Sterile handle control mechanism

A method for controlling characteristics of light emitted from a surgical light, the method comprising:

• remotely programming a control system of a surgical light, using a remote computing system communicatively connected to the control system, by selecting, at the remote computing system, which of a plurality of characteristics of light emitted from the surgical light are adjustable by the control system based on operation of a handle assembly of the surgical light, wherein the remote computing system is configured to enable different users to program the control system of the surgical light differently such that operation of the handle assembly of the surgical light adjusts characteristics of the light emitted from the surgical light differently for the different users;
• and
• adjusting, using the handle assembly, at least one characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the light emitted from the surgical light according to the selection of which of the plurality of characteristics of light emitted from the surgical light are adjustable by the control system based on the operation of the handle assembly.