Patent ID: 7413543

Claim:
A single use endoscope that is removably connectable to a reusable control unit to form a system for examining an internal body cavity of a patient, comprising: a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a number lumens therein; an articulation joint at or adjacent the distal end; an imaging assembly at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft to produce images of the internal body cavity, the imaging assembly including: a hollow cylindrical cap having a cavity therein and a front face through which illumination light passes and an imaging port; and a heat exchanger assembly received within the cavity of the cap, the heat exchanger including: a cooling channel having an inlet and an outlet in which a cooling material is passed and a recess; one or more light emitting diodes mounted on a circuit board that is in thermal contact with the cooling channel; and a lens assembly that is positioned in the recess of the cooling channel to be aligned between the imaging port and a solid state imaging device secured to the heat exchanger assembly.