Replacement lamp design relies on inert liquid for cooling allowing Switch Lighting to drive the LEDs at higher current achieving greater brightness with fewer components.

Ventured-funded, San Jose, California-based startup Switch Lighting plans to launch a line of solid-state-lighting (SSL) retrofit lamps at the upcoming Lightfair International event and says they will have products on shelves at major retailers in the 4th quarter. The unique lamp design mounts LEDs facing outward on metal fingers and an inert liquid inside the globe cools the components allowing for higher drive currents and brighter light from fewer components.

Switch Chief Strategy Officer Brett Sharenow boldly compared the Switch design to the Philips 60W replacement lamp that is currently on the market. Sharenow noted that the 12W Philips design utilizes 18 LEDs and outputs 830 lm. The 75W replacement pictured here consumes 16W and uses only 10 LEDs to output 1150 lm.

Of course there are many tradeoffs that come into play when you increase drive currents such as potentially shorter lifetime and greater cost for the cooling system. Plus the comparison with the Philips design is inherently unfair. LED components are constantly improving and the Switch design is likely based on one generation newer components than is the Philips product.

Still Switch