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Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, MN is internationally recognized for the treatment of children, teens and adults who have disabilities and complex medical needs. Many patients at Gillette need imaging exams — often multiple times per year throughout their lives. Other Gillette patients have different medical needs such as abnormally tight muscles, called spasticity and still others require wheelchairs or respirators. For these patients, especially children, the exams they undergo can be scary and lying still in one position for an extended period of time is very uncomfortable.

Recognizing that children with disabilities have unique imaging needs, Gillette opened its Advanced Imaging Center in June 2008. Located on the third floor of Gillette's St. Paul hospital, the imaging center aims to make imaging exams a less frightening — even positive — experience for Gillette patients through innovative design and integrated use of light, video imagery and sound.

"It's a concept we call Positive Distraction," says Michael Cohen, a principal with Schuler Shook, a Minneapolis lighting design firm. "Our goal was to create an immersive environment, the focus of which allows the process for a medical procedure to occur in a most pleasant and cooperative manner."

Before entering the CT exam room, each patient can choose from one of six video themes that will be played while the diagnostic procedure is performed. Options include coral reefs, hot air balloons, outer space, baby animals, shapes and forests.

"Children normally don't have much of a say with respect to the medical treatment they receive," says Jim Singh, Advanced Imaging Supervisor at Gillette. "The freedom to choose their own video is a big deal to them."

Mounted on the ceiling above the CT scanner are several integrated flat-panel video screens. These screens are flanked on either side by solid-state LED downlights. A surround sound audio system completes the final element.

From a visual standpoint, the video screens and solid-state downlights operate in complete unison. Each program is run off a computer hard drive, including the musical portion which is synchronized to the video and downlight displays.