Halogen vs. Xenon vs. LED Medical Light Bulbs

To cope with and successfully perform complicated and demanding surgical and minimally invasive medicalprocedures like endoscopy, colonoscopy, gastroscopy and cystoscopy, proper lighting is as imperative as the experience and expertise of the medical staff and surgeons. For example, during internal diagnosis quality lighting helps doctors in proper diagnosis of the problem. Proper diagnosis then helps doctors recommend the best treatment plan to the patient.

When it comes to selecting medical light bulbs, it’s not easy typically because there is so much variety to choose from such as halogen bulbs, Xenon bulbs and LED bulbs. To develop a better understanding of these replacement bulbs continue reading.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs– traditional yet effective! These bulbs use halogen gas that interacts with the filament to produce light by sending an electrical current through it. Halogen medical light bulbs  have a typical rated life of about 2000 hours which is approximately 2 times longer as compared to a standard incandescent light. On average, these bulbs produce 10-35 lumens per watt. They emit crisp white light ideal to perform surgical procedures. They are cost effective and efficient. Many Outpatient Surgery Centers and Veterinary hospitals use halogen powered surgical lights during surgical procedures. In fact, many applications in ophthalmic surgery and diagnostics also continue to use these lights.

Xenon Medical Light Bulbs

Featuring high light output, stable and warm color temperature and full spectrum lighting that matches natural sunlight, 300W Xenon lamps are perfect for medical applications where precise nuances of color truly matters such as in procedures like endoscopy. Xenon replacement bulbs have perfect color rendering indexes of 100. This means that they accurately portray colors. This is essential in diagnosing internal problems in the body. Xenon bulbs don’t produce as much heat as other bulbs and emit minimal UV rays. This feature makes these bulbs safe to use.

Did you know a typical Xenon replacement bulb has a rated life of 10,000 hours? In comparison to a halogen lamp, Xenon bulb lasts five times longer and is slightly more expensive than any halogen bulb. It is also known as High Intensity Discharge Bulb and works the same way as the halogen bulb.

LED Bulbs

LED bulbs are the latest addition to the medical lighting field. LED surgical lights offer improved color and clarity as compared to incandescent bulbs. Though LED lights are a great addition but these bulbs are unbelievably expensive. They are 10 times more expensive then halogen bulbs. Imagine the increase in the cost of switching to LED bulbs. This is probably the main reason why majority of medical professionals are still using halogen and Xenon bulbs to power their surgical and minimally invasive procedures rather than upgrading to LED lamps.