September 17, 2004
After a Royal Danish Air Force doctor seared his hand on a hot halogen light
bulb that then burned out, the Danish Air Material Command, the procurement
arm of the Danish air force, conducted a search-and-rescue operation for a cooler
and more reliable lamp to illuminate the medical instruments' table onboard
their medevac helicopters. Expediting their quest was their experience with
LED-sourced lighting and that they knew LEDtronics Inc. could supply it.
Previously, LEDtronics had solved a similar lighting problem on the medevac
helicopters. A halogen bulb in the swing-arm task light above the examination
table made the light fixture too hot for medical personnel to reposition it
when necessary. The solution: A cool-operating, direct incandescent replacement
LED light bulb. John Henckel, the LEDtronics representative for Northern Europe,
recommended a sixty-six 5mm LED PAR20 (part number PAR20-66-2IW-12VDC) bulb
because it's bright and easy to install. The bulb's base conforms to the standard
European E27 socket thereby simplifying swapping out the halogen bulb. Additionally,
the LED PAR20 produces a brilliant white light, making it easy for medical personnel
to see, assess and treat a patient's injuries. The Danish Air Material Command
evaluated bulbs with white LEDs of different color temperature: (1) incandescent
white (4500K) and (2) cool white (8000K). After testing each, they selected
the incandescent white due to its superior color rendering ability that expedited
differentiating between tissue, blood and other bodily fluids. While all these
attributes contributed to the air material command's purchase decision, what
clinched it was how the LED PAR20 always remained cool no matter how long it
remained on.
Once again, the procurement office looked to LEDtronics for an alternative
to the halogen lamp at the instruments table. Henckel had just the thing: the
LEDtronics LED Light Strip (p/n STP527-21W). At a half-inch high, this strip
fits the existing cylindrical fixture and gives off plenty of light. It features
105 narrow-beamed incandescent-white 5mm domed LEDs mounted on a 27"L x 0.75"W
printed circuit board. The strip draws only 0.525A while generating 2000mcd
of focused light. The directional light from LED Light Strips brightly illuminates
the targeted area for optimal viewing without compromising the night vision
of the rest of the helicopter's crew or, most importantly, making the light
fixture hot.
In addition to not producing heat, LEDs have other advantages over halogen
bulbs that make them well suited for strenuous applications like those onboard
helicopters. While halogen bulbs can be broken by vibrations and jolts, LED
lamps integrate solid-state circuitry and sturdy epoxy lenses that make them
practically unbreakable. The solid-state circuitry enables the LED bulbs to
be cycled on and off without worry of sudden burnout. LEDs' robust construction
enables them to operate for as long as 100,000 hours. Also, unlike when the
filament breaks in a halogen bulb, an LED cluster lamp continues to provide
light even if one or more individual emitters fail.
Success in search-and-rescue operations most often depends on time. The faster
medical attention is administered, the greater are the odds of survival. When
every wasted moment puts lives at risk, medical personnel can ill afford distractions
like blistering-hot light fixtures or burned out bulbs. Pleased with the performance
of the LED PAR20 bulbs and LED Light Strips, the Danish Air Material Command
purchased LED lamps to retrofit all of their new helicopters.
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LEDtronics Inc.—located in Torrance, CA—manufactures an array
of LED products ranging from discrete surface mount indicators to direct incandescent
replacement LED lamps and bulbs for applications such as transportation, panel
indication and decorative lighting. LEDs come in visible (400-700 nanometers),
infrared (830-940 nanometers) and ultraviolet (370-410 nanometers) wavelengths.
For additional information, contact LEDtronics toll free at 1-800-579-4875 or
click here to email us. Visit our website at www.LEDtronics.com.
John Henckel is the LEDtronics Representative for Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Headquartered
in southern Denmark, Henckel provides application assistance and other value-added
customer services. He may be contacted through the following: Phone +45 7022
7333 and by email at jh@LEDtronics.dk
Westland Helicopters Limited (WHL) is the UK arm of the joint
venture company AgustaWestland and is the only UK helicopter design authority,
manufacturer and systems integrator. Over 1,000 Westland helicopters are in
service in 19 countries, and between them they have achieved over six million
flying hours. With more than 80 years aviation experience, Westland is renowned
throughout the world as a manufacturer of the most technically advanced, versatile
and reliable helicopters. Westland may be contacted by phone at +44 1935 475222,
by fax at +44 1935 702131 and by email at info@whl.co.uk. Visit their website
at www.whl.co.uk
The Product Used: 25mm Based
Spotlight LED PAR20 Bulbs
