Note: This report originally appeared in the September 2008 edition of DOTmed Business News. A list of registered users that provide sales & service can be found at the end.

Lighting is the most important element in the interior design of any room and the operating room is no exception.

"Even if hospitals don't do anything else to upgrade the OR room, they can leave the tables and all the other equipment alone and just change the lights," said Gus Antus, President, Ampro International, Ltd., Gilbert, AZ.

The U.S. market for new OR lights is about $130 million and growing steadily, sparked by new advances.

"Lighting has become more top-of mind than it was even five or six years ago. It's a good market space to be in right now," said Alan Campbell, Product Manager for Surgical Lighting, Berchtold USA, Charleston, S.C. "Essentially we are growing with the continuation of the [hospital] building boom. One concern is -- will we to continue to build hospitals in the United States at the pace we have in the past? The informed opinion is that the boom has started to slow over the last couple of years. This renewed interest in lights has allowed us to grow a little faster than the overall hospital market as a whole."

The used equipment market also has a bright future. The OEMs have come out with new cutting-edge surgical lighting systems, putting used but still serviceable equipment on the market for healthcare providers who can rely on traditional halogen lighting or even the prior sealed bulb technology. Independent service organizations (ISOs) buy, sell, refurbish and service older systems to provide a cost-saving alternative.

"We have been able to shine with hospitals and surgery centers that want to maintain their current equipment and not purchase new," said Paul Larson, VP of Sales, Beacon Surgical Inc., Fort Wayne, IN. "At the same time, LED lighting has exploded in the market. More and more hospitals are experimenting with that technology."




LED is the cutting-edge in surgical lights for major in-patient procedures. Priced anywhere from about $25,000 to $40,000 for a dual light system, LED is high-end in its segment but affordable compared to other medical equipment. After all, an X-ray tube alone in a CT scanner can run six figures. Nevertheless, to save on OR lighting, healthcare providers often choose lower-cost halogen or pre-owned lighting systems to meet a tight budget. Industry experts at DOTmed.com report that refurbished halogen lighting is often priced at less than half the cost of new equipment- a dual set of new halogen lights costs up to about $20,000. LED systems are brand new and not available pre-owned.

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