Abstract: An imaging system is provided and includes an imaging lens and an imaging device such that the maximum diameter of an effective region of a point image covers three or more pixels of light receiving pixels, the point image being projected onto a light receiving surface through the imaging lens from an intended position. A signal processing unit executes restoration processing on first image data output from the imaging device, and the restoration processing is executed to generate second image data equivalent to the first image data output from the imaging device when the resolving power of the imaging lens is higher. The imaging lens has a first lens group having a positive power, a second lens group having a negative power, and a third lens group in which a lens positioned closest to an image side has a positive power, in order from the object side.

Abstract: Two types of layers are simultaneously formed on a substrate and another substrate under the same layer forming condition, the heights of which are equal to a half height of an intended retardation compensation layer. Physical properties of the respective two types of layers formed on the substrates are identical to each other, and if deviations are produced in retardation distribution characteristics for azimuth angles of incident light, these deviations are commonly provided in the respective two types of layers. When one substrate is superposed with the other substrate and these superposed substrates are integrated with each other in order to make a single sheet of retardation compensation element, after one of these substrates is rotated by an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the other substrate, these substrates are stuck to each other by an adhesive agent.

Abstract: In order from a magnification side of the projection zoom lens system, five lens groups are arranged. The fourth lens group includes, in order from the magnification side, a negative lens having at least one aspheric surface, a positive lens, a negative lens concave toward the magnification side, a positive lens convex toward the reduction side, and a positive lens. The fifth lens group is formed of one lens, and is configured so that a ratio of a focal length of the fifth lens group to a focal length of the whole system at a wide-angle end is within a numerical range of 3 to 8.

Abstract: A projection lens unit includes: a projection lens having a first optical system for focusing incident image light and also having a second optical system for magnifying and projecting the image light focused by the first optical system; a lens barrel member for accommodating the projection lens and having a small diameter portion in which a joining portion of the first and the second optical system is formed to be the thinnest; a holding member having a first holding face on which the small diameter portion is mounted; and a presser member having a second holding face which holds the small diameter portion together with the first holding face. The holding member is fixed to a housing on which the projection lens unit is mounted. The presser member does not protrude upward from the lens barrel member arranged in a dead space of the small diameter portion.

Abstract: An objective lens consists of a single lens element, and has a light source side surface formed into a convex surface having a large curvature and an optical recording medium side surface has a small curvature. The both surfaces are aspheric surfaces. Also, the objective lens satisfies the following expressions (1) to (3): 0.7<NA<0.98??(1) 0.70<d/f<1.40??(2) 0.48<X<0.55??(3). where NA denotes a numerical aperture of the objective lens on an optical recording medium side, d denotes a thickness of the objective lens on an optical axis in mm, and f denotes a focal length of the objective lens in mm. X is equal to (X1?X2)·(n?1)/(NA·f), where X1 and X2 denote values relating to sag amounts in the respective surfaces, and n denotes a refractive index.

Abstract: A variable power optical system is provided and includes: in order from the object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power and including a negative lens group and a positive lens group; a stop; and a second lens group having a positive refractive power and including a sub-lens group on the most object side, the sub-lens group including a first lens having a positive refractive power having at least one aspherical surface, a second lens having a positive refractive power, and a third lens having a positive refractive power. The second lens group is moved to the object side along an optical axis thereof to perform a variable power operation from a wide angle end to a telephoto end of the variable power optical system, and the first lens group is moved to make a correction of an image plane position in accordance with the variable power operation.

Abstract: The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained by dividing the test surface in a diametric direction. The test surface is rotated on a rotation axis whenever the relative position is changed. Measurement light composed of a plane wave is radiated to the rotating test surface, and a one-dimensional image sensor captures interference fringes at each of a plurality of rotational positions. The shape information of each annular region is calculated on the basis of the captured interference fringes at each rotational position, and the shape information is connected to calculate the shape information of the entire measurement region.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging system configured to include an imaging lens and an imaging device such that the maximum diameter of an effective region of a point image is a size covering three or more pixels of light receiving pixels, the point image being projected onto a light receiving surface through the imaging lens from an intended position. A signal processing unit executes restoration processing on first image data output from the imaging device that images an optical image of a subject through the imaging lens, the restoration processing being executed to generate second image data equivalent to the first image data output from the imaging device when the resolving power of the imaging lens is higher. The imaging lens includes a first lens group, which includes at least one lens and has a positive power, and a second lens group, which includes at least one lens and in which a lens positioned closest to the image side has a negative power, in order from the object side.

Abstract: An optical tomographic image production apparatus includes an optical probe, in which a light-transmitting area that transmits measurement light and a light-blocking area that blocks the measurement light are formed. The light-blocking area is provided at a start position and an end position of the light-transmitting area. A tomographic image processing means detects an interference signal or tomographic information when the light-blocking area is irradiated with the measurement light. Further, the tomographic image processing means detects, based on the detected interference signal or tomographic information, interference signals or tomographic information obtained when the light-transmitting area is irradiated with the measurement light to produce a tomographic image in the light-transmitting area.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging lens having a small F number, a wide angle of view, and a low manufacturing cost and capable of obtaining a high-quality image. An imaging lens includes a first lens having a negative power and including a concave surface facing an image side, a second lens having a positive power, an aperture diaphragm, a third lens having a negative power, an aperture diaphragm, a fourth lens having a positive power, a fifth lens having a positive power and including a convex surface facing the image side, and a sixth lens having a negative power arranged in this order from an object side. When the curvature radius of an image-side surface of the third lens is R3r and the curvature radius of an object-side surface of the fourth lens is R4f, the imaging lens satisfies the following Conditional expression: |R3r/R4f|<1.0.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft mounted on one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that supports the electromechanical conversion element from lateral sides with respect to extending direction; and an urging member that urges the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction.

Abstract: An image rotating adapter includes: a first prism forming a subject image transmitted through an imaging lens on a position; and a second prism further reversing the subject image reversed by the first prism. The adapter also includes: a rotation drive unit rotating the second prism; a control unit controlling the rotation drive unit; a rotation instruction unit instructing the control unit to start or stop rotation; a target position setting unit previously setting one or more target positions to stop the second prism; a preset instruction unit instructing the control unit to perform a preset function for moving the second prism to the target position; a speed control unit adjusting rotation speed of the second prism; and a detection unit detecting a rotation position and a rotation direction of the second prism.

Abstract: An optical filter has a multilayer thin film comprising first to i-th layers stacked in alternate layers of high and low refractive indices on a transparent substrate. Respective odd-numbered layers (high refractive index layers) and respective even-numbered layers (low refractive index layers) form repetitive sequences of layers each of which cyclically changes in optical thickness throughout the multilayer thin film. Each of k-th from-the-bottom alternate layers of high and low refractive indices has such an optical thicknesses as meet the following conditional expressions (1) and (2), concurrently: n×d=(.c/4)×[1+sin{(k?1)×.}×.]??(1) 0 . . . <1 ??(2) where .c is the center wavelength of reflection band, n is the refraction index of the layer for the d-line, d is the physical thickness of the layer, . is a factor of a pitch angle represented by 2./the number of layers a one layer-stack, . is the rate of amplitude.

Abstract: It is disclosed that a color separation optical system improves color reproducibility by obtaining a characteristic which approximates an ideal spectral characteristic in view of influence of polarization separation caused according to the magnitude of an incidence angle. In the color separation optical system, a curve representing a characteristic of a green-reflecting dichroic film DG has a shape along the characteristic curve representing an ideal spectral characteristic corresponding to green light. Further, the characteristic of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB is associated with that of the green-reflecting dichroic film DG. A part, in which the transmittance of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB changes from a low transmittance to a high transmittance, in the transmittance characteristic curve representing the characteristic of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB is included in a predetermined wavelength region associated with the characteristic of the green-reflecting dichroic film DG.

Abstract: An imaging lens includes, in order from an object side, a positive first lens group, a stop, and a positive second lens group. The first lens group includes, in order from the object side, a first lens, which is a negative meniscus lens having a convex object-side surface, and a second lens having a positive power and including a convex image-side surface. The second lens group includes, in order from the object side, a third lens having a negative power and including a concave object-side surface, a fourth lens having a positive power and including a convex image-side surface, a fifth lens, which is a biconvex lens, and a sixth lens, which is a meniscus lens having a negative power and including a convex surface facing an image side. Each of the first to sixth lenses is a single spherical glass lens.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus used in combination with a near infrared light irradiation unit that irradiates near infrared light on a target irradiation section. White light and the infrared light are irradiated on a target observation area including the target irradiation section. The imaging means spectroscopically images a reflected light image of the target observation area, which is outputted as a spectral image signal. The storage section includes estimated matrix data. The IR image signal generation means generates an IR image signal constituted by an estimated value of reflected light intensity of the near infrared light by performing a matrix operation on the spectral image signal using the estimated matrix data and spectral matrix data of the near infrared light. The color image signal generation means generates a color image signal based on the spectral image signal and the IR image signal.

Abstract: An endoscope spectral image system is provided and includes: an image recording apparatus for recording a color image provided by using a scope; and a processor apparatus, in which spectroscopic characteristic information including a spectroscopic characteristic of CCD is output from the processor apparatus to the image recording apparatus along with color image data. At the image recording apparatus, matrix data in correspondence with the spectroscopic characteristic information is selected to be read from a plurality of matrix data stored in a memory, matrix operation by the matrix data and color image data is carried out at a spectral image-forming circuit, and a spectral image formed by signals of arbitrarily selected wavelength regions is provided.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an insertion portion, wherein an air hole is formed at a distal end of the insertion portion; and a balloon attached to the distal end of the insertion portion, the balloon being expanded by supply of air through an inlet/outlet port of the air hole and contracted by suction of air through of the inlet/outlet port, wherein the inlet/outlet port of the air hole is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle to an axis of the insertion portion of the endoscope.

Abstract: An objective lens for an endoscope is provided and has a lens group A and a lens group B that are movable in a direction of an optical axis. In the objective lens, first focal adjustment for observing a point between a most-distant point and an intermediate point is performed by moving the lens group A from a lens arrangement for observing the most-distant point; and second focal adjustment for observing a point between the intermediate point to a nearest point is performed by moving the lens group B from a lens arrangement for observing the intermediate point.

Abstract: An endoscopic apparatus comprises: a movable lens that is movably built in an objective optical system arranged at an tip of an insert part of an endoscope; a piezoelectric-element drive mechanism that causes the movable lens to move forward and backward in an optical axis direction due to driving of a piezoelectric element; a control circuit that provides a drive pulse to the piezoelectric element; and a storage section that stores respective ones of drive-pulse count data for moving the movable lens forward and backward equally in amount, wherein the control circuit performs control of providing a drive-pulse count, different in between forward and backward movement, to the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric-element drive mechanism so as to move the movable lens forward and backward equally in amount depending upon drive-pulse count data read out of the storage section.