Availability
The first company to export these lamps to the United States was the "Sacred Crane" brand as reported by the FDA 510K pre-market notification. The TDP lamp was patented in China in 1992 and was granted the Medical Apparatus and Instruments Certificate by the China State Medicine Bureau.
The company who holds the Chinese patent has been unable to successfully enforce the patent, which has resulted in approximately twenty-three manufacturers selling their versions of the TDP mineral lamp. The Chongqing Silicate Research Institute (CSRI) is the Chinese patent holder, and sells the lamp under the trademarked names "Changle" and "Gou-Gong." The North American importation of Gou-Gong lamps by C&H International in Houston, Texas ceased in June 2007.
The importer reported that the components supplier for the heating element used in Gou-Gong lamps and most other brands was producing inferior parts. The failure rate of the heating elements spiked in lamps manufactured after July 2006 from an estimated 2% failure rate to an over 50% failure rate.
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