ICFF Impressions: LED Technologies Spark Innovation in Lighting Design
The annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center in New York is an event to showcase cutting edge design trends and innovations in product design. The overwhelming early response to this year's fair is that it was in fact underwhelming.
Grace Bonney of the popular blog Design Sponge exclaimed, "ICFF is for pushing yourself further," as she expressed her discontent with the lack of anything that made her feel "excited, hopeful, or curious" after attending. Leading experts are openly critical of the lackluster product roll-outs at this year's fair.
However, upon closer look I discovered innovation in lighting design was abundant. The current upswing in lighting design innovation is predicated upon recent technological advancements in LED lighting technologies.
Warmer-burning LED light sources with soft diffusing shades have paved the way for designers to re-think the form and function of task and accent lighting design. The razor-thin light source has inspired innovations in articulation, allowing for a previously unmatched range of motion for task lighting. The liberation of the incandescent bulb from the lamp has resulted in lighter, thinner, and more agile lighting designs.
Stand outs from this year's ICFF included Wastberg, who was recognized for this year's Editor's Award for Best Lighting. The Swedish lighting company is taking innovation beyond just the light source with the w101 Lamp, designed be Claesson Koivisto Rune. The biodegradable lamp is built from laminated sheets of DuraPulp, a mix of paper pulp and starch polymer. Along with the energy efficient LED light source, the arced shade focuses the light on the work surface without wasted illumination. "We dare anyone to manufacture a more ecological electric lamp," Wasterberg exclaims about their Red Dot Design Award winning design.
California lighting designers Peter Stathis and Cerno also unveiled new designs at this year's fair. Trapeze, designed by Peter Stathis for JOBY takes minimal task lighting right to the edge with this counter-balanced articulating desk lamp. Cerno introduced their larger than life floor lamp version of their Silva Lamp.
A perennial favorite for the best lighting award, Peter Stathis has formed a collective with JOBY, a reputable consumer products design firm to develop a new line of LED lighting. The lighting collection features LED technology with unique flat panel design and optical light diffusion that achieves a new level of energy efficiency with generous warm light. When Pixar created the animated desk lamp Luxo Jr. they probably would have chosen Trapeze for their animated short had it existed. The soft-glow of the ultra-thin disc shaped light source of Trapeze makes all previous articulating desk lamps obsolete with dramatically improved fluidity and range of motion.
The ICFF also features design exhibitions around the city where independent designers present their newest design concepts to the press and industry insiders. The trend toward innovative LED lighting solutions is not only happening in corporate design firms as many forward thinking designers are embracing this technology. Marianne van Ooij unveiled Flatlamps as a part of Break-down: Design in Your Hands, a design exhibition presented by StyleFactory, Design Milk, and Bobby Berk Home. A flat wooden frame creates the classic silhouette of a lamp while the space normally reserved for the bulb and shade is left vacant. Two hidden LED light sources provide cascading light down the frame.
Though live-edge wood tables with colorful metal bases may be old news at ICFF, the future is bright for LED lighting and the designers who are currently redefining the lighting category.
2011年5月25日 星期三
Green garage up for recognition
Green project has bright future
Emma Smith, a fifth grader living in Alexandria, Virginia asked her mom if they could buy a recycling bin for their apartment. Her mother didn’t want to because the bin was large and their home is small. Smith didn’t stop there. “I went down to the front desk of our apartment building and asked them and now we have a recycling bin in our building’s mailroom for the entire building to use!”
What inspired such a young girl to recycle? It was an educational tour she took of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project - the new Department of Defense administrative office complex - that’s being constructed on Fort Belvoir at the Mark Center. The project’s many energy savings features are expected to save 30 percent of the energy of a traditional office building and save taxpayers millions.
The project team invited one hundred 4th and 5th graders from John Adams Elementary School, to take part in their Go Green Education Program. The project’s team includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Duke Realty Corporation and Clark Construction.
Joe Gabel, who works for Clark Construction, developers of the Go Green Education Program, said, “The goal of this program is to extend our sustainable impact into the community in which we live and work. This complex is an excellent example of a green building and we wanted to show it to these children.”
“This project is a success story,” said Sean Wachutka, program manager, BRAC 133 Project, New York District. “This is going to be the first project of this size the Corps of Engineers has done that has stayed on schedule to becoming Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certified.”
The project implements Recommendation #133, one of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission Recommendations, and when completed will become part of Fort Belvoir. This design-build complex is a 1.7 million square foot facility that sits on a 16-acre campus. When completed, it will include two multi-story towers - 15 stories and 17 stories, two parking garages, a visitor center, remote inspection facility and a public transportation center. This fall, 6,400 personnel from multiple DoD agencies will start moving into the new complex. Currently, they occupy leased space throughout the National Capital Region.
Go Green Education Program
Wearing hard hats and other safety gear, the students were taken to four hands-on educational demonstrations named Team Energy Efficiency, Team Water Use Reduction, Team Recycling and Team Erosion Control.
Team Energy Efficiency
The goal of this station was to show the students simple concepts of energy efficiency used on this construction site. The station was divided into three sections, each presenting a different energy efficient concept— Controllability, Light-emitting diode (LED) Lighting and Energy Recovery. The students were escorted into a room where their movement triggered a motion sensor which turned on lights and a utility fan. After showing the students the motion sensor and wiring, they were escorted out and encouraged to count down aloud from 30 seconds until the motion sensor automatically turned off the lights and fan.
Next, the students were escorted into a room where incandescent lighting and LED lighting were displayed and they were shown the advantages and disadvantages of using both lighting sources. The new complex will have LED and fluorescent lighting which costs a bit more to purchase upfront, but will reap tremendous savings down the road because this lighting requires less electricity to run and LED and fluorescent light bulbs last more years then typical bulbs - up to eight years! Natural lighting is also going to be used to the fullest. The complex is being constructed with large windows that will allow a lot of outside light into the buildings.
Team Water Use Reduction
The goal of this station was to show the students some of the steps the project team took to reduce water on the project. They were taken through the following two activities. The students took part in an activity called – “Go with the Flow,” which consisted of a station that had a faucet mock-up with a bathtub head, shower head, and energy efficient shower head. The students were asked if they thought it was more energy efficient to take a shower or a bath. The students took turns running each faucet for 10 seconds and compared the amount of water used by each. It was concluded that two factors influence whether to shower or bathe: flow rate and duration. If you typically shower for over eight minutes, you would save water if you switched to a low-flow shower head or opt for a bath instead.
The students also took part in an activity called – “The Running Toilet,” which showed them how they can save water by using a low flush toilet versus a standard one. The students did a foot race where they carried a full jug of water, representing a standard toilet, to a half-way point and swapped it for a half full jug, representing a low flush toilet, to the finish line. The idea was to have them feel the significant weight difference and how this relates to reduction in water use.
“The new complex will be using low flush toilets in all restrooms and faucets which will yield enough water savings in one day to fill a standard swimming pool,” said Gabel.
Water will also be saved outside of the complex. The landscaping will consist of drought tolerant native plants that will not need any supplemental irrigation other than natural rain water. In total, the entire complex will use almost 50% less water than a traditional building of the same size - a savings of 4.5 million gallons of drinking water annually.
Emma Smith, a fifth grader living in Alexandria, Virginia asked her mom if they could buy a recycling bin for their apartment. Her mother didn’t want to because the bin was large and their home is small. Smith didn’t stop there. “I went down to the front desk of our apartment building and asked them and now we have a recycling bin in our building’s mailroom for the entire building to use!”
What inspired such a young girl to recycle? It was an educational tour she took of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project - the new Department of Defense administrative office complex - that’s being constructed on Fort Belvoir at the Mark Center. The project’s many energy savings features are expected to save 30 percent of the energy of a traditional office building and save taxpayers millions.
The project team invited one hundred 4th and 5th graders from John Adams Elementary School, to take part in their Go Green Education Program. The project’s team includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Duke Realty Corporation and Clark Construction.
Joe Gabel, who works for Clark Construction, developers of the Go Green Education Program, said, “The goal of this program is to extend our sustainable impact into the community in which we live and work. This complex is an excellent example of a green building and we wanted to show it to these children.”
“This project is a success story,” said Sean Wachutka, program manager, BRAC 133 Project, New York District. “This is going to be the first project of this size the Corps of Engineers has done that has stayed on schedule to becoming Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certified.”
The project implements Recommendation #133, one of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission Recommendations, and when completed will become part of Fort Belvoir. This design-build complex is a 1.7 million square foot facility that sits on a 16-acre campus. When completed, it will include two multi-story towers - 15 stories and 17 stories, two parking garages, a visitor center, remote inspection facility and a public transportation center. This fall, 6,400 personnel from multiple DoD agencies will start moving into the new complex. Currently, they occupy leased space throughout the National Capital Region.
Go Green Education Program
Wearing hard hats and other safety gear, the students were taken to four hands-on educational demonstrations named Team Energy Efficiency, Team Water Use Reduction, Team Recycling and Team Erosion Control.
Team Energy Efficiency
The goal of this station was to show the students simple concepts of energy efficiency used on this construction site. The station was divided into three sections, each presenting a different energy efficient concept— Controllability, Light-emitting diode (LED) Lighting and Energy Recovery. The students were escorted into a room where their movement triggered a motion sensor which turned on lights and a utility fan. After showing the students the motion sensor and wiring, they were escorted out and encouraged to count down aloud from 30 seconds until the motion sensor automatically turned off the lights and fan.
Next, the students were escorted into a room where incandescent lighting and LED lighting were displayed and they were shown the advantages and disadvantages of using both lighting sources. The new complex will have LED and fluorescent lighting which costs a bit more to purchase upfront, but will reap tremendous savings down the road because this lighting requires less electricity to run and LED and fluorescent light bulbs last more years then typical bulbs - up to eight years! Natural lighting is also going to be used to the fullest. The complex is being constructed with large windows that will allow a lot of outside light into the buildings.
Team Water Use Reduction
The goal of this station was to show the students some of the steps the project team took to reduce water on the project. They were taken through the following two activities. The students took part in an activity called – “Go with the Flow,” which consisted of a station that had a faucet mock-up with a bathtub head, shower head, and energy efficient shower head. The students were asked if they thought it was more energy efficient to take a shower or a bath. The students took turns running each faucet for 10 seconds and compared the amount of water used by each. It was concluded that two factors influence whether to shower or bathe: flow rate and duration. If you typically shower for over eight minutes, you would save water if you switched to a low-flow shower head or opt for a bath instead.
The students also took part in an activity called – “The Running Toilet,” which showed them how they can save water by using a low flush toilet versus a standard one. The students did a foot race where they carried a full jug of water, representing a standard toilet, to a half-way point and swapped it for a half full jug, representing a low flush toilet, to the finish line. The idea was to have them feel the significant weight difference and how this relates to reduction in water use.
“The new complex will be using low flush toilets in all restrooms and faucets which will yield enough water savings in one day to fill a standard swimming pool,” said Gabel.
Water will also be saved outside of the complex. The landscaping will consist of drought tolerant native plants that will not need any supplemental irrigation other than natural rain water. In total, the entire complex will use almost 50% less water than a traditional building of the same size - a savings of 4.5 million gallons of drinking water annually.
2011年5月18日 星期三
視力ブランド：ファンへの道を照明
視力ブランド：ファンへの道を照明いくつかの家庭用のアクセサリーは、電球として単調かなりいるようだ。あなたが1つのネジや照明の数百時間後まで、当然のそれを取る、それが燃え尽きる。次に、あなたはそれを交換してください。
しかし、謙虚な電球は、技術的に高度な部屋をよりエネルギー効率の高い照明の単純な行為をすることを約束してある種の革命を受けている - 少なくとも初期コストの観点から - はるかに高価。
そして、視力ブランドが（ティッカー：AYI）、ハイテク照明システムおよびコンポーネントのメーカーは、この照明革命の大きな受益者であることを目指しています。過去2年間で大きな利益をした株価は、特大の利益成長の裏に、来年にはさらにまともな利益を上げることができる。
''私たちは、会社がよく私たちはスマートビル開発のための堅牢な市場機会になると思うものを活用するために配置されていると信じて効果照明システムがある可能性がセクターでは、"ショーンセバーソン、クリーン技術分野のアナリストでThinkEquityは、昨年株式のカバレッジを開始するに書いている。
住宅のアプリケーションでは、照明の革命はステッカーショックの重篤なケースを誘発する可能性があります。照明企業は白熱電球を交換するフィラデルフィアでLightFairトレードショーで今週の製品をデビューされます - 通常、ドルや個々に二原価計算 - LED（発光ダイオード）$ 50以上の値札がついている電球と、彼らは最後のも5年近くに、彼らはより多くのエネルギーが効率的であるため、より環境に優しいとして表示され、最大40,000時間のために。
視力は、それがLightFairで紹介ですいくつかの製品を提供していますが、そう極端に彼らは自動車ショーでコンセプトカーの照明と同等と見られていることを高価と考えられています。
会社とそれはいいため、 - ではなく、住宅照明は - 商業ビルでは、システムとコントロール、照明の広い範囲の主な焦点です。
ThinkEquityによると、商業ビルの運用コストの30％が - オフィスビル、学校、倉庫 - エネルギー費用から来ている。エネルギーコストの、支出の38％を占めている照明。それが加熱し、建物を冷却コスト以上です。
だけでなく、その石臼 - それは視力ブランド'の機会でした。だけでなく、クーパーインダストリーズ（CBE）をとハベル（HUBB）などのライバル - - 商業不動産市場の誘導体としてセバーソンが言うように、投資家は視力を経験した。
視力の見通しは、4年前の商業用不動産は、練り上げていたときに罰金だった。視力は、2007年半ばに56ドルを共有するに取引されています。しかし、不動産市場は毒になってように、2009年3月に20ドルに落ちた視力の株式を、でした。
しかし、新しい商業建設が回復していないにもかかわらず - セクターの活動は2010年に20％減少 - 視力があります：株価は過去4週間で4％を緩和したが、株式は先月、60ドルを共有上に登った。改修、商業用不動産を、既存の - 投資家は視力自体が識別した市場機会を認識される利益が来た。
マグロウヒル建設の調査によると、プロジェクトを改造の値は、2014年までに500億ドルを先頭に予測されています。のアカウントを照明が1つの構築運用のコストの3分の1以上は、その投資のかなりの塊が照明製品に向かって導くことが期待されていることを考える。
視力のような会社は、プロパティの所有者が建物の改修からの投資に大きなリターンを実現することができることを実証することができます。視力の製品は、特に制御システム、照明のラインアップは、単に部屋を点灯しない。部屋は空いているとき、彼らは、自動的にライトをオフにするか、日当たりの良い窓の近くのエネルギー使用量を調整してください。 "照明システムを改良する投資収益率のための重要な機会を表し、"セバーソン氏は述べています。 "視力のように成功している企業だけでコンポーネントを提供していない、それは包括的なソリューションに入れている。"
このうちいくつかは価格で来ています。後、最近のアップ、これは、視力は17倍、来年の利益で取引されている倍以上の2009年3月の安値から在庫を見ている実行してください。それは、クーパーやハッベルに近い14回2012年の結果では、貿易以上です。
しかし、そのピーク収益の期間で、視力は、最大20倍の利益で快適に取引されている。そして、視力が良い収益プロファイルを持っている：これは、2011年約33％、来年までに利益の成長が見込まれている。インチ向けると予測されているライバルかのいずれかの2倍以上だ
ジョナサンDorsheimerは、Canaccordジェニュイティでのエネルギーおよび電力技術部門のアナリスト、20％以上は、現在取引のWHERE上記の$ 71で視力の目標価格をペグ。それは熟して複数のだが、Dorsheimerは、"我々は、この保険料は視力をリードする位置とその分布のネットワークによって保証されていると信じて"と言う。
しかし、謙虚な電球は、技術的に高度な部屋をよりエネルギー効率の高い照明の単純な行為をすることを約束してある種の革命を受けている - 少なくとも初期コストの観点から - はるかに高価。
そして、視力ブランドが（ティッカー：AYI）、ハイテク照明システムおよびコンポーネントのメーカーは、この照明革命の大きな受益者であることを目指しています。過去2年間で大きな利益をした株価は、特大の利益成長の裏に、来年にはさらにまともな利益を上げることができる。
''私たちは、会社がよく私たちはスマートビル開発のための堅牢な市場機会になると思うものを活用するために配置されていると信じて効果照明システムがある可能性がセクターでは、"ショーンセバーソン、クリーン技術分野のアナリストでThinkEquityは、昨年株式のカバレッジを開始するに書いている。
住宅のアプリケーションでは、照明の革命はステッカーショックの重篤なケースを誘発する可能性があります。照明企業は白熱電球を交換するフィラデルフィアでLightFairトレードショーで今週の製品をデビューされます - 通常、ドルや個々に二原価計算 - LED（発光ダイオード）$ 50以上の値札がついている電球と、彼らは最後のも5年近くに、彼らはより多くのエネルギーが効率的であるため、より環境に優しいとして表示され、最大40,000時間のために。
視力は、それがLightFairで紹介ですいくつかの製品を提供していますが、そう極端に彼らは自動車ショーでコンセプトカーの照明と同等と見られていることを高価と考えられています。
会社とそれはいいため、 - ではなく、住宅照明は - 商業ビルでは、システムとコントロール、照明の広い範囲の主な焦点です。
ThinkEquityによると、商業ビルの運用コストの30％が - オフィスビル、学校、倉庫 - エネルギー費用から来ている。エネルギーコストの、支出の38％を占めている照明。それが加熱し、建物を冷却コスト以上です。
だけでなく、その石臼 - それは視力ブランド'の機会でした。だけでなく、クーパーインダストリーズ（CBE）をとハベル（HUBB）などのライバル - - 商業不動産市場の誘導体としてセバーソンが言うように、投資家は視力を経験した。
視力の見通しは、4年前の商業用不動産は、練り上げていたときに罰金だった。視力は、2007年半ばに56ドルを共有するに取引されています。しかし、不動産市場は毒になってように、2009年3月に20ドルに落ちた視力の株式を、でした。
しかし、新しい商業建設が回復していないにもかかわらず - セクターの活動は2010年に20％減少 - 視力があります：株価は過去4週間で4％を緩和したが、株式は先月、60ドルを共有上に登った。改修、商業用不動産を、既存の - 投資家は視力自体が識別した市場機会を認識される利益が来た。
マグロウヒル建設の調査によると、プロジェクトを改造の値は、2014年までに500億ドルを先頭に予測されています。のアカウントを照明が1つの構築運用のコストの3分の1以上は、その投資のかなりの塊が照明製品に向かって導くことが期待されていることを考える。
視力のような会社は、プロパティの所有者が建物の改修からの投資に大きなリターンを実現することができることを実証することができます。視力の製品は、特に制御システム、照明のラインアップは、単に部屋を点灯しない。部屋は空いているとき、彼らは、自動的にライトをオフにするか、日当たりの良い窓の近くのエネルギー使用量を調整してください。 "照明システムを改良する投資収益率のための重要な機会を表し、"セバーソン氏は述べています。 "視力のように成功している企業だけでコンポーネントを提供していない、それは包括的なソリューションに入れている。"
このうちいくつかは価格で来ています。後、最近のアップ、これは、視力は17倍、来年の利益で取引されている倍以上の2009年3月の安値から在庫を見ている実行してください。それは、クーパーやハッベルに近い14回2012年の結果では、貿易以上です。
しかし、そのピーク収益の期間で、視力は、最大20倍の利益で快適に取引されている。そして、視力が良い収益プロファイルを持っている：これは、2011年約33％、来年までに利益の成長が見込まれている。インチ向けると予測されているライバルかのいずれかの2倍以上だ
ジョナサンDorsheimerは、Canaccordジェニュイティでのエネルギーおよび電力技術部門のアナリスト、20％以上は、現在取引のWHERE上記の$ 71で視力の目標価格をペグ。それは熟して複数のだが、Dorsheimerは、"我々は、この保険料は視力をリードする位置とその分布のネットワークによって保証されていると信じて"と言う。
2011年5月12日 星期四
Modular LED street lighting
Modular LED street lighting
Makers of LED optics are vying for business as streetlight buyers discover the benefits of solid-state lighting, writes Technology Editor Steve Bush.
It is not necessarily efficiency that make streetlight aficionados sit up, as starkly yellow old-tech low-pressure sodium lights offer 300 lm/W, compared with 100 lm/W from LEDs.
What is attractive, is long life.
LED luminairs have no vacuum or electrode-eating plasma and well designed example are expected to live for over 50,000 hours.
And the point-source nature of LEDs allows fine control of light direction and a consequent reduction of waste, spill and glare.
The challenge for streetlight makers is that hundreds of beam patterns are required illuminate different streets.
To keep their inventory simple, optical firms are taking a modular approach so that a few different components can be mixed and matched to suit any situation.
Advertisement
Berkshire's Carclo Technical Plastics has both refractive ('optics') and reflective elements in its modular streetlight offering (see thumbnail above).
"It uses a combination to provide a solution for a variety of road geometries and light output characteristics," said Carclo. "An optic is employed to control the light distribution along the road while a reflector controls light distribution across the road."
Different reflectors and optics clipped into 290x80x40mm 10LED modules, then these are mounted side-by-side to get the required intensity.
Makers of LED optics are vying for business as streetlight buyers discover the benefits of solid-state lighting, writes Technology Editor Steve Bush.
It is not necessarily efficiency that make streetlight aficionados sit up, as starkly yellow old-tech low-pressure sodium lights offer 300 lm/W, compared with 100 lm/W from LEDs.
What is attractive, is long life.
LED luminairs have no vacuum or electrode-eating plasma and well designed example are expected to live for over 50,000 hours.
And the point-source nature of LEDs allows fine control of light direction and a consequent reduction of waste, spill and glare.
The challenge for streetlight makers is that hundreds of beam patterns are required illuminate different streets.
To keep their inventory simple, optical firms are taking a modular approach so that a few different components can be mixed and matched to suit any situation.
Advertisement
Berkshire's Carclo Technical Plastics has both refractive ('optics') and reflective elements in its modular streetlight offering (see thumbnail above).
"It uses a combination to provide a solution for a variety of road geometries and light output characteristics," said Carclo. "An optic is employed to control the light distribution along the road while a reflector controls light distribution across the road."
Different reflectors and optics clipped into 290x80x40mm 10LED modules, then these are mounted side-by-side to get the required intensity.
2011年5月9日 星期一
HOW A HUMBLE PLASTER COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE
HOW A HUMBLE PLASTER COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE
FROM diagnosing tumours to giving life-saving medicines, these first aid essentials have come a long way...
FROM the moment Earle Dickson invented a small, sticky bandage to protect his accident-prone wife Josephine from minor cuts, plasters have been an essential in every first-aid box.
No one gives sticking plasters much thought but almost 100 years later they have become smarter and are at the cutting edge of medicine.
Here we discover some of the latest breakthroughs.
DIGITAL PLASTERS
These plasters containing tiny heart monitors have been invented by a British company.
They have a zinc oxide battery, a temperature sensor and two electrocardiograms to measure heart and respiratory rate. Eventually they will free patients from machines and wires.
“Just like mobile phones, medical devices are getting smaller,” says Dr Alison Burdett of Toumaz, the technology company in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which is behind the breakthrough. “Size is everything. Our vision is the relatively inexpensive digital plaster which can be worn for a week by patients recovering in hospital or at home, then thrown away.”
As the plasters become commonplace, it should be possible to allow some patients to leave hospital earlier.
TUMOUR TREATMENT
Skin cancers can now be treated at home by a revolutionary light-emitting sticking plaster. The device, called the Ambulight, is a form of photodynamic therapy (PDT), an established alternative to surgery for some forms of skin cancer that uses laser or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive cream to destroy cancer cells.
The Ambulight plaster consists of a disc-shaped pod about an inch in diameter that houses red LED lights. The light source is attached to a controller the size of a mobile phone and is switched on for about three hours while the drug works.
Not only does the plaster allow patients to move around freely but it is cheaper than a typical outpatient treatment. PDT treatment is used to treat non-melanoma-type skin cancers which affect around 15 per cent of the UK population.
Ambulight developer James Ferguson, professor of dermatology at Dundee University, hopes the treatment will eventually be offered at GP surgeries.
“Trials have shown it to be up to 90 per cent as effective as hospital treatment and it is a lot more gentle,” he says. “PDT has been available for 20 years but mainly in a hospital setting. Incorporating the treatment into a plaster was the challenge. The device is tiny.”
SMART BANDAGES
Scientists in Cardiff are developing smart bandages and plasters which detect how well a wound is healing.
Fitted with tiny sensors which monitor temperature and chemicals on the surface of the damaged skin, they are capable of providing an early warning if a wound becomes infected.
One of the first signs of infection is a rise in temperature.
A whole range of interactive dressings are also being pioneered, containing special ingredients such as slow-release silver (a natural antiseptic), medical-grade honey or algae derived from seaweed.
DIABETES
A sticking plaster concealing a small insulin pump will make life easier for diabetes patients.
Worn on the surface of the skin, the device is capable of releasing insulin at regular intervals. About 1.4 million people in the UK have diabetes and a quarter of them have the Type 1 form which requires insulin injections two to four times a day. Insulin pumps already exist but they are larger, worn on the belt like a pager and the tubing can prove cumbersome.
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) has put ￡120,000 into developing the new patch-pump technology, pioneered by Cellnovo, a company based in Swansea.
Julian Shapley, the company’s director of technology, says: “It’s about the size of a matchbox and will release diabetics from the need to use syringes and needles, allowing patients to eat, sleep, work and exercise normally. Most of the space is taken up by the drug itself.”
The device will be launched this summer and should be widely available by the end of the year.
MEDICATION
Sticking plasters are increasingly popular for delivering medication for all sorts of conditions. In one
of the latest developments, Parkinson’s sufferers are receiving doses of a drug called rotigotine which alleviates some symptoms of the neurological disease. Plasters which deliver drugs in this way are known as transdermal patches.
Experts maintain the use of sticking plasters to continuously deliver drugs is preferable to taking pills, because a constant dose is provided. For Parkinson’s disease patients this allows the brain to be constantly stimulated by the drug, helping to stabilise the condition. For most conditions which can be treated using patches a single plaster is used daily, also eliminating the need to remember to take pills three or four times.
FROM diagnosing tumours to giving life-saving medicines, these first aid essentials have come a long way...
FROM the moment Earle Dickson invented a small, sticky bandage to protect his accident-prone wife Josephine from minor cuts, plasters have been an essential in every first-aid box.
No one gives sticking plasters much thought but almost 100 years later they have become smarter and are at the cutting edge of medicine.
Here we discover some of the latest breakthroughs.
DIGITAL PLASTERS
These plasters containing tiny heart monitors have been invented by a British company.
They have a zinc oxide battery, a temperature sensor and two electrocardiograms to measure heart and respiratory rate. Eventually they will free patients from machines and wires.
“Just like mobile phones, medical devices are getting smaller,” says Dr Alison Burdett of Toumaz, the technology company in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which is behind the breakthrough. “Size is everything. Our vision is the relatively inexpensive digital plaster which can be worn for a week by patients recovering in hospital or at home, then thrown away.”
As the plasters become commonplace, it should be possible to allow some patients to leave hospital earlier.
TUMOUR TREATMENT
Skin cancers can now be treated at home by a revolutionary light-emitting sticking plaster. The device, called the Ambulight, is a form of photodynamic therapy (PDT), an established alternative to surgery for some forms of skin cancer that uses laser or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive cream to destroy cancer cells.
The Ambulight plaster consists of a disc-shaped pod about an inch in diameter that houses red LED lights. The light source is attached to a controller the size of a mobile phone and is switched on for about three hours while the drug works.
Not only does the plaster allow patients to move around freely but it is cheaper than a typical outpatient treatment. PDT treatment is used to treat non-melanoma-type skin cancers which affect around 15 per cent of the UK population.
Ambulight developer James Ferguson, professor of dermatology at Dundee University, hopes the treatment will eventually be offered at GP surgeries.
“Trials have shown it to be up to 90 per cent as effective as hospital treatment and it is a lot more gentle,” he says. “PDT has been available for 20 years but mainly in a hospital setting. Incorporating the treatment into a plaster was the challenge. The device is tiny.”
SMART BANDAGES
Scientists in Cardiff are developing smart bandages and plasters which detect how well a wound is healing.
Fitted with tiny sensors which monitor temperature and chemicals on the surface of the damaged skin, they are capable of providing an early warning if a wound becomes infected.
One of the first signs of infection is a rise in temperature.
A whole range of interactive dressings are also being pioneered, containing special ingredients such as slow-release silver (a natural antiseptic), medical-grade honey or algae derived from seaweed.
DIABETES
A sticking plaster concealing a small insulin pump will make life easier for diabetes patients.
Worn on the surface of the skin, the device is capable of releasing insulin at regular intervals. About 1.4 million people in the UK have diabetes and a quarter of them have the Type 1 form which requires insulin injections two to four times a day. Insulin pumps already exist but they are larger, worn on the belt like a pager and the tubing can prove cumbersome.
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) has put ￡120,000 into developing the new patch-pump technology, pioneered by Cellnovo, a company based in Swansea.
Julian Shapley, the company’s director of technology, says: “It’s about the size of a matchbox and will release diabetics from the need to use syringes and needles, allowing patients to eat, sleep, work and exercise normally. Most of the space is taken up by the drug itself.”
The device will be launched this summer and should be widely available by the end of the year.
MEDICATION
Sticking plasters are increasingly popular for delivering medication for all sorts of conditions. In one
of the latest developments, Parkinson’s sufferers are receiving doses of a drug called rotigotine which alleviates some symptoms of the neurological disease. Plasters which deliver drugs in this way are known as transdermal patches.
Experts maintain the use of sticking plasters to continuously deliver drugs is preferable to taking pills, because a constant dose is provided. For Parkinson’s disease patients this allows the brain to be constantly stimulated by the drug, helping to stabilise the condition. For most conditions which can be treated using patches a single plaster is used daily, also eliminating the need to remember to take pills three or four times.
A measure of Buddhism’s currency: Lanterns
A measure of Buddhism’s currency: Lanterns
At last weekend’s Lotus Lantern Festival in Jongno, central Seoul, a helmet-and-goggle-wearing baby penguin cartoon not only symbolized Korean Buddhism’s attempt to appeal to youth, it also presented a unique measure of the religion’s currency: lanterns.
More than 10,000 lanterns shined brightly at this year’s May 5 to May 8 festival, but a lantern that wasn’t even there due to a licensing dispute drew the most attention.
On May 3, Ocon Animation Studio accused the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism of failing to acquire the licensing rights for the popular children’s character Pororo, prompting the lantern to be pulled from the festival.
Pororo is a wildly popular animated television show named after the character of the same name. The cartoon is exported to 110 nations including France’s TF1 channel and even Qatar’s Al Jazeera.
Although Ocon backed down the following day after a public outcry, allowing Pororo lanterns to appear in regional festivals such as in Daegu and on Jeju Island, the lantern in Seoul had already been pulled from the event.
Lanterns, specifically lotus lanterns, are an iconic symbol of Buddha’s Birthday. They arise from more than 2,400 years of venerable tradition in which the faithful light lanterns in a sign of devotion.
The economics and modern presentation of lanterns are signs of the times. Lanterns, once only octagonal, pleated and bell-shaped, now come in all shapes and sizes - LED lights and all - including popular cartoon characters.
Gone are the days when all lanterns could be had for next to nothing: Today’s lanterns range from 4,000 won ($3.62) for a basic 24 centimeter-diameter (9.4 inches) lantern to several million won for a specially designed piece.
Official data is hard to come by (Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival organizers would not divulge the cost of their 10,000 lanterns), but tradesmen say that demand for everything Buddhist is booming.
“The orders begin flooding in from April, and there are tens of thousands of temples nationwide, each of which puts up strings of basic lotus lanterns or displays bigger lanterns for Buddha’s Birthday,” said Kim Jae-hong, owner of Hajinsa, the largest lotus lantern manufacturer and distributor in Korea.
“Plus, lanterns are hung in streets, and there are several million Buddhists in Korea [who light and pay for lotus lanterns] so it’s impossible to say how many are sold,” he added.
The Association of Korean Buddhist Orders, which has 26 sects, estimates that there are roughly 20,000 temples in Korea. And 22.8 percent of the Korean public, or 10.72 million people, identified themselves as Buddhist in the 2005 census.
“The production cost of the hand-crafted, 10-meter-high lanterns in the shape of the three-tiered pagoda of Bulguk Temple, displayed in Seoul Plaza, were several dozen million won,” said Choi Jin-mi, a public relations representative of the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul.
There have been changes in the lotus lantern tradition.
“The shapes of lotus lanterns have basically remained the same over the years: lotus, octagonal, pleated, bell-shaped and some that can be assembled,” said Kim Gi-chan, CEO of lantern maker Chanduk Lotus Lantern. “[But] many lanterns now come with LED lights in them to lower the risk of fire, while the shapes are held up not by wire but plastic bodies.”
On Saturday, the street in front of Jogye Temple in Jongno was packed as crowds gathered for the Lotus Lantern Festival.
“These are some of the busiest times of the year for us,” said Park Heung-chan, owner of a Buddhist goods shop some 100 meters from the temple. “We’re short-handed as one employee is on a business trip to take care of a lantern malfunction at a regional temple.”
At last weekend’s Lotus Lantern Festival in Jongno, central Seoul, a helmet-and-goggle-wearing baby penguin cartoon not only symbolized Korean Buddhism’s attempt to appeal to youth, it also presented a unique measure of the religion’s currency: lanterns.
More than 10,000 lanterns shined brightly at this year’s May 5 to May 8 festival, but a lantern that wasn’t even there due to a licensing dispute drew the most attention.
On May 3, Ocon Animation Studio accused the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism of failing to acquire the licensing rights for the popular children’s character Pororo, prompting the lantern to be pulled from the festival.
Pororo is a wildly popular animated television show named after the character of the same name. The cartoon is exported to 110 nations including France’s TF1 channel and even Qatar’s Al Jazeera.
Although Ocon backed down the following day after a public outcry, allowing Pororo lanterns to appear in regional festivals such as in Daegu and on Jeju Island, the lantern in Seoul had already been pulled from the event.
Lanterns, specifically lotus lanterns, are an iconic symbol of Buddha’s Birthday. They arise from more than 2,400 years of venerable tradition in which the faithful light lanterns in a sign of devotion.
The economics and modern presentation of lanterns are signs of the times. Lanterns, once only octagonal, pleated and bell-shaped, now come in all shapes and sizes - LED lights and all - including popular cartoon characters.
Gone are the days when all lanterns could be had for next to nothing: Today’s lanterns range from 4,000 won ($3.62) for a basic 24 centimeter-diameter (9.4 inches) lantern to several million won for a specially designed piece.
Official data is hard to come by (Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival organizers would not divulge the cost of their 10,000 lanterns), but tradesmen say that demand for everything Buddhist is booming.
“The orders begin flooding in from April, and there are tens of thousands of temples nationwide, each of which puts up strings of basic lotus lanterns or displays bigger lanterns for Buddha’s Birthday,” said Kim Jae-hong, owner of Hajinsa, the largest lotus lantern manufacturer and distributor in Korea.
“Plus, lanterns are hung in streets, and there are several million Buddhists in Korea [who light and pay for lotus lanterns] so it’s impossible to say how many are sold,” he added.
The Association of Korean Buddhist Orders, which has 26 sects, estimates that there are roughly 20,000 temples in Korea. And 22.8 percent of the Korean public, or 10.72 million people, identified themselves as Buddhist in the 2005 census.
“The production cost of the hand-crafted, 10-meter-high lanterns in the shape of the three-tiered pagoda of Bulguk Temple, displayed in Seoul Plaza, were several dozen million won,” said Choi Jin-mi, a public relations representative of the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul.
There have been changes in the lotus lantern tradition.
“The shapes of lotus lanterns have basically remained the same over the years: lotus, octagonal, pleated, bell-shaped and some that can be assembled,” said Kim Gi-chan, CEO of lantern maker Chanduk Lotus Lantern. “[But] many lanterns now come with LED lights in them to lower the risk of fire, while the shapes are held up not by wire but plastic bodies.”
On Saturday, the street in front of Jogye Temple in Jongno was packed as crowds gathered for the Lotus Lantern Festival.
“These are some of the busiest times of the year for us,” said Park Heung-chan, owner of a Buddhist goods shop some 100 meters from the temple. “We’re short-handed as one employee is on a business trip to take care of a lantern malfunction at a regional temple.”
2011年5月3日 星期二
CRS Electronics Announces Fiscal 2011 Year End Financial Results
CRS Electronics Announces Fiscal 2011 Year End Financial Results
CRS Electronics Inc. ("CRS"), (TSX VENTURE:LED)(OTCQX:LEDCF), an inventor, developer and manufacturer of LED lighting, today reported its financial results for the three and twelve month periods ended December 31, 2010.
Net sales for the three month period increased 58% to $905,900 compared to $572,100 for the same period in 2009. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2010 were $3.1 million, representing an increase of 24% from sales of $2.5 million in the same period last year. Net loss for the quarter was $530,400 or $0.02 per share versus a net loss for the comparative period 2009 of $360,900 or $0.01 per share. For the twelve month period ended December 31, 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $1.4 million or $0.05 per share versus a net loss of $998,651 or $0.05 per share for the same twelve-month period last year.
The Company realised total unit sales of 41,600 this year, an increase of 240% over the prior year. These results were supported by the success of the MR16 product line which sold 33,700 units this year, an increase of 360% over 2009 volumes. Revenue in the year from the LED MR16 sales increased 180.6% to $1.5 million from $518,700 in 2009.
New commercial customers for the year include Best Buy Co. Inc.; Sandals Resorts International; Harris Teeter; Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco; Wellington Management; Quest Diagnostics Inc. head office in Madison, NJ; Kenair Apartments Ltd., in Toronto, ON; Property developers Wiedenbach-Brown and Villa Lighting; Property Management companies CBRE and Oxford Properties; The University Health Network and Sloan Kettering Cancer Centers.
In January 2010, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario granted an interest free loan of $825,000 from the Southern Ontario Development Program (SODP) to CRS. The funding was used to assist with the purchase of production and research equipment, patent filing costs and marketing for the Company.
During the year, the Company used proceeds from a private placement financing to complete the installation of new production equipment that increased annual plant capacity from approximately $5.0 million in revenue to $12.0 million in revenue.
Utility rebate programs represent a significant opportunity for CRS. In December 2010, the Company announced participation in two of these utility programs in the state of California. The rebate programs allow commercial customers to switch out their traditional MR16 lighting with the CRS MR16 product at no cost.
CRS Electronics Inc., an Energy Star and Lighting Facts partner, is a leader in the emerging, rapidly-growing market of high efficiency light-emitting-diode ("LED"), or, solid state lighting ("SSL"). The principal activities of CRS include the development, manufacture and sale, primarily in North America, of indoor lighting such as LED replacement lamps, exterior LED warning lights on school buses, child safety systems for school buses and contract manufacturing of LED circuit boards. CRS plans to be a major supplier of LED light engines for a variety of applications to be developed by CRS on its own and in conjunction with its customers. CRS recently signed a license agreement with Eveready Battery Company Inc., a subsidiary of Energizer Holdings Inc., for CRS to manufacture a suite of LED lighting products under the brand name Energizer?. The initial LED suite of products includes the MR16, PAR 20, PAR 30 and PAR 38. Future products developed by CRS may also be considered by Energizer.
Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information, future oriented financial information, or financial outlooks (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to this news release and other matters identified in CRS's public filings, CRS's future outlook and anticipated events or results and can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "projects", "predict", "potential", "continue" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited in any manner, those disclosed in any other CRS filings, and include the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability and the ability to complete the closing of the financing; sufficient working capital for development and operations, availability of a qualified work force, availability of manufacturing equipment and the ultimate ability execute its business plan on economically favourable terms. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to us, they may prove to be incorrect. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties disclosed in other CRS filings at www.sedar.com and other unforeseen events or circumstances. Other than as required by law, CRS does not intend, and undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect, among other things, new information or future events.
CRS Electronics Inc. ("CRS"), (TSX VENTURE:LED)(OTCQX:LEDCF), an inventor, developer and manufacturer of LED lighting, today reported its financial results for the three and twelve month periods ended December 31, 2010.
Net sales for the three month period increased 58% to $905,900 compared to $572,100 for the same period in 2009. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2010 were $3.1 million, representing an increase of 24% from sales of $2.5 million in the same period last year. Net loss for the quarter was $530,400 or $0.02 per share versus a net loss for the comparative period 2009 of $360,900 or $0.01 per share. For the twelve month period ended December 31, 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $1.4 million or $0.05 per share versus a net loss of $998,651 or $0.05 per share for the same twelve-month period last year.
The Company realised total unit sales of 41,600 this year, an increase of 240% over the prior year. These results were supported by the success of the MR16 product line which sold 33,700 units this year, an increase of 360% over 2009 volumes. Revenue in the year from the LED MR16 sales increased 180.6% to $1.5 million from $518,700 in 2009.
New commercial customers for the year include Best Buy Co. Inc.; Sandals Resorts International; Harris Teeter; Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco; Wellington Management; Quest Diagnostics Inc. head office in Madison, NJ; Kenair Apartments Ltd., in Toronto, ON; Property developers Wiedenbach-Brown and Villa Lighting; Property Management companies CBRE and Oxford Properties; The University Health Network and Sloan Kettering Cancer Centers.
In January 2010, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario granted an interest free loan of $825,000 from the Southern Ontario Development Program (SODP) to CRS. The funding was used to assist with the purchase of production and research equipment, patent filing costs and marketing for the Company.
During the year, the Company used proceeds from a private placement financing to complete the installation of new production equipment that increased annual plant capacity from approximately $5.0 million in revenue to $12.0 million in revenue.
Utility rebate programs represent a significant opportunity for CRS. In December 2010, the Company announced participation in two of these utility programs in the state of California. The rebate programs allow commercial customers to switch out their traditional MR16 lighting with the CRS MR16 product at no cost.
CRS Electronics Inc., an Energy Star and Lighting Facts partner, is a leader in the emerging, rapidly-growing market of high efficiency light-emitting-diode ("LED"), or, solid state lighting ("SSL"). The principal activities of CRS include the development, manufacture and sale, primarily in North America, of indoor lighting such as LED replacement lamps, exterior LED warning lights on school buses, child safety systems for school buses and contract manufacturing of LED circuit boards. CRS plans to be a major supplier of LED light engines for a variety of applications to be developed by CRS on its own and in conjunction with its customers. CRS recently signed a license agreement with Eveready Battery Company Inc., a subsidiary of Energizer Holdings Inc., for CRS to manufacture a suite of LED lighting products under the brand name Energizer?. The initial LED suite of products includes the MR16, PAR 20, PAR 30 and PAR 38. Future products developed by CRS may also be considered by Energizer.
Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information, future oriented financial information, or financial outlooks (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to this news release and other matters identified in CRS's public filings, CRS's future outlook and anticipated events or results and can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "projects", "predict", "potential", "continue" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited in any manner, those disclosed in any other CRS filings, and include the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability and the ability to complete the closing of the financing; sufficient working capital for development and operations, availability of a qualified work force, availability of manufacturing equipment and the ultimate ability execute its business plan on economically favourable terms. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to us, they may prove to be incorrect. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties disclosed in other CRS filings at www.sedar.com and other unforeseen events or circumstances. Other than as required by law, CRS does not intend, and undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect, among other things, new information or future events.
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