The invention is directed to a miniaturized optically imaging system with
high lateral and axial resolution for endomicroscopic applications. To
provide a miniaturized optical head which permits an appreciable increase
in photon efficiency with high lateral and axial spatial resolution
compared to conventional GRIN optics the plane side of a refractive,
plano-convex, homogeneous lens defines a plane entrance surface of the
optical system, and first and second GRIN lenses are arranged along the
optical axis orthogonal to the entrance surface, wherein the first GRIN
lens being arranged downstream of the refractive lens for reducing the
divergence of the highly divergent light bundle transmitted from the
object through the refractive lens, and the second GRIN lens being
provided for adapting the light bundle transmitted by the first GRIN lens
to the aperture and object field size of the downstream transmission
system.