Industry News
fiber optic lighting is used widely
Fiber-optic lighting has a wide variety of uses, from art to medicine. In a health care context, optical cables can be used to guide light onto an area where there is not a clear line of sight, such as in certain surgeries where it is desirable to make as small an incision as possible. This use of fiber-optic lighting has led to decreased recovery times and fewer complications after several different types of operations. It has also been increasingly used as an architectural tool, to transmit sunlight into the interior of a building, with the goal of reducing energy costs.
A construction material known as LiTraCon® was developed in 2001, in part by Hungarian Architect Aron Losonczi. LiTraCon® stands for “light transmitting concrete,” and is made in such a way as to be translucent. Four percent of the weight of this type of concrete is made up of optical fibers which allow light to pass through it, to a limited extent.
Fiber-optic lighting is widely used in decoration, such as in artificial Christmas trees which incorporate lit-up optical fibers. There are even ways to incorporate fiber-optic lighting into works of art. Simple, yet striking chandeliers for homes and businesses can also be made with optical fiber.
