Looking Back and Looking Forward: Putting an End to Work Related Pain
ErgoPractice News – January 2015
Since 1932 General Scientific Corporation made optics for industrial, military, and scientific applications. And in 1993 SurgiTel, a Division of General Scientific Corporation (GSC), introduced the world’s first ergonomic loupes to help dentists and surgeons work with comfortable neck postures. SurgiTel’s founding mission is to provide clinicians with ergonomically designed vision products. This was accomplished by combining the traditional optical technologies of General Scientific Corporation with ergonomic principles used for designing military visual display systems.
GSC’s engineering teams developed advanced optical/electronic display systems for fighter jets for many years. This required a deep understanding of the visual functions of the human eye and illumination technology. Knowledge acquired from the design of these advanced military display systems has been applied to designing SurgiTel loupes and headlights.
As we look back over the past 22 years, we recognize moments of achievement with the creation of new ergonomic products, never available before. And we remember many thanks from many customers; often clinicians would say that SurgiTel’s ergonomic products saved their career. During the last 22 years, SurgiTel developed advanced ergonomic loupes, headlights, and many important companion products which are promoting the pain-free practice of dentistry and surgery.
Never before seen innovations which SurgiTel has introduced over the last 20 years include:
- Front-lens-mounted (FLM) loupes with adjustable declination angle with vertical adjustability
- Portable halogen headlights using rechargeable battery technology
- Ergonomic frames which allow through-the-lens (TTL) loupes to have steeper declination angles
- Compact loupes which are significantly lighter than traditional loupes
- Loupe-mounted digital video cameras
- Combination of Oakley’s sport, eye protection glasses with SurgiTel’s advanced loupes: Oakley eyeglasses meet SurgiTel’s ergonomic requirements and have been used by US soldiers
- Micro-line loupes which are the lightest among all comparable loupes
- LED headlights with an achromatic, uniform beam that offers the best color accuracy are safest for our eyes. The achromatic beam eliminated drawbacks of other LED lights’ beams which are not uniform and have poor color balance
- No-Touch LED headlights using an IR sensor which can prevent potential cross-contamination
With the use of SurgiTel’s ergonomic vision products, clinicians are able to practice dentistry and surgery pain-free. SurgiTel’s patented, achromatic LED headlights offer the best color accuracy and are the safest for our eyes. However, even today, many clinicians use traditionally designed loupes and headlights which force them to work with poor working postures. This results in chronic neck pain, herniated cervical disks, eye strains, or potential retina damage. They do not know that their eye strain and neck pain are due to the use of poor headlights and non-ergonomically designed loupes.
It is well known that teaching ergonomic postures is not easy. This is because they do not come naturally and they are not even required to learn like a golf or tennis swing. And because young clinicians/students can work for many years before they feel posture-related pain, they do not connect their pain to the main cause: traditionally designed (non-ergonomic) loupes used by the majority of dental professionals and surgeons.
In 2015, SurgiTel will continue to focus on the development of educational materials that help clinicians practice dentistry and surgery pain-free. We will also continue to support educational programs that teach ergonomic principles and the benefits of ergonomic tools.
In today’s modern age, no one needs to work in pain. Our advanced vision products and ergonomic stools allow users to work with the safest postures. If you are a clinician who experienced work-related pain or injuries, you should share your story with young clinicians. One way to do this is to share your story with us, and we will share your story with others.
Sharing your ergonomic experiences can literally save your peers’ careers. Sharing the benefits of high power loupes can help your peers improve their clinical procedures. Sharing your experiences with ergonomic seating can help your peers sit and work comfortably and safely.
One way to share your story with a number of your peers, all at once, is through us. Through our ErgoPractice News or our website, you can make an impact on people currently suffering from working pain, or about to.
Please contact me to share your experience. If we publish your story, you will be recognized a member of our Ergonomic Educators club. As a member, you will receive a special recognition award as well as special membership benefits. Just one example: the opportunity to evaluate brand new products!
Contact me with your story right away. Together we can put an end to work-related pain!
Jin Chang PhD
jchang@surgitel.com
