A fiberoptic illuminator has a housing with an interface enabling an end fitting of a fiber optic bundle of a medical device to be connected to the housing. The illuminator includes a lamp assembly mounted within the housing for directing a high intensity beam of light through an optics assembly and into the fiber optic bundle. The lamp assembly includes a ceramic xenon lamp of greater than 300 watts. Preferably, the ceramic xenon lamp is at least 400 watts.