Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes at least one of a connector on the side of a scope unit and a connector on the side of a fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in an detachable portion of a base unit and the fixed unit of the scope unit is a movable connector, and in the detachable portion, the base unit is connected to the fixed unit by positioning means for positioning the fixed unit side to the base unit side, when the connector on the fixed unit side is connected to that on the base unit side.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus having over solid-state image pickup device chip a hermetic seal portion comprising a flat-plate portion of a transparent member and a frame portion formed on a side portion of a lower surface of the flat-plate portion, said frame portion including a metal wiring, a bump formed on said solid-state image pickup device chip and electrically connected to the metal wiring, and a sealing region for sealing the periphery of the bump by a sealing material, thereby achieving the solid-state image pickup apparatus capable of being packaged in a relatively small size and capable of improving throughput and at the same time having a hermetic seal portion which can be readily electrically connected to an external terminal.

Abstract: A color image pickup device including: a pixel group placed in array of a plurality of pixels of photoelectric conversion elements; and a color coding array corresponding to the pixel group, the color coding array arranged in a randomized array, or arranged in a randomized array satisfying predetermined array restricting conditions, or arranged in a randomized array satisfying predetermined color distributing conditions. Thereby an object image can be picked up in accordance with a randomized color coding array having no regularity, making it possible without using an optical low-pass filter to achieve a color image pickup device and color image pickup apparatus using the color image pickup device capable of keeping color moiré from occurring even of an object having a cyclic luminance change.

Abstract: An electronic imaging device is provided which includes a first lens group which takes in a luminous flux from a subject along a first optical axis, an optical axis conversion member which bends the luminous flux along a second optical axis which intersects with the first optical axis, a second lens which images the bent luminous flux to an imaging element, and an optical amount adjustment unit provided between the second lens group and the optical axis conversion member. An AF motor, a driving unit which drives the optical amount adjustment unit, and a zoom motor are each selectively arranged at one of four spaces formed by a first plane defined by the optical amount adjustment unit and a second plane defined by the first and second optical axes. The AF motor, the driving unit, and the zoom motor may all be arranged at one side of the second plane.

Abstract: A biological sample containing a target nucleic acid is mixed with a primer, a substrate labeled with fluorescence, and DNA polymerase to prepare a test solution. After a nucleic acid amplification reaction is performed in a predetermined manner, the test solution is attached dropwise on a slide glass, which is mounted on a sample holder of an inverted fluorescence microscope. Data measured by a photomultiplyer are arithmetically operated by applying an autocorrelation function in a data processing apparatus. Based on the arithmetic results, quantification data for the target nucleic acid, are numerically or graphically displayed on a screen of a display apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides an endoscope comprising an elongated insert portion having flexibility, the insert portion being inserted into a space targeted for inspection, a connector portion linked with a proximal end side of the insert portion and having a unit which controls flexible bending and image acquisition of the insert portion mounted thereon, an apparatus main body which controls the connector portion, and an endoscope housing case which houses the insert portion and connector portion and the apparatus main body therein, the endoscope apparatus having an insert portion housing member in which the endoscope main body having the connector portion and apparatus main body assembled with each other is attachable to/detachable from the endoscope housing case, and which is attachable to/detachable from the endoscope main body while the insert portion is held.

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: A portable information terminal device having a camera feature and comprises a case provided with an image pickup module including a lens and an image pickup element and a lid member of the device provided at a predetermined position with an adapter optical system different from the lens. The lid member is linked to the case to be displaceable relative to the case between predetermined positions including a position for causing the optical axis of the lens and that of the adapter optical system to substantially agree with each other. When the optical axis of the lens and that of the adapter optical system are substantially agree with each other by displacing the case and the lid member relative to each other, the optical parameters of the synthetic optical system obtained by combining the lens and the adapter optical system are different from those of the lens.

Abstract: In this invention, a drum around which an insertion portion is wound is integrally housed in a carrying case, and a cylinder for supplying a fluid to a hydropneumatic actuator and a solenoid valve unit for controlling the application of a hydropneumatic pressure are housed in the carrying case or drum. In addition, a joystick for operating the controlled variables of the solenoid valve unit can be housed in the carrying case.

Abstract: A focal length measuring device comprises a light source unit for generating a collimated light, a diffraction grating for deflecting the collimated light by a deflection angle ?, and an image-pickup element for measuring a position of a focused spot light after the deflected light passes the lens to be tested. The diffracting grating is disposed near a front focal plane of the lens to be tested. The image-pickup element is disposed near a rear focal plane of the lens to be tested. A focal length is calculated according to a relationship such as h=f tan ? under condition that h indicates an image height as a distance from the optical axis. By doing this, it is possible to measure the focal length accurately and easily while restricting an influence of a depth of focus and an aberration.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having function for synthesizing image signals corresponding to a plurality of frames of different exposure amounts to generate wide dynamic range, synthesized image is provided with: at least two control means among a taking control means based on a normal taking mode, a taking control means based on a forced wide dynamic range taking mode, and a taking control means based on an automatic wide dynamic range taking mode for selectively generating wide dynamic range, synthesized image automatically on the basis of object information or information set for the image taking; and means for selectively setting one image taking mode out of the taking modes respectively corresponding to the two control means. It is thereby possible to take image by selecting one image taking mode from at least two taking modes among the normal taking mode, the forced wide dynamic range taking mode, and the automatic wide dynamic range taking mode.

Abstract: There are performed three types of object shooting, i.e., a projection pattern shooting using a pattern including both characterization of a stripe based on a color and characterization based on a gradation of the same component, a flash shooting without a pattern and a non-flash shooting without a pattern. A two-dimensional image information generation portion corrects the influence of a surface reflectivity of an object or external light from the three types of images, and estimates a pattern structure using the characteristic based on a color with respect to an object having a white-based color or a low-saturation color and based on a gradation with respect to an object having a high-saturation color. A depth calculation portion specifies the correspondence relationship between the estimated pattern structure and information of the projected pattern, and calculates a depth of each part of the object based on a result of specification.

Abstract: A camera according to this invention determines whether a subject to be photographed is backlit; and when it is backlit, compares a brightness of the subject with a brightness of a background of the subject by emitting strobe light onto the subject; and changes an amount of correction by at least one of a gamma conversion processes and a contour emphasizing process based on a result of the comparison, thereby processing a subject image signal detected by an imaging section.

Abstract: In this invention, a drum around which an insertion portion is wound is integrally housed in a carrying case, and a cylinder for supplying a fluid to a hydropneumatic actuator and a solenoid valve unit for controlling the application of a hydropneumatic pressure are housed in the carrying case or drum. In addition, a joystick for operating the controlled variables of the solenoid valve unit can be housed in the carrying case.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system for displaying information in a specific region includes a capturing unit for capturing a desired subject, an image capturing unit for capturing an image of the subject, a position and attitude calculating unit for calculating at least the position and the facing direction of the capturing unit on the basis of the captured image, a determining unit for determining the subject in the image captured by the image capturing unit on the basis of an output of the position and attitude calculating unit, a related information obtaining unit for obtaining at least information related to the determined subject, and a related information superimposition display unit for displaying the obtained information together with the image related to the subject on a display unit.

Abstract: A digital camera which can change gradation properties comprises a CCD image pickup element 105 for photographing a subject, an exposure control mechanism 103 for controlling an exposure on the image pickup element 105, a digital processing circuit 108 including a gradation converting circuit for being capable of generating image signals having different gradation properties (gamma properties) based on the output signal from the image pickup element 105, and a system controller 112 including a selecting circuit for selecting one of the different gradation properties, which is used in the gradation converting circuit. In the digital camera, to suppress the change of a sensitivity (output level) due to the a change of the gradation property, the exposure control mechanism 103 changes a control target value to control the exposure in accordance with the selected gamma value so that the output level is maintained at constant in the average exposure.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus measure the distance to a target by measuring the time required for an emitted beam of light to go to and return from the target. The light receiving section of the apparatus converts the received light into an electric signal. The clamp/inversion section of the apparatus clamps and inverts the output of the light receiving section. The comparing section of the apparatus compares the output of the light receiving section and the output of the clamp/inversion section. The determining section of the apparatus identifies the time of receiving the light on the basis of the outcome of the operation of the comparing section.

Abstract: A confocal microscope comprises a light source emitting a polarized light beam, an objective lens irradiating the polarized light beam, which is deflected and scanned by the optical scanner, to the sample as an excitation light beam, a wavelength separator detecting a necessary wavelength band from a polarized fluorescence emitted from the sample which is excited by the polarized light beam, and a photodetector unit having a polarization property extractor extracting a fluorescence with a predetermined polarization property from the fluorescence detected with the wavelength separator, a wavelength selector selecting a wavelength of the fluorescence extracted by the polarization property extractor, and a photodetector detecting the fluorescence selected by the wavelength selector.

Abstract: A scanning laser microscope is configured to include: a scanner unit for performing two-dimensional scanning on a specimen using a light beam; a photodetector unit for detecting a light from the specimen; an A/D converter for converting an output signal from the photodetector unit into a digital signal; a CPU for controlling the scanner unit and generating image data of the specimen from the digital signal output from the A/D converter; a display unit for displaying the image data; an external device for outputting an external signal; and a data storage unit, connected to the external device, for recording the time when the external signal is output. With the configuration, the data stored in the data storage unit can be read by the CPU.

Abstract: A camera includes a first lens unit on which a light beam is incident from a subject, a reflective mirror for reflecting the light beam through the first lens unit, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the first lens unit, a first diaphragm member arranged on a surface of a lens of the first lens unit closest to the reflective mirror with the surface of the lens facing the reflective mirror blocks unwanted rays of light other than the light beam that forms the image of the subject, a second lens unit on which the light beam reflected from the reflective mirror is incident, a second diaphragm member arranged between the first lens unit and the second lens unit blocks unwanted rays of light that travel outside the outermost periphery at which the light beam traveling from the first lens unit to the reflective member intersects the light beam traveling from the reflective mirror to the second lens unit, and an unwanted ray-of-light reflection prevention member arranged on the reflect