SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER THERAPEUTIC LIGHT SYSTEM

摘要

A Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) treatment system providing seasonally appropriate and aesthetically appealing light therapy in a novel, convenient and medically effective manner. At present, patient compliance has proven to be a significant barrier to the effective treatment of this disorder. Studies have shown that up to 70% of patients report diminished compliance with the therapeutic recommendations using currently available forms of light therapy, in the form of “light boxes”. These patients sited the predominant factor in their failure to comply as shortcomings with the light boxes themselves, finding them “inconvenient” to set up and sit close to for therapeutic periods, or simply too aesthetically “displeasing” to keep in the home or workplace. As a result, as many as 20% of SAD patients who begin light box therapy stop their proscribed SAD lightbox therapy treatment prematurely and entirely. The present invention presents a novel and practical improvement over current therapeutic light-emitting devices by delivering the medically recommended SAD light therapy requirements through more effective, convenient, seasonally appropriate and aesthetically appealing embodiment. By diminishing barriers to patient compliance, this SAD light therapy embodiment facilitates more consistent- and thus more effective-light therapy treatment of SAD, resulting in better therapeutic outcomes for a greater number of those who suffer the debilitating symptoms of this seasonal disorder.