When it comes to recent developments in surgical lighting, facility administrators may find that seeing is believing. Acquaint yourself with the latest lighting technology to see what's shaping the field. Take light-emitting diodes (LEDs), for instance. In a very short time, their bright but cooler light has become a major advance in the OR.

When shopping for lighting upgrades, remember the importance of seeing the lights yourself, in a surgical environment. Details and descriptions guide you part of the way, but when you actually see the light, you realize what a difference it makes in illuminating the tissue of a surgical site.

— David Moody, RN, BA

Berchtold USA
Chromophare X66
(800) 243-5135
www.berchtoldusa.com
List price: single configuration, $27,000; double configuration, $45,000
Berchtold says its Chromophare X66 features a second-generation, high-intensity discharge technology to deliver 55 percent more light per watt than traditional halogen bulbs with less than 50 percent of the heat. This would create a brighter, cooler OR light.

Carl Zeiss
EyeMag Light
(925) 557-4100
www.zeiss.com
List price: not disclosed
Carl Zeiss says its EyeMag Light, a portable LED unit, is easy to operate, compatible with the company's loupes and equipped with integrated temperature regulation. This LED light source has two levels of brightness and can operate for up to eight hours from the portable battery supply unit.

LumitexMD
MicroBright
(800) 969-5483
ww.lumitex.com
List price: not disclosed
The MicroBright is a miniaturized version of Lumitex's LightMat Surgical Illuminator. Its technology is impressive — it employs LED-based fiber optics and a malleable member to radiate cool, bright, shadowless light into the surgical site.

Medical Illumination International
System One Surgical Lights
(800) 831-1222
www.medillum.com
List price: not disclosed
These portable and wall-mounted lights are both available in 16-inch and 20-inch styles and both feature extended arm reach, says the company. The portable model can fold down along the cantilevered floor stand and the wall model can fold against the wall for compact storage.

SheerVision
FireFly Infinity Ultra Surgical Headlight System
(877) 678-4274
www.sheervision.com
List price: $995
SheerVision's Firefly seems like a really useful system. At 54,000 lux, it's fairly bright for a headlamp; without a cord, your surgeon's not tethered to one place and can move to the other side of the table if he needs to, and a battery that goes six hours on a single charge is fine for most cases.

Steris Corporation
Harmony LED Surgical Lighting
and Visualization System
(800) 548-4873
www.steris.com/harmonyled
List price: not disclosed
Steris's Harmony really stands out with impressive details: The lights use 84 LEDs to produce 160,000 lux of white light with less heat in a small, thin unit, while the flat-panel monitors offer high-definition images for surgical visualization. This might be the most unique system I've seen.

Stryker
Visum LED Surgical Light
(972) 410-7100
www.stryker.com
List price: $28,124
The Visum light incorporates LED technology and a multi-reflector design to keep its cool light bright, says the company. Producing 160,000 lux of white light while eliminating ultraviolet and infrared rays, the reflectors keep the light shadow-free and consistent.

SurgiTel Systems
Universal Fiber Optic Headlight
(800) 959-0153
www.surgitel.com
List price: $800
SurgiTel says this headlight set, which works with the user's eyeglasses or loupes and any fiber optic light source, has been designed to avoid some common drawbacks of traditional headband-mounted lights, including weight, pressure on the head and loupe incompatibility.

Welch Allyn
ProXenon 350 Surgical Illuminator and Headlight System
(866) 801-8428
www.welchallyn.com
List price: not disclosed
Welch Allyn's ProXenon is a fiber-optic light delivery system, comparable to other models and lightweight for user comfort. The company says its headlight projects a spot of 120mm at 16 inches and promotes its control unit's angled surface as easier to see and navigate for adjustment.