Abstract: A hand held coagulating device exhibiting superior radiation transfer characteristics and providing a cooled handle for improved user comfort. An exemplary embodiment includes an outer shell housing internal components of the device and providing a surface at which a user of the device can hold the device during a surgical procedure. A contact element positioned in an opening in a forward end of the shell is placed against an area of tissue or blood to be coagulated, and radiation produced by a radiation source, such as an incandescent lamp, is transmitted through the contact element to the tissue or blood for an appropriate period of time. In one embodiment, a curved reflector is disposed near the radiation source to direct the radiation toward the contact element, and a conical collector is situated between the radiation source and the contact element to focus the radiation through the contact element.