Optical article and illumination system for endoscope

An illumination system configured for use with an endoscope, the illumination system comprising

• an optical component made of an optically-transparent material, said optical component having an optical axis and a thickness defined between two surfaces each of which is transverse to the optical axis,
• wherein a first surface of said two surfaces contains a plurality of indentations disposed along a closed curve that circumscribes the optical axis.

An illumination system according to claim 21,

• wherein each of indentations from said plurality has a corresponding axis of symmetry that is perpendicular to said first surface, and
• wherein a cylindrical portion of said optical component defined about an axis of symmetry of an indentation from said plurality forms an aspheric lenslet configured to increase a degree of divergence of light incident onto said first surface through a second surface of said two surfaces.