A mains electricity (AC-powered) unit designed to produce light of high intensity, often called cold light, for viewing surgical fields and body cavities during endoscopy (e.g., used with an arthroscope, cystoscope, laparoscope, gastroscope); it may have additional non-endoscopic lighting applications. It is designed as a bench-top unit with controls and a source of bright light [e.g., using a xenon (Xe) light bulb] that is channelled to the endoscope via a light cable to illuminate the site of observation/intervention while minimizing tissue heating.