Fiberoptic illuminators are employed widely in medical, dental and surgical procedures. The illuminator housing encloses a relatively high intensity light source. Metal halide, xenon and halogen light sources are commonly utilized. A fiberoptic cable is connected to a turret or output port mounted on the front panel of the illuminator. Light from the light source is directed through the turret to a focal point located within the turret at or close to the inlet end of the attached fiberoptic cable. The cable conducts the light and delivers it to an attached headlamp or analogous equipment. The light output is then used, as needed, for a particular medical procedure or application.
The heat generated by the illuminator at the focal point is typically extremely intense. In conventional illuminators, the turret is composed of a heat conducting metal or metal alloy. As a result, the turret transmits the intense heat at the focal point to the attached fiberoptic cable, as well as to the front panel of the illuminator housing. During a medical or surgical procedure using the illuminator, the doctor, nurse, technician or other medical personnel operating the equipment may have to touch the inlet end of the fiberoptic cable and/or the front panel of the illuminator. Such persons risk being seriously burned by the intense heat that is generated by the illuminator. To date, there are no known illuminator turrets which effectively dissipate this heat and reduce the danger of the user being seriously hurt.