Abstract: A phantom, adapted to be radiation-imaged to obtain a radiation image for evaluation in inspection of a radiation imaging system, is capable of performing both the quantitative evaluation and the visual evaluation of the radiation image easily with a low cost and increasing accuracy of the constancy evaluation of the radiation imaging system. The phantom includes a base plate; a first member disposed on the base plate and having a first image quality evaluating pattern formed thereon to be used for visual evaluation as to a predetermined image quality evaluation item; and a second member disposed on the base plate and having a second image quality evaluating pattern formed thereon to be used for quantitative evaluation as to the predetermined image quality evaluation item.

Abstract: An image obtaining method and apparatus for an endoscope apparatus wherein reductions to the gradations of the image data borne by the analog signal are suppressed and digital values having a narrower dynamic range are obtained when the photoelectrically converted and outputted analog signal is converted to digital values. A living tissue is irradiated by an illuminating light and an excitation light, which are each emitted at different timings; whereupon a fluorescent image formed of the fluorescent light emitted from the living tissue and a standard image formed of the reflected light reflected from the living tissue are received, converted to respective analog signals, and outputted by the same photoelectric converting element. In converting these analog signals to digital values, the analog signal representing the fluorescent image is amplified by a larger gain than that representing the standard image.

Abstract: Operation processing is performed on a first fluorescence image and at least either one of a second fluorescence image and a reflected reference light image to form a tissue condition image, which represents a tissue condition of living body tissues and has been compensated for a distance to the living body tissues. According to at least one of the three images, a judgment is made as to whether each image area in the tissue condition image is an abnormal light affected area or a normal light detection area. The abnormal light affected area is displayed in a form different from the normal light detection area.

Abstract: According to a method of and apparatus for displaying as an autofluorescent-light image emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light, even for cases in which a malfunction of the apparatus occurs that prevents an operator from obtaining a desired image, a standard-image is displayed so as to enable an operator to safely and expediently remove the insertion portion of the endoscope from the body of a patient, whereby the safety of the patient can be ensured. When an irregularity in the temperature of one of the light sources, the operation of one of the drive apparatus, or other cause of an operational irregularity occurring in of one of the light sources is detected by the semiconductor-laser temperature detecting means, the reference-light source temperature detecting means, or the emission-output detecting means, in response to a detection signal thereof, the standard-image display mode is switched to automatically.

Abstract: First fluorescence diagnostic information reflecting a first characteristic value obtained on the basis of first fluorescence information on fluorescence emitted from an object part exposed to first stimulating light is output. Second fluorescence diagnostic information reflecting a second characteristic value obtained on the basis of second fluorescence information on fluorescence emitted from an object part exposed to second stimulating light is output. The wavelength of the first stimulating light is such that when the first stimulating light is projected onto clean object parts different in properties, different first characteristic values are obtained from the different object parts, and the wavelength of the second stimulating light is such that when the second stimulating light is projected onto a clean object part and an unclean object part, different second characteristic values are obtained from the clean object part and the unclean object part.

Abstract: An image obtaining method and apparatus for an endoscope, wherein the S/N ratio of an observation image formed from the image signal obtained by a solid state image obtaining element equipped with a charge multiplying shift resistor is improved. A signal charge representing a fluorescent image is obtained of the fluorescent image formed of the fluorescent light emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an excitation light emitted from an illuminating means, by a charge multiplying shift resistor. A readout means reads out the signal charge and outputs an image signal based on the read out signal charge. In obtaining an observation image signal based on the read out image signal, a computing means subtracts the dark noise image signal component from the read out image signal to obtain the observation image signal.

Abstract: When a diagnosis is to be performed using a fluorescence diagnostic image obtained by use of an endoscope apparatus or the like, if obstructing regions containing an obstructing factor such as blood or waste is present on the target subject, the misrecognition thereof as a diseased tissue is prevented. White light and excitation light are projected onto a target subject to obtain respective standard and fluorescence images thereof. Because the color of the obstructing regions is different from that of either normal or diseased tissue, the color data of the standard image is computed, and the obstructing regions detected by determining whether or not the color data is outside a predetermined range. The fluorescence image is subjected to an exceptional display process of rendering the color of the obstructing regions a different color than that of the other regions, and the processed fluorescence diagnostic image is displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: Exciting light is projected onto a specimen such as an organic body, and an intensity in at least one wavelength range of fluorescence emitted from the specimen upon excitation by the exciting light is detected. Image data representing a fluorescence image of the specimen is obtained through an operation based on the intensity of the fluorescence. Whether each of pixels forming the fluorescence image is adequate for said operation is determined on the basis of the intensity of the fluorescence of each pixel. The operation is carried out on adequate pixels, which have been determined to be adequate for the operation, to obtain values for the adequate pixels while values which will not visually adversely affect the part of the fluorescence image corresponding to the adequate pixels are allotted to inadequate pixels, which have been determined not to be adequate for said operation.

Abstract: A fluorescence image display apparatus is provided; wherein, when a pseudo color image representing the tissue state of a target subject is obtained, based on a fluorescence image emitted from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an excitation light, the tissue state can be recognized regardless of the intensity of the fluorescent light. Based upon the statistical quantity of a wide band fluorescence image computed by a statistical quantity computing means, a gain that the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data are to be multiplied by is computed by a gain computing means. A gain multiplying means multiplies the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data by the gain, whereby a green gradation is assigned to the wide band fluorescence image and a red gradation is assigned to the narrow band fluorescence image, and a composite image data is obtained by an image composing means.

Abstract: A correction function is calculated based on a reference image formed of reflected light reflected upon the irradiation of a predetermined living tissue, for which a diseased state is known, with a reference light. This correction function is employed to administer distance correction on calculated standardized values based on fluorescence images to which an offset has been added, to correct the fluctuations of the calculated standardized values caused by the distance between living tissue and the distal end of a fluorescence endoscope, thereby generating a corrected standardized fluorescence image.

Abstract: An image obtaining method and apparatus for an endoscope apparatus wherein reductions to the gradations of the image data borne by the analog signal are suppressed and digital values having a narrower dynamic range are obtained when the photoelectrically converted and outputted analog signal is converted to digital values. A living tissue is irradiated by an illuminating light and an excitation light, which are each emitted at different timings; whereupon a fluorescent image formed of the fluorescent light emitted from the living tissue and a standard image formed of the reflected light reflected from the living tissue are received, converted to respective analog signals, and outputted by the same photoelectric converting element. In converting these analog signals to digital values, the analog signal representing the fluorescent image is amplified by a larger gain than that representing the standard image.

Abstract: According to a fluorescent endoscope apparatus for detecting an autofluorescent-light image emitted from a living body upon irradiation thereof by stimulating light, when the endoscope insertion portion is inserted into or removed from a patients body, stimulating light is prevented from entering the eyes of the patient or the operator, ensuring for their safety. When the endoscope insertion portion is outside the body of a patient, the flicker occurring due to the fluorescent or other light illuminating the diagnosis room, which would be detected together with the autofluorescent-light image by a fluorescent-image use camera or with the normal image by a normal-image use camera, is detected by a flicker detector. The flicker detector outputs a detection signal to the stimulating light emission prevention controller, which turns off the power source to the stimulating light laser source by use of a controller computer and thereby prevents the emission of stimulating light.

Abstract: Excitation light is irradiated to a measuring site in a living body, the excitation light causing the measuring site to produce fluorescence. Light intensity of fluorescence components of the fluorescence produced by the measuring site, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within a predetermined wavelength region containing 480 nm, is detected. Also, light intensity of fluorescence components of the fluorescence produced by the measuring site, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within a predetermined wavelength region containing either one of 630 nm and 700 nm, is detected. Information in accordance with a ratio between the two detected light intensities is displayed.

Abstract: Operation processing is performed on a first fluorescence image and at least either one of a second fluorescence image and a reflected reference light image to form a tissue condition image, which represents a tissue condition of living body tissues and has been compensated for a distance to the living body tissues. According to at least one of the three images, a judgment is made as to whether each image area in the tissue condition image is an abnormal light affected area or a normal light detection area. The abnormal light affected area is displayed in a form different from the normal light detection area.

Abstract: An image containing data relating to the tissue-state and the tissue-form of a target area is displayed. A fluorescent-light image having two different wavelength bands of fluorescent-light is obtained, based on the strength of the fluorescent light emitted from a target area irradiated by stimulating-light. A reflected-light image is obtained based on the strength of the light reflected from a target area irradiated by white-light as reference-light. A hue is assigned to a computed-image based on a division value of each pixel value of aforementioned fluorescent-light image to form a tissue-state image reflecting mainly the tissue-state, and a brightness is assigned to the reflected-light image to form a tissue-form image reflecting mainly the tissue-form. The tissue-state image and the tissue-form image are combined to form a composite-image, and the composite-image is displayed.

Abstract: A fluorescent image obtaining apparatus for obtaining as an image the data relating to the fluorescent light emitted from a measurement portion upon the irradiation thereof by an excitation light, wherein by amplifying only the intensity of the fluorescent light, the S/N ratio of the fluorescent image based thereon is improved, is provided. The statistical quantities of a fluorescent image obtained by a wide-band fluorescent image obtaining element and a narrow-band fluorescent image obtaining element are computed by a statistical quantity computing means. If the statistical quantity is smaller than a predetermined value, the magnification rate of the imaging optical system is controlled by a magnification rate control means so that the fluorescent image is reduced and focused on the wide-band fluorescent image obtaining element and the narrow-band fluorescent image obtaining element.

Abstract: According to a method of and apparatus for displaying as an autofluorescent-light image emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light, even for cases in which a malfunction of the apparatus occurs that prevents an operator from obtaining a desired image, a standard-image is displayed so as to enable an operator to safely and expediently remove the insertion portion of the endoscope from the body of a patient, whereby the safety of the patient can be ensured. When an irregularity in the temperature of one of the light sources, the operation of one of the drive apparatus, or other cause of an operational irregularity occurring in of one of the light sources is detected by the semiconductor-laser temperature detecting means, the reference-light source temperature detecting means, or the emission-output detecting means, in response to a detection signal thereof, the standard-image display mode is switched to automatically.

Abstract: According to a fluorescent endoscope apparatus for detecting an autofluorescent-light image emitted from a living body upon irradiation thereof by stimulating light, when the endoscope insertion portion is inserted into or removed from a patients body, stimulating light is prevented from entering the eyes of the patient or the operator, ensuring for their safety. When the endoscope insertion portion is outside the body of a patient, the flicker occurring due to the fluorescent or other light illuminating the diagnosis room, which would be detected together with the autofluorescent-light image by a fluorescent-image use camera or with the normal image by a normal-image use camera, is detected by a flicker detector. The flicker detector outputs a detection signal to the stimulating light emission prevention controller, which turns off the power source to the stimulating light laser source by use of a controller computer and thereby prevents the emission of stimulating light.

Abstract: A fluorescence endoscope includes an illuminating light projecting system which projects illuminating light onto a part inside a body, a first objective optical system which causes the illuminating light reflected at the part of the body to form a normal image of the part, an excitation light projecting system which projects onto a part inside the body excitation light, and a second objective optical system which causes fluorescence emitted from the part to form a fluorescence image. A normal image CCD takes the image formed by the objective optical system and outputs a normal image signal representing the normal image and a fluorescence image CCD takes the fluorescence image formed by the second objective optical system and outputs a fluorescence image signal representing the fluorescence image. A measuring light projecting system projects measuring light at a wavelength in the wavelength range of the fluorescence onto a part inside the body.