Dermatologists often prescribe cortisone for neurodermatitis therapy. Although the hormone brings relief to patients, it also has known side effects such as an increase in blood pressure or water retention in the tissue. Cold light beds are therefore sensible and efficient alternatives, especially since these are not limited to the treatment of neurodermatitis in their applications. Schulze & Böhm GmbH uses small shock absorbers from ACE to protect their latest UVA-1 bed, type "Medisun Xenia UVA-1", from damage.

Schulze & Böhm GmbH from Brühl near Cologne, which with its medisun products has been a constant for dermatologists worldwide for almost 25 years, is considered critical when selecting and determining suppliers and cooperation partners: “We owe that to our target groups. From the large university clinic to the on-site dermatologist, the hospital managers, purchasing groups and also the treating doctors are dependent on high-quality and long-lasting products not only because of the dictates of the empty coffers in our health system.

They have much more to protect the greatest good of all with the health of their patients ”, says managing director Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Schulze. He likes to go into the second round of cooperation with ACE shock absorber GmbH from Langenfeld and explains: “It has paid off that we have already proceeded very carefully when selecting the accessories for our“ Dyna Lux 700 ”solution. We did not experience any negative surprises with the industrial gas springs used there for photodynamic therapy - on the contrary, the service from ACE has confirmed our good choice for years. "

Therapy couch with highly efficient lamp technology

So it came about that the designers turned to ACE again for their new UVA-1 therapy couch medisun XENIA UVA-1, which has already been used successfully in some universities. The couch in the patented futuristic design works in the so-called UVA1 / blue spectrum from 340 - 450 nm and is used for the treatment of neurodermatitis, circumscribed scleroderma. In addition, it is not only extremely energy-saving thanks to its highly efficient lamp technology, but also has numerous other advantages. In contrast to conventional UV beds with high pressure lamps, the medisun solution does not require any warm-up time, for example, to achieve full lamp energy.

Calculate, design and order gas cable and gas pressure springs

Its computer control allows dosing to be precise to the second, and partial irradiations are also possible without any problems. The high variability of the lamp modules makes it easy to set any desired UV intensity. The low overall height and the space-saving rotating mechanism of the lamp head allow installation in almost all rooms. Since the patient can see through between the lamp modules, adjusting a feeling of tightness is next to impossible. But even without fearful patients and panic attacks, opening the rotating module too quickly is conceivable. In order to be prepared for this case, the manufacturer of the innovative phototherapy systems envisaged securing the end positions. This should ensure optimal handling of the medisun loungers.

Individually adjustable small shock absorber

ACE normally uses a proprietary computer program to design and select the optimal damping elements. In contrast to z. In the present case, however, there was insufficient design data for this procedure, for example for applications from manufacturing technology or automation. ACE's service was demonstrated by the fact that the damping experts, taking into account the 300 kg weight of the cold light bed, recommended two small shock absorbers of the type MA225M for a test series and delivered them for trial.

The maintenance-free, ready-to-install hydraulic braking elements also stood out in the tests in Brühl due to their individual adjustability. In contrast to self-adjusting types, which are used when sufficient design data are available, the required damping can be set in the application on site or adapted in the test series until it is ready for series production.

As assumed by the ACE designers, it was found on site that both the maximum effective mass of 226 kg and the maximum energy consumption of 25 Nm per stroke are absolutely sufficient for the present case. If you have the picture of the medisun XENIA UVA-1 in mind, the design and the maximum amount of kinetic energy that can be dissipated may surprise you at first glance. However, it must be taken into account that not the entire cold light bed, but only its radiant canopy has to be swiveled and thus braked in an emergency.

Customers can hire themselves

The adjustment and integration of the small shock absorbers is so easy that the customers of ACE can do it themselves. The long strokes of 19 mm result in very little braking and support. Nevertheless, they are to be regarded as a compact element for the therapy device of 280 cm length. Because in the extended state, the MA225M series damper measures just 11,8 cm and only weighs 130 g. For managing directors and designers in this case an additional purchase argument: "Anything but a small, not noticeable security element would have counteracted our concept of a high-quality medical technology product for dermatologists", Andreas Schulze sums it up.

As in Brühl, the longevity of its own products is given the highest priority in Langenfeld. And since the small shock absorbers are usually subjected to significantly more frequent load changes in automation and production technology, their lifetimes of several million strokes lead to a UV therapy table such as the medisun XENIA UVA-1 confidently extending to the end of life on a small shock absorber can bind.