by
Barbara Kram, Editor | November 13, 2007
Hospitals in need of additional lighting systems look to ISOs for cost-effective pre-owned solutions, according to industry experts at DOTmed.com. "A hospital can save as much as 60 to 70 percent of new," notes Juan Sandoval, Monterrey Medical Equipment, San Antonio, TX. The company sells and services O/R lights in southern Texas and in Mexico.
Yet another value of ISOs to hospitals is to fill in resource gaps for the internal biomedical staff. "I go into hospitals when their biomed team gets overloaded. Miami Children's Hospital and Baptist will call me when their workload exceeds what they can handle," says Randy Lowers, L&R Services, Miramar, FL. The company services lighting primarily in private practices and outpatient surgery centers.
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A technician at
ACE Medical Equipment
tests an O/R light.
Lights, Camera, Medical Gases!
If the O/R is an operating theater, as it's often called, today's sophisticated surgical lighting systems could be thought of as special effects for the production.
The biggest trend lately is the installation of overhead boom systems, which are electrical hubs that position equipment including the lights, video monitors, communications, medical gases, IVs and other clinical tools.
As with most medical equipment, surrounding systems and the facility size can greatly influence your lighting choices. Ceiling height in the O/R procedure room is the most critical limitation, with a minimum requirement of more than 9 feet for most lighting systems. The articulating arms of the lights need a wide berth to swing, typically at least 14 feet. The light heads themselves are also quite large. For example O/R lights for cardiac surgical procedures measure three feet in diameter. Electrical support and clearance from ventilation are other factors in room design. The building structure must also be strong enough to support the lighting stem, boom, track or plate.
"When we sell a light, we never just sell the light," Kleyman says. "We always communicate with the building and electrical contractor. We have to make sure the structure is done right and we have to understand the wiring."
The other constraint is the surgeon who is probably accustomed to hospital lighting of 12,000 to 15,000 foot candles and will notice the difference if refurbished lighting does not match the illumination they expect.
