Abstract: An illuminating device includes an illumination light generator configured to generate illumination pulses of coherent light, and a speckle modulator configured to modulate speckle caused by the coherent light. The illumination pulse generator repeatedly generates a single illumination pulse group including a plurality of illumination pulses as a repetitive illumination pulse group.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a light source that is configured to emit primary light; plural illuminators that are configured to be irradiated with the primary light to emit plural respective illumination light generated based on the radiated primary light toward an observation object so that at least part of the plural illumination light overlap on the observation object; and an adjuster that is configured to desirably adjust a ratio of light quantities of the primary light that travels from the light source to the respective illuminators, so as to distribute the primary light to the respective illuminators.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an illuminator including: an emphasis light source that emits emphasis narrow band light whose peak or central wavelength is included in an emphasis wavelength range that includes a maximum wavelength taking a maximum value of an optical absorption spectrum of a diagnosis target substance or a largest wavelength taking a largest value of the spectrum in any of three color ranges; and a non-emphasis light source that emits non-emphasis narrow band light whose peak or central wavelength is included in a non-emphasis wavelength range that is a wavelength range not including the emphasis wavelength range of the color ranges. The illuminator further includes a light quantity ratio changing section that changes a light quantity ratio between the emphasis and non-emphasis narrow band light.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an imager configured to detect reflected and scattered light of illumination light radiated to an observation object and output an imaging signal, the illumination light including light in three wavelength ranges corresponding to first, second, and third depth regions, and an image processor including an intermediate emphasis image generator configured to generate an intermediate emphasis image, based on a first emphasis image signal generated based on emphasis narrowband light, a first non-emphasis image signal generated based on non-emphasis narrowband, and image signals corresponding to all wavelength ranges not including the first emphasis and non-emphasis image signals, and a display image generator configured to generate a display image based on the intermediate emphasis image.

Abstract: An illumination unit includes a light guide and a light converter. Wettability which a distal end side surface of the light guide has for an enclosing member of the light converter is lower than wettability which a distal end face has for the enclosing member.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a light source that is configured to emit primary light; plural illuminators that are configured to be irradiated with the primary light to emit plural respective illumination light generated based on the radiated primary light toward an observation object so that at least part of the plural illumination light overlap on the observation object; and an adjuster that is configured to desirably adjust a ratio of light quantities of the primary light that travels from the light source to the respective illuminators, so as to distribute the primary light to the respective illuminators.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an illumination section, a color component ratio measurement section and a light quantity ratio adjustment circuit. The illumination section including a light source sequentially or simultaneously radiates an illumination light being a plurality of narrow-band lights having wavelengths different from each other and having light quantities which are independently controllable each other, on an observation object. The color component ratio measurement section measures a color component ratio of the illumination light. The light quantity ratio adjustment circuit adjusts a light quantity ratio of the narrow-band lights based on an output from the color component ratio measurement section and performs color correction to cause the illumination light to be a desired color.

Abstract: An illuminating device includes an illumination pulse generator configured to generate illumination pulses of coherent light, a speckle modulator configured to modulate speckle caused by the coherent light, and a synchronization controller configured to control the illumination pulse generator and the speckle modulator so as to synchronize pulse generation timing of the illumination pulse generator and drive timing of the speckle modulator. The speckle modulator periodically changes a driving intensity of the speckle modulator.

Abstract: An illuminating device includes an illumination light generator configured to generate illumination pulses of coherent light, and a speckle modulator configured to modulate speckle caused by the coherent light. The illumination pulse generator repeatedly generates a single illumination pulse group including a plurality of illumination pulses as a repetitive illumination pulse group.

Abstract: An endoscopic system includes a speckle reduction unit which is reduce speckle generated on an observed portion by light that has coherence, a controller which controls an operation of the speckle reduction unit and a plurality of observation modes including a speckle observation mode of observing the observed portion based on the speckle generated on the observed portion by the light. The controller controls the operation of the speckle reduction unit in accordance with the observation modes such that the speckle reduction unit does not reduce the speckle in the speckle observation mode and the speckle reduction unit reduces the speckle in the observation modes other than the speckle observation mode.

Abstract: An illuminating device includes narrow band light sources including same-color narrow band light sources each configured to emit same-color narrow band light. The same-color narrow band light sources are divided into groups each including at least one narrow band light source. The illuminating device also includes a same-color light source controller configured to control the same-color narrow band light sources and perform light control of emitted light from the same-color narrow band light sources by increasing or decreasing, for each of the groups, an emitted-light quantity of the same-color narrow band light sources within a predetermined reference period, by a unit gradation in a predetermined order.

Abstract: An illumination device includes at least four narrow band light sources, primary light combiners that combine narrow band light from at least two of the narrow band light sources, and a secondary light combiner that combines primary combined light combined by the primary light combiners. The device is configured to radiate, as illumination light, secondary combined light combined by the secondary light combiner. The light sources are grouped into groups based on illumination characteristics of the narrow band light so that light sources satisfying a condition for the illumination characteristics are grouped into the same group. The light sources in the same group are connected to the primary light combiners so that the light sources in the same group are distributed to the primary light combiners.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an imager configured to detect reflected and scattered light of illumination light radiated to an observation object and output an imaging signal, the illumination light including light in three wavelength ranges corresponding to first, second, and third depth regions, and an image processor including an intermediate emphasis image generator configured to generate an intermediate emphasis image, based on a first emphasis image signal generated based on emphasis narrowband light, a first non-emphasis image signal generated based on non-emphasis narrowband, and image signals corresponding to all wavelength ranges not including the first emphasis and non-emphasis image signals, and a display image generator configured to generate a display image based on the intermediate emphasis image.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an imager that outputs an imaging signal and an image processor that generates an emphasis image signal and a non-emphasis image signal based on the imaging signal. The emphasis image signal corresponds to emphasis narrow band light included in an emphasis wavelength range that includes at least one of a maximum wavelength that takes a maximum value of an optical absorption spectrum and a color-range largest wavelength that takes a largest value of the optical absorption spectrum. The non-emphasis image signal corresponds to non-emphasis narrow band light included in a non-emphasis wavelength range that excludes the emphasis wavelength range from three color ranges and that is included in a color range that does not include the emphasis narrow band light.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an illuminator including: an emphasis light source that emits emphasis narrow band light whose peak or central wavelength is included in an emphasis wavelength range that includes a maximum wavelength taking a maximum value of an optical absorption spectrum of a diagnosis target substance or a largest wavelength taking a largest value of the spectrum in any of three color ranges; and a non-emphasis light source that emits non-emphasis narrow band light whose peak or central wavelength is included in a non-emphasis wavelength range that is a wavelength range not including the emphasis wavelength range of the color ranges. The illuminator further includes a light quantity ratio changing section that changes a light quantity ratio between the emphasis and non-emphasis narrow band light.

Abstract: An endoscope system has observation modes making observations with lights having optical characteristics different from each other. The system includes an endoscope including an insertion section provided with an illumination window, a light guide arranged in the insertion section, and including an entrance end on which the lights enter and a plurality of light guide areas that guide the lights entered on the entrance end, and an entrance area switching unit that switches between the light guide areas through which the entered lights are guided by switching between areas on which the lights enter at the entrance end in accordance with an observation mode.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a light converter disposed on a distal end surface of a light guide, the light converter being configured to emit illumination light, which is generated by converting optical characteristics of primary light that is guided by the light guide, in a forward direction which is on the light converter side of the distal end surface, and in a backward direction which is on the light guide side of the distal end surface. The illumination apparatus further includes a light collector configured to collect backward illumination light into the light guide such that the backward illumination light is guided backward by the light guide, and a heat exhauster configured to convert the backward illumination light, which is guided by the light guide, to heat, and to exhaust the heat.

Abstract: An illumination unit includes a light guide and a light converter. Wettability which a distal end side surface of the light guide has for an enclosing member of the light converter is lower than wettability which a distal end face has for the enclosing member.

Abstract: A light source device includes: excitation light sources configured to emit a plurality of excitation light including mutually different spectra; wavelength converting members configured to wavelength-convert the excitation light emitted from the excitation light sources into light having mutually different spectra and configured to be disposed in a common application region of the excitation light; and a light source control unit configured to switch a combination of the excitation light sources that are lighted among the excitation light sources based on the observation mode including a normal light observation mode and a special light observation mode to highlight a particular observation target input to an input unit, wherein light emitted from the wavelength converting members is used as illumination light, and the illumination light corresponding to the observation modes is emitted from a same emitting portion.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes at least one laser diode, an illumination section, and a light control circuit. The illumination section uses light emitted from the laser diode as illumination light. The light control circuit controls light intensity of the laser diode by pulse-modulating a drive current supplied to the laser diode. The light control circuit controls the light intensity of the laser diode in combination with a duty ratio and a peak current of the pulse-modulated pulse drive current in combination in a multi-oscillation mode region in which a wavelength spectrum width of the light emitted from the laser diode is equal to or larger than a threshold wavelength width.