By Healthcare Facilities Today

Children’s Hospital Colorado performs more than 800 heart catheter procedures and more than 500 heart surgeries annually. As part of a 10-story, $230 million East Tower facility that opened in October 2012, the Aurora, Colo. hospital was looking for a way to enhance the working environment and energy efficiency in the cardiac unit.

Studies have shown that natural light in hospital operating rooms helps medical staff maintain alertness, while relieving stress and enhancing their mood. Operating rooms pose rigorous design challenges and the OR windows at Children's Hospital Colorado had to address higher humidity in the ORs, natural light controls for the procedures performed, higher energy performance to meet the hospital's LEED goals and strict infection control requirements.

Shades and integral blinds were ruled out due to their high maintenance costs, infection control issues and difficult operation by physicians and staff. Ultimately, SageGlass, an electronically tintable dynamic glass that maximizes daylight and outdoor views in buildings while controlling glare and heat gain, was selected for the cardiac operating rooms. The glass can darken or clear on demand or automatically. SageGlass is also a solid-state glazing technology, making it much easier to keep clean and sterile.
 
A growing number of hospitals and healthcare organizations are incorporating dynamic glass to help improve the healing efficacies and energy efficiency of their facilities. For example, the VA Medical Center in Memphis installed SageGlass in a post-traumatic stress disorder clinic to provide a more relaxing, healing environment for returning veterans.

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