LED surgical lights

LED surgical lighting systems are transforming today’s Operating Rooms. First introduced in the healthcare market in November 2005, LED lighting system design and performance have made significant strides in becoming not only clinically acceptable, but clinically superior in performance (and preferred) over halogen lighting systems within hospitals across the country. LED lights are typically 20-30% more expensive to purchase than halogen, but have demonstrated to most hospital facilities a justifiable greater value overall worthy of the technology benefits LED technology provides over halogen. Some of these advantages include requiring ½ to 1/3 the energy to power the LED lighting systems along with brighter intensity, significantly less heat than halogen lights produce, long lasting LEDs of 10-15 years vs. halogen bulbs that burn out and must be changed frequently (typically after 1,000 hours of use) with multiple bulb changes required over the life product.

It is expected that the LED lighting systems will continue to steadily replace halogen lighting within operating rooms and are expected to entirely replace halogen technology by 2015. LED lighting is not only taking a dominant hold in the surgical lighting market. LED lights are now also making favorable in-roads within other patient care areas, including Emergency and Exam Rooms. Other patient treatment areas and applications are sure to follow.

One of the superior benefits of LED over halogen technology is that LED lighting systems deliver high intensity lighting while producing significantly less heat. Surgeons and the entire surgical team are therefore much more comfortable, even during extended cases. Surgical lighting that produces high intensity with a fraction of the heat is also safer for the patient. In addition, hospitals typically must cool their operating rooms down to help make the surgical team more comfortable owing to the heat previously generated by halogen lighting and other powered equipment within the operating room - further driving up energy costs which, by deploying LED lighting systems, helps further reduce heat and energy requirements.  

Reliability is another key LED lighting benefit over halogen. Halogen lights contain a tungsten filament that heats up and glows to produce light within each bulb when the lighthead is turned on. Tungsten filaments are thin and over time, the process of heating them up and cooling them down as the light is turned off and on takes its toll. Eventually the filament breaks, which causes the halogen bulb to "burn out". An interruption of a primary light source during a surgical procedure is unfavorable for the surgeon and the patient, as the loss surgical light compromises the surgeon's ability to adequately visualize the surgical site. LED lighting, alternatively, is a solid state technology. By design, there is no filament present within an LED that can "burn out". LEDs are not "bulbs". LED surgical lights are designed to produce light in the visual spectrum (vs. all different wavelengths) which can be used for illumination.  This is a tremendous advantage over halogen lighting technology, which produces light of all different wavelengths, including Infrared (heat) and ultraviolet wavelength light. Infrared light creates associated heat which halogen lighting systems are widely known for. LEDs greatly lower energy requirements without sacrificing intensity. Filters are typically used with halogen lights to reduce heat, but are not needed with LED lights.  

The clinical benefits of LED lighting to the surgeon, surgical team and patient are multiple, including: (1) brighter intensity (up to 160,000 lux), (2) significantly less heat (3) comfortable to work under - even for extended periods,(4) excellent shadow control (owing to multiple light sources vs. a single source which provides adequate illumination even when physical obstructions like a surgeon's head or hands enter the beam, (5) extended life of LED over halogen (an estimated 10 to 15 years vs. a few thousand hours) and the elimination frequent 'bulb' changes AND associated OR room downtime to replace bulbs over the same 10 to 15 year period.   

Today's LED lighting systems can also be equipped with High Definition (HD) cameras, which provide superior visualization technology for delivering dynamic, superb quality video images for teaching, teleconferencing and documentation. LED lighting systems can also be equipped with High Definition (HD) Flat panel displays and/or booms, based upon the demands of today's integrated Operating Rooms which typically require a minimum of 4 HD video displays and digital video, data and communications  capability to support these advanced surgical procedures.

Some LED lighting systems also provide the ability to adjust the color temperature of the LED lighting system, based upon a particular surgeon's preference. Surgeons can choose between 4,000 or 4,500K to best optimize visualization needs and preferences. The color temperature of 4,000K provides surgeons with soft white, non-glare illumination which helps to minimize eye fatigue and better differentiate blood, soft tissue and vasculature. The slightly higher 4,500K color temperature delivers a brighter white color temperature, sometimes preferred by surgeons when working with bone or nerve applications such as in orthopedic or neurosurgery.  Variables come down to surgeon personal choice, optimization and  flexibility to utilize the LED lighting system as desired for every procedure.

Skytron Aurora II LED surgical lighting systems provide bright intensity with minimal heat, up to 160,000 lux  (the highest intensity rating permitted by International Electrical Code (IEC) governing surgical light standards). In addition, Aurora II LED provides surgeons with their choice of color temperature (4,000 or 4,500K), as well as direct control of lighting intensity and focus, for every procedure. Aurora II LED's true focus control also permits surgeons to optimize performance of the surgical lights for deep cavity illumination. Applications frequently requiring deep cavity illumination include neurosurgery,  thoracic, cardiovascular and vascular procedures. Aurora II LED also maintains maximum intensity over greater working distances, as are frequently require for trauma, orthopedic and urology procedures where surgical lighthead positioning may exceed 60 inches (1.5 meters) from the surgical site. 

LED lighting technology provides unmatched, clinically superior solutions that are transforming lighting applications throughout the healthcare space; including ease of use, low heat production, efficient and low energy requirements, ultra low maintenance and enhanced patient care and safety.