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I L L U M I N A T I O N
2. Your surgeons have to keep adjusting
the overhead lights or asking their partner
to shine their headlight their way to complete the case.
3. The headlamp drifts and recoils after
surgeons set it. You'll want a lamp that's
easy to adjust and stays where you need
it.
NATURAL COLORATION The brighter light provided by LEDs renders tissue more favorably. LEDs
maintain their intensity with no perceivable drop off
in brightness as compared with xenon bulbs.
4. The light's bright in the middle, but dim
on the sides. The light should be even,
from edge to edge.
5. It's uncomfortable. The ideal headlight
TRY THIS QUICK TEST
Are Your Headlights Bright Enough? should feel like a comfortable hat. Does
ere are 5 signs that your
the cooling apparatus that some head-
headlights aren't up to the job:
lights include make them heavier or
1. The headlight doesn't stay
unwieldy? Does the headlight create pres-
H
bright. This is more a function of the type
sure points that you'll have to pad with
of bulb the headlight uses: fiber-optic
gauze during every use in order to avoid
xenon or light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
soreness or irritation?
Xenon bulbs, which provide a bright,
— Compiled by Dan O'Connor
focused beam, gradually lose intensity
over time and require replacement. LEDs
are more expensive than xenon bulbs, but
have a much longer life and are much
cooler. LEDs use solid-state semiconductors instead of filaments to generate light
more intense than xenon bulbs with little
heat and a color temperature that can
reach 10,000°K.
3 4
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2014
