Welcome to the Shor-Line Blog!

Seeing the Benefit of Certified Surgery Lights

Posted on Mon, Feb 15, 2016 @ 03:52 PM

Shor-Line announced that the Prelude LED Surgery Lights are UL/CSA certified, but some ask why it matters. The simple answer is that the lights are certified to Medical Electrical Equipment (Surgical Luminaire) standards…and not all manufacturers are willing to invest in that level of scrutiny.

DOUBLE_ARM_CEILING72_DPI.jpg

To become certified, the LED lights need to conform to rigorous standards of performance for both human and veterinary standards. Light brightness and color clarity must fall consistently into given specifications, and the lights must meet stringent manufacturing standards and testing.

Switching over to LED surgery lights or upgrading your current lights is a big decision. A U.S. Department of Energy task force developed a great report on LED surgery lights that is a must read for anyone moving to LEDs. It will help you evaluate your choices.


Features to consider

The Prelude LED Surgery Lights have superior features to the halogen lights you have been using during surgery.

  • Uses less wattage to produce equivalent light levels and therefore saves money in the longterm.
  • Emits less heat into the room than halogen lights, which provides more comfort to the patient, surgeon and assistants.
  • Promises greater bulb life and predictable performance in an operating room setting.

These are features to consider:

  • High illumination. A significant amount of light is required, by standard, for surgery. The Prelude gives you 90,000 LUX at one meter.
  • Shadow reduction. Contour shadows help you distinguish the organs and masses during surgery while contrast shadows are distracting. The ideal light provides a balance, which is one of the more important features of the Prelude.
  • Color temperature. Color temperatures below 3500 degrees K can take on a red or pink hue, distorting your view of the important red spectrum. The Prelude has a 4500 degrees K color temperature. (Daylight at noon is 4000 to 6500K.)
  • Adjustable positioning. Likely there will be several veterinarians using the light, so the light needs to position easily for the tallest vet and the shortest vet. The Prelude has a 360-degree positioning flexibility with no light head drift.

What works for your practice?

The Prelude LED Surgery Light can last up to 100,000 hours, which could be the remainder of your practicing life. Shor-Line  quality is known for durability, so making our LED light stand the test of time was important.

During this time, the Surgery Light will serve many veterinarians and technicians of different heights and working styles. At trade shows, we encourage veterinarians to move the lights in circles and quickly position them. In short, to see if the light can be adjusted to their comfort level.

Our surgery arm system is the most flexible in the industry, allowing you to move it 360 degrees. It stays where you put it and does not drift. No matter where you need the light positioned, it will be there.

Like many technical improvements, the products become more affordable as high-quality manufacturers develop ways to deliver the quality you need at the price you can afford. The Prelude LED Surgery Lights are performing under the highest medical standards for surgical lighting affordable in the veterinary market.

 quote_art2

 

Tags: veterinary clinic, veterinary, Hospital Design, New Products, Veterinary Surgery Lights

Seeing Veterinary Surgery in a New Light

Posted on Fri, Apr 04, 2014 @ 08:51 AM

It is just a few years ago that LPrelude dual ceiling mount surgery lightED lights became state-of-the-art in human surgical suites. Now they are quickly making their way into veterinary practices.

Shor-Line released a series of LEDs in 2014 to give veterinarians the same benefits human surgeons have experienced. Research done by manufacturers (including Shor-Line) as well as third parties have validated the strides LEDs have made in the last decade.

The question facing veterinarians is, “When should I update my surgical suite?”  The data now clearly shows that LED provides accurate light color, including good color in the red spectrum, at a lower cost over the life of the bulbs with less heat created in the surgical suite.

U.S. Department of Energy Study

The U.S. Department of Energy has been excited about LEDs because of the tremendous potential for energy savings. In 2011, its LED Surgical Task Lighting study confirmed that, compared with halogen lights, LED lights:

  • Used less wattage to produce equivalent light levels.
  • Were cooler to the touch and emitted less heat into the room.
  • Promised greater life and a non-catastrophic failure mechanism.

Overall, the study suggested that LEDs “can allow for reductions in connected load of 50 percent or more, with potential additional energy savings through constant-color dimming and reduced cooling load in the operating room.”

Shor-Line Beta Tests

When Shor-Line was developing its LEDs for use in surgery, the company did beta testing with practicing veterinarians. Veterinary practices need many of the same features as human medicine with more flexibility and portability. Shor-Line spent most of 2013 beta testing the new Prelude Series LED Surgery Lights in veterinary practices.

George Gates, DVM, SurgeryGeorge Gates, DVM, at Prairie Village Animal Hospital in Prairie Village, Kan., was one of the testers.

“It far surpasses any of the previous technology, as far as I am concerned,” he said. “In 50 years of surgery, I have never seen anything that compares.”

His favorite features are “the bright illumination, cool burning and the direct beam of light on the surgical field.”

The testing helped perfect a durable LED that could move and rotate to a variety of positions. Gates and the other veterinarians in his practice gave many suggestions on improving the adjustability to the lights. He gives the finished product a high grade for listening to feedback.

Shor-Line “greatly improved the adjustability. This allows you to put the light where it is needed.”

How the Prelude Series PerformsGatesPVAHPreludewidemonitor

The Prelude Series has the key benefits of upgrading to LED lights:

  • Excellent light source that better maintains tissue moisture.
  • A color temperature of 4,500 K that gives the user visual clarity, especially in the important red color spectrum.
  • An illumination range of 10,000 to 90,000 LUX.

Investing in LED lights not only makes sense from an energy perspective, but studies of have shown the lights also decrease eye fatigue and the operating theater remains a more comfortable temperature.

The office staff will like them as well. There is little to no maintenance required because the bulbs will last for 75,000 to 100,000 hours.

For more information on upgrading to LED lights in your surgical suite, call 888-551-4062.

 quote_art2

Tags: veterinary equipment, Animal Care, Shor-Line, New Products, Veterinary Surgery Lights, Veterinary care