Method and system for maximizing the output of surgical lights

A method of illuminating an object comprising:

• providing emitting light from a light housing emitting light therefrom, the light housing;
• moving the light housing relative to the object to be illuminated;
• determining a distance from the light housing to the object to be illuminated by:
• generating a distance measurement by each of a plurality of distance of the light housing, determining a longest distance measurement of the distance measurements generated by the plurality of distance sensors, and selecting the longest distance measurement as the distance from the light housing to the object;
• and
• altering attributes of the light emitted from the light housing depending on the determined distance from the light housing to the object.

A method of illuminating an object comprising:

• emitting first light from a first surgical light connected to a first support arm to illuminate the object;
• measuring a distance from at least a portion of the first surgical light to the object;
• automatically altering at least one attribute of the first light emitted from the first surgical light based only on a change in the distance from the at least a portion of the first surgical light to the object, wherein the at least one attribute of the first light is altered both when the distance is increased and when the distance is decreased;
• and
• emitting second light from a second surgical light connected to a second support arm to illuminate the object;
• emitting an overlap signal from the first surgical light;
• sensing the overlap signal with an overlap sensing sensor of the second surgical light;
• and
• adjusting at least one of the first light and the second light in response to the overlap sensing sensor senses overlap of the first light and the second light.