Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical apparatus including: a variable configuration mirror unit having a reflecting surface for reflecting incident light and capable of causing change in the configuration of the reflecting surface upon turning on electricity; and a lens for bringing the incident light into an internal part, a mirror holding section for holding the variable configuration mirror unit being formed on the lens.

Abstract: A zoom optical system includes at least two optical-element groups and a variable optical-property optical element. The two optical-element groups are movable in a magnification change and have a magnification varying function or a compensating function for compensating for a shift of an image surface caused by the magnification change. The optical element has a focusing function and is disposed on the image side of the optical-element groups. According to this configuration of the zoom optical system, it is possible to attain a zoom optical system and an imaging apparatus using the zoom optical system that have as small a number of movable lenses as possible, are very small in size, and work with an extremely low power consumption and low operation noise.

Abstract: The present digital camera system includes a camera body and an interchangeable lens barrel. The camera body contains an image pickup device with an imaging range Ri, and the interchangeable lens barrel is removably attached to the camera body. The mount opening portions of the interchangeable lens barrel and camera body includes openings equal to or larger than a square opening range Rm formed by connecting ends of segments Sd tilted from the four corners of an imaging range Ri diagonally to the outside by 12 degrees to 14 degrees and extended to a flange back FB position. The circumscribed circle diameter Dm of the mount opening portion is 1.8 times or larger of the circumscribed circle diameter Di of the imaging range Ri. The digital camera system can provide an interchangeable lens and digital camera body reducible in size without deterioration in amount of peripheral light.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus for obtaining ultrasonic echo signals of a part to be examined from a probe in a body cavity includes an ultrasonic probe, a detector and a voxel data creating circuit. The ultrasonic probe has at predetermined positions of an inserting axis a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the circumference about the inserting axis for performing ultrasonic scanning by using the plurality of ultrasonic transducers on a plane perpendicular to the inserting axis by sending and receiving ultrasound to and from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. The detector determines the position or orientation of the scanned plane by the ultrasonic scanning by the ultrasonic probe. The voxel data creating circuit creates voxel data based on ultrasonic tomographic image data from echo signals obtained by the ultrasonic probe and based on the position or orientation data determined by the detector.

Abstract: The first electronic imaging device, which performs a photoelectric-conversion of a subject light with an imaging element and records it, according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a first lens arranged along a first optical axis to take a luminous flux from the subject, an optical axis conversion material which bends the luminous flux which passes the first lens along a second optical axis which intersects with the first optical axis, a second lens which images the luminous flux bent along the second optical axis to the imaging element arranged on the second optical axis, and an optical amount adjustment device provided between the imaging element and the optical axis conversion material.

Abstract: An endoscope suitable for autoclaving in accordance with the present invention has a barrier that separates an interior from an exterior. When the barrier is located at a predetermined position, consideration is taken into a displacement of the barrier between the position of the barrier observed before start of autoclaving and the position thereof observed after completion of the autoclaving during which predetermined pressure is applied and a thermal load is imposed.

Abstract: A lens barrel incorporating a lens driving device is provided which includes a fixed frame, a cam ring inserted into the fixed frame in freely rotatable fashion, first and free forward and backward motion, and an aperture ring supported by the first group lens frame in a freely rotatable manner. In the cam ring, there are provided a diagonal cam groove which drives the first and second group lens frames to zoom positions in stages, circumferential-direction cam grooves which hold each zoom position, and aperture cam grooves which drive the aperture ring. In a state in which the first and second group lens frames are positioned and fixed at respective zoom positions, the cam ring can be rotated to rotate the aperture ring, thereby setting the aperture value of the pickup lenses.

Abstract: An optical element supporting device has one ends of two parallel plate springs, which are extended in a tangential direction, fixed to a holder, has the other ends thereof fixed to a fixture member, and has a collimator lens locked in an opening of the holder. A base fixed to the bottom of the fixture member has two yokes formed thereon. Magnets each polarized in two directions are fixed to the insides of the yokes. Coils are fixed to two surfaces of the holder opposed to the magnets. A target is fixed to the holder, and a sensor is fixed to the bottom of the base. When a current flows into the coils, electromagnetic force is produced along an optical axis due to the interaction between the coils and the magnets opposed to the coils. This causes the parallel plate springs to loosen. Consequently, the holder, target, collimator lens, and coils move as a whole along the optical axis.

Abstract: An imaging device for a microscope comprises an electronic camera which images an observation image captured by the microscope, a display which displays an observation image imaged by the electronic camera and photograph information of the observation image, and a display setting portion which controls the display to set display of the photograph information.

Abstract: A trocar sheath tube according to the present invention comprises an insert portion introduced into the inside of a body, the insert portion having a tube passage, the tube passage being capable of passing a medical instrument internally, the insert portion guiding the medical instrument into the inside of a boy through this tube passage, a holding portion provided at the proximal end side of the insert portion in order to hold the proximal end side of the medical instrument inserted through the insert portion, the holding portion having an opening communicating with the tube passage of the insert portion, a sealing member removably mounted to the opening of the holding portion, the sealing member having a first sealing portion coming into intimate contact with the medical instrument, the sealing member sealing a space between the medical instrument and the holding portion by this first sealing portion, and a fixing member adopted to fix the sealing member to the holding portion.

Abstract: An electronic camera has an imaging optical system for taking in a light beam from a subject along a first optical axis, deflecting the light beam along a second optical axis crossing the first optical axis, and focusing the light beam. An image-pickup element is mounted on an image-pickup board. The image-pickup element receives the light beam focused by the imaging optical system, photoelectrically converts the light beam, and thus acquires image data. The image-pickup board is disposed to extend in a plane oblique to a bottom surface of a housing. An input/output terminal for detachably attaching a cable for electrical connection with an external device is disposed in a space defined between the image-pickup board and the bottom surface of the housing.

Abstract: An ink jet printer of the present invention includes at least one ink head which jets ink to a recording medium surface of a recording medium. This ink head has a nozzle plate in which a nozzle for jetting ink is formed and at least one rib which is formed so as to project toward the side of the recording medium rather than the nozzle. The ribs are gradually tapered toward the side of the recording medium.

Abstract: A two-wavelength antireflection film to prevent light in two-wavelength regions of a deep-ultraviolet region and a region from a visible region to the near-infrared region on a surface of a substrate by coating the two-wavelength antireflection film on the surface of the substrate which penetrates light from the deep-ultraviolet region to the near-infrared region, comprising a first thin film which is formed on the substrate, and has a refractive index of 1.6 to 2.0 and optical film thickness of 0.4&lgr; to 0.7&lgr; for design main wavelength (&lgr;), a second thin film which is formed on the first thin film, and has a refractive index of 1.35 to 1.55 and an optical film thickness of 0.05&lgr; to 0.6&lgr; for the design main wavelength &lgr;, a third thin film which is formed on the second thin film, and has a refractive index of 1.6 to 2.0 and an optical film thickness of 0.1&lgr; to 0.

Abstract: A camera is provided that includes a camera housing and a TFT panel, which permits verification of a formed image, located on the back of the camera housing. A strobe unit and an electronic viewfinder unit are located in the upper part of the camera housing. The electronic viewfinder unit has a unit body including: a TFT panel permitting viewing of an object image; an eyepiece opposed to the back of the camera housing and used to view the object image displayed on the TFT panel; and a prism serving as an optical path conversion member that bends by a predetermined angle light emitted from an object image displayed on the TFT panel so as to route the light to the eyepiece, and adjoining the TFT panel and the eyepiece.

Abstract: A total internal reflection illumination apparatus applied to a microscope which illuminates a sample through an objective having a numerical aperture enabling total internal reflection illumination, comprises a first total internal reflection mirror which is arranged in the vicinity of an outermost peripheral part of an observation optical path of the microscope to reflect an incident illumination light in a direction of the objective, a second total internal reflection mirror which is arranged at a symmetrical position with the first total internal reflection mirror to sandwich an observation optical axis and reflects return light reflected on a surface of the sample in a direction different from the illumination optical path, and a return light dimming part configured to dim the return light reflected by the second total internal reflection mirror.

Abstract: An electronic camera can be loaded with a semiconductor memory and a storage medium that has a storage capacity larger than that of the memory and is rotated to record or reproduce data. Digital image data obtained by photographing are recorded in the memory. When the residual storage capacity of the memory reaches a predetermined value, the digital image data recorded in the memory are transferred to the storage medium.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup section for converting an object light into image signals of Bayer RGB array; a color information detecting section for obtaining color information of the object from the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a first luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on G signals of the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a second luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on all color signals of the image signals; a selector for providing an output by switching between outputs of the first and second luminance data generating section; and a selection signal generating section for generating selection signal for controlling the switching of the selector based on color information obtained at the color information detecting section.

Abstract: A two-wavelength antireflection film to prevent light in two-wavelength regions of a deep-ultraviolet region and a region from a visible region to the near-infrared region on a surface of a substrate by coating the two-wavelength antireflection film on the surface of the substrate which penetrates light from the deep-ultraviolet region to the near-infrared region, comprising a first thin film which is formed on the substrate, and has a refractive index of 1.6 to 2.0 and optical film thickness of 0.4&lgr; to 0.7&lgr; for design main wavelength (&lgr;), a second thin film which is formed on the first thin film, and has a refractive index of 1.35 to 1.55 and an optical film thickness of 0.05&lgr; to 0.6&lgr; for the design main wavelength &lgr;, a third thin film which is formed on the second thin film, and has a refractive index of 1.6 to 2.0 and an optical film thickness of 0.1&lgr; to 0.

Abstract: An electronic camera system of this invention is an electronic camera system comprising an electronic camera and a camera stand which is provided so as to enable the electronic camera to be mounted thereon and includes a power supplying section for supplying power to the electronic camera mounted. The electric camera system is mainly characterized in that the electronic camera is formed so as to have an exterior shape capable of being mounted on the camera stand, and the camera stand is formed so as to have an exterior shape which enables the electronic camera to be mounted either in a first direction in which the front of the camera faces to the front of the camera stand or in a second direction in which the back of the camera faces to the front of the camera stand.

Abstract: A code reading apparatus main body optically reads a code from a recording medium, recording it as optically readable code, and stores the outcome of the reading operation and the parameters acquired during the reading operation in the data RAM of an application program storing cartridge. When a program processing apparatus reads the outcome of the reading operation as stored in the data RAM, it provides randomness to the outcome of the reading operation according to the parameters stored in the data RAM.