SLIT LAMPS (all makes and models)

WARNING: WHEN CHANGING LAMPS, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE HAD AMPLE TIME TO COOL AS THEY MAY CAUSE BURNS WHEN HOT

Lamp not illuminating
Tungsten lamps with a projection filament as used in most types of slit lamp can fail so that the lamp will not illuminate but it appears to be perfectly OK so just because a lamp looks like it should work does not mean that it will. Always try a new lamp before calling out an engineer.

Also, if you have changed a lamp and the old one looks OK but does not work, THROW IT AWAY. There have been many instances I have been called out to a slit lamp still not working after the lamp has been changed only to find that the replacement lamp tried was the dead one which had been put back in the drawer last time it was changed because it looked OK. If the old lamp doesn’t work but the new one does, throw the old one away!

Lamp very dim or only bright on one side
This problem is usually caused by the lamp not being seated correctly. Most slit lamp bulbs have a mounting flange which usually has a cut out which locates into a peg on the slit lamp bulb mounting. This feature ensures the lamp filament is correctly aligned and orientated. If the lamp is not correctly seated and the cut out not correctly located, this will result in the illumination being dim or uneven. In some cases, misalignment of the lamp can cause there to be 2 slits when working with a narrow slit.

If you are experiencing these types of problems, try taking out the lamp and re-inserting it correctly. TAKE GREAT CARE AND ALLOW THE LAMP TO COOL IF IT HAS BEEN ON RECENTLY AS LAMPS CAN BE EXTREMELY HOT AND CAUSE BURNS! If you are happy that the lamp is correctly seated but the problem still persists, try replacing the lamp. See our list of bulbs and consumables.

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