Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an endoscope with a unit to be inserted into a subject and captures an inside image of the subject by an imaging unit provided in the unit to generate an image signal; an optical apparatus including a measurement probe to be inserted into the subject through the unit; an endoscope unit that switches between observation light of a plurality of wavelengths and outputs the observation light to observe a target object from the unit; a probe unit that outputs measurement light to measure characteristics of the target object via the measurement probe; a light unit that receives return light via the measurement probe, the return light caused by reflection and/or scattering of the measurement light on the target object; and a switching unit that switches a wavelength band of the measurement light to a different wavelength band from the observation light outputted by the endoscope unit.

Abstract: A coupler includes an input terminal and an output terminal which are provided on a substrate, a main line provided on the substrate and having one end connected to the input terminal and the other end connected to the output terminal, and a sub line including a conductive film and a resistive film which are provided on the substrate and electromagnetically coupled to the main line at a part of the conductive film. The conductive film has wiring patterns. The resistive film includes a resistive film pattern having an end portion fitted into between the wiring pattern and substrate and an end portion fitted into between the wiring pattern and substrate. The end portions and each contact the conductive film at least at its upper surface and end surface.

Abstract: Using a transmittance adjusting device decreasing a transmittance of at least from 460 nm to 500 nm, which is a wavelength range between a point of end of a first optical absorption peak of hemoglobin and a point of start of a second optical absorption peak of hemoglobin, to between 20% and 70% for illuminating light from an illuminating light supply section or reflected light from an object, during observation of the inside of a body cavity, enhanced display of vessels with color reproduction that has no difference from that in observation under visible light, enabling color reproduction similar to that in observation under visible light and further enhanced display of vessels.

Abstract: Light scattering and absorption techniques for the detection of possible abnormal living tissue. Apparatus and methods for utilizing multiple blood content detection sensors and/or contact sensors for beneficially providing data to better guide an endoscope or colonoscope to locate abnormal tissue, tumors, or tissues that precede the development of such lesions or tumors.

Abstract: A light adjusting apparatus including a drive section provided with an axial magnet, a coil core member and a coil, a first substrate provided an opening and a first cut-out portion, a second substrate provided with an opening and a second cut-out portion, located at a predetermined distance from the first substrate, an incident light adjusting section to which the axial magnet is joined, and an axial magnet support member provided with a distance keeping portion that keeps a distance between the coil core member and the axial magnet to within a certain range and a dropout prevention portion that prevents dropout of the axial magnet from the first cut-out portion, the axial magnet support member being fixed to the coil core member, in which the incident light adjusting section is rotated by the drive section for adjusting the incident light.

Abstract: A probe includes a plurality of optical fibers that includes an irradiation fiber and a light-receiving fiber; and an optical member of which a base end face is arranged to abut on leading end faces of the optical fibers, and a leading end face is exposed to an outer side. The leading end face of the optical member is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the probe. Light emitted from the irradiation fiber passes through a path inclined with respect to a perpendicular line of the leading end face.

Abstract: An image with an expanded depth of field is more effectively acquired while reducing the manufacturing cost, without enlarging the apparatus. Provided is an endoscope system including: an objective optical system that is provided at an insertion portion tip and that acquires a subject image; an optical path division means for dividing the subject image into two optical images with different focuses; an imaging element that forms the two optical images with different focuses at the same time to acquire two images; an image correction means that corrects the two images acquired by the imaging element so that differences other than the focuses become substantially the same; and an image combination processing unit that selects an image with a relatively high contrast in predetermined corresponding areas between the two images corrected by the image correction means to generate a combined image.

Abstract: A capsule for determining the blood content of living tissue in vivo in a patient to detect tumors. The capsule includes a light source and a light detector for directing light onto the tissue and for receiving interacted light therefrom. By analyzing the interacted light, a determination can be made of the blood content of that tissue. There are various ways of positioning the capsule so that it contacts the tissue in the desired orientation of the light source and light detector. There is also a system for determining the actual contact between the capsule and the tissue. A calibration system is also used that allows a self calibration that can be carried out easily and accurately just prior to the use of the capsule.

Abstract: A fiber unit has an illumination fiber and detection fibers. The illumination fiber and the detection fiber comprise a soft portion that is bendable, a distal end hard portion provided at an end thereof and having a greater hardness than the soft portion, and a pitch conversion portion that connects the soft portion and the distal end hard portion and changes a distance between adjacent fibers at the distal end hard portion with respect to a distance between the adjacent fibers at the soft portion, by bending and extending. 1.0 degree<Deg_max<6.0 degrees, where Deg_max is a most inclined angle of angles each formed by a central axis of the distal end hard portion and a line segment connecting an end portion of the pitch conversion portion closer to the soft portion and an end portion of the pitch conversion portion closer the distal end hard portion.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an objective optical system at a distal end of an inserted portion to acquire a subject image; a part that splits the subject image into two optical images focused differently; an imaging device that acquires two images by simultaneously capturing the optical images arranged on an imaging surface; and a part for cutting out at least abutting portions of the optical images on the imaging device, wherein A+B>C+D, where A is half the maximum length of light-receiving regions for the optical images at the imaging surface; where TW is an entry angle at the imaging surface when A is at the maximum image height and d is an optical-path-length difference between the optical images, B=d×tan TW; C is half the length of the light-receiving regions in a direction of the optical images arranged on the imaging surface; and D is a distance between the two light-receiving regions.

Abstract: A coupler 1A includes an input terminal and an output terminal which are provided on a substrate (substrate K1, planarizing film H0, and insulating film H01), a main line provided on the substrate and having one end connected to the input terminal and the other end connected to the output terminal, and a sub line including a conductive film M1 and a resistive film R1 which are provided on the substrate and electromagnetically coupled to the main line at a part of the conductive film M1. The conductive film M1 has wiring patterns L23 and L25. The resistive film R1 includes a resistive film pattern R13 having an end portion R13a fitted into between the wiring pattern L23 and substrate and an end portion R13b fitted into between the wiring pattern L25 and substrate. The end portions R13a and R13b each contact the conductive film M1 at least at its upper surface and end surface.

Abstract: An optical measuring device includes: a light source unit; a measurement probe including a fiber bundle, an illumination fiber that illuminates a living tissue with a illumination light, and a plurality of light-receiving fibers that receives return light of the illumination light reflected and/or scattered at the living tissue; a detection unit that receives the return light of the illumination light detected by the plurality of respective light-receiving fibers, and performs photoelectric conversion to detect respective signal intensities; and an association unit that associates the respective signal intensities detected by the detection unit with distances from the illumination fiber to the respective light-receiving fibers on an end face of a distal end portion of the measurement probe, when light having an intensity gradient around the illumination fiber is projected to the end face of the distal end portion of the measurement probe.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting foreign material obstructing a blood content sensor window to facilitate higher data accuracy from such sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention for detecting foreign matter with the blood content sensor when the blood content sensor is not contacted with living tissue, an illuminator for blood content detection and the blood content sensor share a common outer window. When the window is at a distance from tissue and in absence of foreign matter on the window, all or most of the emitted light will be dispersed and little or no light will be reflected back into the sensor. Conversely, when the window is at a distance from tissue and foreign matter is present on the window, a substantial portion of the emitted light will be reflected back into the sensor indicating the presence of the foreign matter.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an objective optical system at a distal end of an inserted portion to acquire a subject image; a part that splits the subject image into two optical images focused differently; an imaging device that acquires two images by simultaneously capturing the optical images arranged on an imaging surface; and a part for cutting out at least abutting portions of the optical images on the imaging device, wherein A+B>C+D, where A is half the maximum length of light-receiving regions for the optical images at the imaging surface; where TW is an entry angle at the imaging surface when A is at the maximum image height and d is an optical-path-length difference between the optical images, B=d×tanTW; C is half the length of the light-receiving regions in a direction of the optical images arranged on the imaging surface; and D is a distance between the two light-receiving regions.

Abstract: A fiber unit has an illumination fiber and detection fibers. The illumination fiber and the detection fiber comprise a soft portion that is bendable, a distal end hard portion provided at an end thereof and having a greater hardness than the soft portion, and a pitch conversion portion that connects the soft portion and the distal end hard portion and changes a distance between adjacent fibers at the distal end hard portion with respect to a distance between the adjacent fibers at the soft portion, by bending and extending. 1.0 degree<Deg_max<6.0 degrees, where Deg_max is a most inclined angle of angles each formed by a central axis of the distal end hard portion and a line segment connecting an end portion of the pitch conversion portion closer to the soft portion and an end portion of the pitch conversion portion closer the distal end hard portion.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an endoscope with a unit to be inserted into a subject and captures an inside image of the subject by an imaging unit provided in the unit to generate an image signal; an optical apparatus including a measurement probe to be inserted into the subject through the unit; an endoscope unit that switches between observation light of a plurality of wavelengths and outputs the observation light to observe a target object from the unit; a probe unit that outputs measurement light to measure characteristics of the target object via the measurement probe; a light unit that receives return light via the measurement probe, the return light caused by reflection and/or scattering of the measurement light on the target object; and a switching unit that switches a wavelength band of the measurement light to a different wavelength band from the observation light outputted by the endoscope unit.

Abstract: An image with an expanded depth of field is more effectively acquired while reducing the manufacturing cost, without enlarging the apparatus. Provided is an endoscope system including: an objective optical system that is provided at an insertion portion tip and that acquires a subject image; an optical path division means for dividing the subject image into two optical images with different focuses; an imaging element that forms the two optical images with different focuses at the same time to acquire two images; an image correction means that corrects the two images acquired by the imaging element so that differences other than the focuses become substantially the same; and an image combination processing unit that selects an image with a relatively high contrast in predetermined corresponding areas between the two images corrected by the image correction means to generate a combined image.

Abstract: An optical measurement apparatus includes a connector where a base end portion of a measurement probe introduced into a subject is connected, a light source unit that emits illumination light irradiated from a leading end of the measurement probe, an optical measurement unit that measures reflection light and/or scattering light of the illumination light incident through the measurement probe, a first optical path that transmits the illumination light emitted by the light source unit to the optical measurement unit, a second optical path that transmits, to the measurement probe, the illumination light emitted by the light source unit and transmits, to the optical measurement unit, reflection light and/or scattering light of the illumination light incident through the measurement probe, and an optical path switching unit that switches an optical path for transmitting the illumination light into the first optical path or the second optical path.

Abstract: A measurement probe has a fiber bundle formed by irregularly bundling a plurality of optical fibers, is detachably connected to a bio-optical measurement apparatus performing optical measurement to a biological tissue that is an object to be measured, and includes a recording unit 35 that records positional information related to positions of an illumination fiber that emits light from a light source of the bio-optical measurement apparatus as illumination light and of a light-receiving fiber that receives returned light of the illumination light reflected and/or scattered at the biological tissue, the positions being at an end face of the fiber bundle, the end face being at an end that is attached to the bio-optical measurement apparatus.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion portion including an image pickup section, an illumination section, and a light guide inserted inside the insertion portion, the light guide including a plurality of fibers made of a glass not containing lead, the plurality of fibers guiding illuminating light from a light source apparatus to the illumination section, the light guide having a numerical aperture of 0.46 to 0.90. A core glass of a fiber have a refractive index nd of 1.56 to 1.74, and a composition of (A) 20 to 55 wt % SiO2, (B1) 0 to 4.0 wt % B2O3, (B2) neither P2O5 nor GeO2 contained, (C) 25 to 72 wt % (BaO+SrO+La2O3+Lu2O3+Ta2O5+Gd2O3+WO3), (D) 0 to 30 wt % ZnO, (E) no Al2O3 contained, (F) no ZrO2 contained, (G) neither PbO nor As2O3 contained, (H) 0 to 15 wt % (Na2O+K2O), (I) 0 to 0.050 wt % Sb2O3 and (J) 0.26 to 1.63 wt % (Na2SO4+K2SO4).