Surgical lamps or operating lamps are lighting equipment used mainly in surgery. These lamps provide a homogeneous light, without shadows, on the area to be operated.
What criteria should you take into account when choosing a surgical light?
It is recommended to take into account several criteria when purchasing a surgical light, such as the uniformity of the illumination, the diameter of the illuminated field or the type of bulbs. Other characteristics, such as available accessories, weight, and mobility of the equipment can also be considered.
- Illumination uniformity: This criterion is essential, as human vision only works well in a uniformly illuminated field. If the light from the lamp is not homogeneous, it may be a technical deficiency of the equipment itself that will create shadow areas, forcing the professional to adjust the lighting frequently. Generally, surgical lamps have thick lenses that ensure even light distribution, allowing proper focus on the surface and depth of the surgical field.
- Illuminated field diameter: this is the surface illuminated by the surgical light. Make sure the diameter of the illuminated field is suitable for the intended uses.
- Light intensity: should be between 8,000 and 36,000 Lux. In general, the intensity of the light can be adjusted to suit different surgical uses.
- Bulb type: You can choose halogen surgical lamps or LED surgical lamps. Neutral white LEDs provide excellent identification of red and yellow tones, and allow easy distinguishing between tissues and organs. Furthermore, most do not emit significant amounts of blue light, which is harmful to the retina in the case of prolonged exposures. Yellow light, used in some halogen lamps, tends to distort color perception, and can be misleading when making diagnoses, for example.
- Color temperature: it should be approximately 4,500 Kelvin.
Should I choose a halogen or LED type surgical light?
Today, surgical lamps with LED bulbs are the most widely used. These have a number of advantages over halogen bulbs, but they also have disadvantages. Among the advantages, the following stand out:
- Durability: last 10-12 times longer than halogen bulbs.
- Electricity consumption: it is much lower than that of halogen bulbs.
- Minimum heat emission: the heat generated by the LED bulbs is minimal, so they hardly alter the ambient temperature of the operating room.
Among the disadvantages, the following stand out
- Harmful blue light for the retina emitted by some LEDs: excessive exposure can cause damage to the retina and contribute to the development of various pathologies, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The use of cold light LEDs (> 5,000 Kelvin) is discouraged as they predominantly emit blue light (HEV).
- Price: While LED bulbs are more expensive than halogen bulbs, their far superior durability makes up for this disadvantage.
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