Patent ID: 8613538

Claim:
An endoscopic system comprising: an endoscope; an optical cable; and an illumination system for producing light and for launching the light into a proximal end of the optical cable connecting the illumination system to the endoscope, the illumination including: a light source having at least one light emitting diode (LED) for producing and emitting light, said light source having at least one light emitting end face, an optical light guiding element arranged between said light source and said proximal end of said optical cable for introducing the light emitted by said light source into said proximal end of said optical cable, said optical light guiding element having a first end region on a side facing said light source and a second end region facing said proximal end of said optical cable, said first end region having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of said second end region, said light guiding element being configured as a solid body, said solid body having a plane end face facing said light source, said plane end face being arranged at a slight distance from said at least one light emitting end face of said light source, said slight distance being an air-gap, said light guiding element having a second end face opposite to said end face facing said light source, said second end face being plane and arranged at a slight distance from said proximal end of said optical cable, an electrically insulating holder element, said optical light guiding element being arranged in said electrically insulating holder element, and a cooling apparatus having at least one cooling body and being thermally conductively connected to said light source in order to remove heat produced by said light source from said illumination system, said cooling body arranged completely on a backside of said light source which faces away from said optical light guiding element.