Chang Gung Debuts Eye-Soothing Light

Chang Gung Biotechnology Corp., an affiliate of the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), has recently introduced a full-spectrum fluorescent desk lamp with a color-rendering index the company says can achieve 90% of the color rendering of natural daylight, versus an average of 80% for distorted-sine-wave fluorescent lamps.

Thanks to its superior color rendering, the lamp is reported to be an ideal lighting source for nearsighted people, reducing the need for squinting to identify the true colors of objects and thereby minimizing eye strain. This class of lamps is used widely by museums throughout the world.

Chang Gung says that full-spectrum lights and natural daylight are much more healthful for animals and humans than distorted-wave fluorescent lamps in many other aspects as well. This claim, it says, is backed by scientific experiments showing that, for example, guinea pigs can live as long as 16 months under daylight or full-spectrum lamps but live only half as long under distorted-wave fluorescent lamps. Research also shows that natural daylight or a certain wavelength of full-spectrum lamps can turn bilirubin into a harmless substance, curing neonatal jaundice. Daylight or full-spectrum fluorescent lamps help people absorb vitamin D and calcium, alleviate fatigue, and help people absorb oxygen.

While the color-rendering index of tungsten-filament lamps is identical to sunlight, the lamps burn hot, reducing their usable life. Tungsten lights also are not adjustable in their color temperature, which is fixed at 2,800~3,800 Kelvin (K). The color temperature of fluorescent lamps, in contrast, can be adjusted by changing the content of the fluorescent powder. Fluorescent bulbs also last longer since they do not generate heat.


Near Natural Lighting


The color temperature of Chang Gung's lamps is 5,500 K, which approximates the value of daylight at noon on a clear day. According to a Chang Gung specialist involved in the lamp project, this color temperature is the most suitable value for reading. "The color-temperature value of tungsten-filament lamps is calming while some distorted fluorescent lamps with K values as high as 6,500 make readers feel excited, spoiling the tranquility of mind that is so important for reading," the specialist explains.

H.C. Hsiao, a lighting-science specialist at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, says: "Lighting sources with color-rendering indexes over 90 and color temperature around 5,500K are the most compatible with human vision."

Chang Gung's lamp is a 27-watt model that gives off as much brightness as 500 lumens. Currently, most desk lamps come in power specifications of 13 watts, 18 watts and 27 watts. A Chang Gung survey has found that 13-watt lamps and 18-watt lamps do not provide adequate lighting for reading purposes.

The lamps are fitted with an efficient electronic ballast featuring a flash-frequency rate reaches 68,000 hertz per second, a speed sufficient enough that the flickering cannot be detected by the human eye.

Chang Gung's smart lamp hit the market in mid-April this year, at household-appliance chain Daiichi, consumer-electronics chain Onking Chainstore Co., and medical-product chain MedFirst Healthcare Services, Inc. Before the market debut of the lamp the firm sold hundreds of millions of NT dollars' worth of the lamps to 20,000 FPG employees in a trial sale.

The firm expects to sell units in the tens of thousands each month in Taiwan, which absorbs an estimated 500,000 desk lamps a year. The main corps of users is expected to be elementary school, junior high-school, and senior high-school students.

The company expects the model to earn it hundreds of millions of NT dollars in revenue each year, with each lamp selling for around NT$1,000 (US$28.6 at US$1:NT$35). "We expect four million families throughout Taiwan to have at least two of our lamps someday," the specialist notes.


Eyeing the Market


Chang Gung was inspired to develop the new lamp by the high proportion (87%) of nearsighted people in Taiwan. A Chang Gung research team found that 90% of Taiwan's nearsighted population acquire the condition because of insufficient lighting and improper reading positions.

The company and affiliate Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital recently held a presentation on eye care for elementary school children in Taiwan, 60% of whom are nearsighted, according to Department of Health. At the presentation , the hospital's ocular department gave the participating children a handbook on eye care.

From March to April, the company held at least three such activities in Taipei in cooperation with government organizations and non-profit organizations.

In addition to the new lamp, Chang Gung has debuted 12 other health-care products over the past two years. The company has always advocated that "prevention is more important than treatment."

In response to Chang Gung's new light, China Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd., Taiwan's largest lamp manufacturer, plans to introduce a lamp that emphasizes benefits for eyesight and could be sold trough outlets specializing in medical products.

Taiwan Fluorescent Lamp Co., Ltd. Chairman N.S. Cheng says his company has developed an eyesight friendly desk lamp built on nanotechnology to counter Chang Gung's lamp. The company will begin to promote the product on TV soon. "Their lamp will not take a toll on our business because we already have full-spectrum lamps," he says.

Nevertheless, Chang Gung claims that it is the first company in Taiwan to supply a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp with a color-rendering index of over 90.