New Sun-bath Lamp

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 48, 13 June 1930, Page 32

New Sun-bath Lamp

Harmless to Eyes APPREHENSION has hitherto been felt in some quarters as to possibly injurious effects of ultra-violet rays upon the- eyesight. They are, of course, perfectly safe if goggles are worn, or the eyes of the patient bandaged. A new mercury health lamp is,

however, now available, for which not even these precautions are needed. The heart of the lamp is a bulb containing both a filament and mercury-are generator. When. current is passed through it, the filament becomes heated, and in-turn heats a pool of mercury in the bowl of the bulb. The mercury vapour rises, and creates an are across a tungsten lamp, whose electrodes project from the filament supports. The lamp is burned with the base up, and requires a current regulator, consumption differing when are and filament burn separately and together. When used with the proper reflector, the lamp produces light containing both infrared and ultta-violet rays. The extremely short ultra-violet rays likely to affect the eyes are screened out by the bulb material, so that no eye protection is needed, in spite of the fact that the lamp provides brilliant illumination.