A slit lamp bulb provides bright, focused light for examining the eye's fine structures, typically using halogen bulbs (like 12V30W) in older models or advanced LEDs in newer ones, offering heat reduction, long life (50,000+ hrs for LEDs), and consistent color. These bulbs are crucial for creating the adjustable light slit (beam) and filters (heat, blue, red-free) needed for detailed 3D visualization of the cornea, iris, lens, and anterior chamber, helping diagnose various eye conditions.
Slit Lamp & Microscope Bulb
Overview
Types of Slit Lamp Bulbs
- Halogen: Traditional bulbs (e.g., 12V30W) that produce intense light but also significant heat, requiring heat-absorbing filters.
- LED (Light Emitting Diode): Modern standard, offering less heat, longer life (tens of thousands of hours), and stable color temperature, improving patient comfort.
Key Functions of the Bulb/Light Source
- Illumination: Creates a bright, adjustable slit (beam) of light, variable in height, width, and angle.
- Visualization: Allows detailed 3D viewing of the eye's anterior segment (conjunctiva, cornea, iris, lens) and, with special lenses, the posterior segment (retina, optic nerve).
- Diagnosis: Essential for detecting issues like corneal abrasions, cataracts, glaucoma (via anterior chamber analysis), and retinal tears.