on contractions monitoring data which is also simultaneously assessed by an obstetrician.

At the start of contraction, the animation on the wall changes to breathing coach to support contraction and also lend a point to focus on during the peak of contraction. For each contraction, a new flower grows up whose size and color is based on the intensity and duration of contraction. The distance between flowers indicate the interval between two successive contractions.

The visual pattern created provides the patient and her family a beautiful and simple idea about progress in labor, at the same time it helps to take her mind off the pain of contractions.

After the baby is born the visual design is also completed. The whole experience can be saved to visualize it later electronically and providing a beautiful experience.  

The Philips video is worth watching and explains it all.

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[1] http://www.largeluminoussurfaces.com/content/dknordsj%C3%A6llands-hospital-and-wavecare-aps