Lighting is an essential component of any veterinary surgical suite. If you are currently looking to invest in new veterinary surgical lights to enhance the operations of your veterinary practice, you will need to take some time to consider the right fit for your unique practice.
To find lighting that best suits your line of work, here are some of the key factors you should think about before investing in new veterinary surgical lights:
- Colour temperature—This refers to the overall colour the light source produces. While white and blue lights deliver a higher Kelvin temperature, red and yellow lights have a lower Kelvin temperature. When searching for veterinary surgical lights, make sure they are within the 3,000 to 6,700 Kelvin range.
- Illumination—The amount of light intensity output a surgical light head produces is known as its illumination. Illumination is typically measured in lux, and any lights that measure under 40,000 lux aren’t viewed as a good option for surgical use.
- Lifespan—Most veterinary surgical lights manufactured today can usually last up to 60,000 hours of use. However, the lifespan of any light will depend on how long the light will produce up to 70% of its original output instead of its potential full intensity.
- Colour rendering index—The colour rendering index refers to the quality the light produces. For optimally viewing the natural colour of objects, bright daylight is usually preferred, and this has a colour rendering index of 100. The surgical lights you select should have an index somewhere between 80 and 100.