Abstract: An optical system includes in order from an object side, an objective optical system, a ?/4 wavelength plate including one birefringent material, a polarizing beam splitter which splits light from the objective optical system into two, and an image sensor which picks up two images split. The polarizing beam splitter causes to occur an axial astigmatism of an opposite sign with respect to an axial astigmatism occurred due to the ?/4 wavelength plate, the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied. 1.1?Fno/(d/|?n|)?49??(1) where, Fno denotes an effective F-number of the objective optical system, d denotes a thickness of the ?/4 wavelength plate, and ?n denotes a birefringence of the ?/4 wavelength plate for an e-line, provided that, |0.01|<?n.

Abstract: An endoscope includes in order from an object side, an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter, an image sensor, and an image processor. A ?/4 wavelength plate is disposed between the objective optical system and the splitter. The splitter includes first and second prisms, and has a beam splitting surface at which the first prism and the second prism are brought into close contact. The splitter splits light at the beam splitting surface, into a first optical path through which P-polarized light is transmitted and a second optical path through which S-polarized light is reflected. The first and second prisms are slid relative to one another along the beam splitting surface to adjust optical path lengths of the first and second optical paths, and are disposed at positions to cancel an amount of shift in focusing positions of extraordinary and ordinary light, and satisfy specific conditional expressions.

Abstract: An optical system includes in order from an object side, an objective optical system, a ?/4 wavelength plate including one birefringent material, a polarizing beam splitter which splits light from the objective optical system into two, and an image sensor which picks up two images split. The polarizing beam splitter causes to occur an axial astigmatism of an opposite sign with respect to an axial astigmatism occurred due to the ?/4 wavelength plate, the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied. 1.1?Fno/(d/|?n|)?49??(1) where, Fno denotes an effective F-number of the objective optical system, d denotes a thickness of the ?/4 wavelength plate, and ?n denotes a birefringence of the ?/4 wavelength plate for an e-line, provided that, |0.01|<?n.

Abstract: An endoscope includes in order from an object side to an image side, an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter which splits light from the objective optical system into two, and an image sensor which picks up two split images. A multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate made of a birefringent material is disposed in an optical path between the objective optical system and the optical-path splitter, and the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) and (2)?. 10?(d/d0)×0.25?85??(1) 0.08<|?n|<0.24??(2)? where, d denotes a thickness of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate, d0 denotes a thickness of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate, which becomes zero-order for an e-line, and ?n denotes a birefringence for the e-line of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate.

Abstract: An objective optical system includes a lens group and an optical path splitting element. The optical path splitting element is disposed on an optical path of the lens group, the optical path splitting element includes an optical path splitting surface configured to form a first optical path and a second optical path, an optical path length in the first optical path is different from an optical path length in the second optical path, a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the second optical path is larger than a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the first optical path, and an optical surface satisfying following conditional expression (1) is disposed on the first optical path, 0.8?MR650/MR550?0.9??(1).

Abstract: An endoscope includes in order from an object side, an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter, an image sensor, and an image processor. A ?/4 wavelength plate is disposed between the objective optical system and the optical-path splitter. The optical-path splitter includes in order from the object side, a first prism and a second prism, and has a beam splitting surface at which the first prism and the second prism are brought into close contact. The optical-path splitter splits light at the beam splitting surface, into a first optical path through which P-polarized light is transmitted and a second optical path through which S-polarized light is reflected.

Abstract: An endoscope includes in order from an object side to an image side, an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter which splits light from the objective optical system into two, and an image sensor which picks up two split images. A multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate made of a birefringent material is disposed in an optical path between the objective optical system and the optical-path splitter, and the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) and (2)?. 10?(d/d0)×0.25?85??(1) 0.08<|?n|<0.24??(2)? where, d denotes a thickness of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate, d0 denotes a thickness of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate, which becomes zero-order for an e-line, and ?n denotes a birefringence for the e-line of the multi-order ?/4 wavelength plate.

Abstract: An objective optical system includes a lens group and an optical path splitting element. The optical path splitting element is disposed on an optical path of the lens group, the optical path splitting element includes an optical path splitting surface configured to form a first optical path and a second optical path, an optical path length in the first optical path is different from an optical path length in the second optical path, a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the second optical path is larger than a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the first optical path, and an optical surface satisfying following conditional expression (1) is disposed on the first optical path, 0.8?MR650/MR550?0.9??(1).

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a generating means generating a compositing mask that serves as compositing ratios of the corresponding pixels between a pair of images acquired by simultaneously imaging two optical images having different focus positions, into which a subject image is divided on the basis of the ratios of contrasts; a correcting means subjecting compositing masks generated for pairs of images acquired in time series, to weighted averaging for respective pixels, thus generating a corrected mask; and an compositing means compositing the two images according to the corrected mask. The correcting means subjects the compositing masks to weighted averaging by performing weighting such that the percentage of the past compositing masks is higher at pixels constituting a static area and an area having contrast lower than a threshold than at pixels constituting a moving-object area or an area having contrast equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a generating means generating a compositing mask that serves as compositing ratios of the corresponding pixels between a pair of images acquired by simultaneously imaging two optical images having different focus positions, into which a subject image is divided on the basis of the ratios of contrasts; a correcting means subjecting compositing masks generated for pairs of images acquired in time series, to weighted averaging for respective pixels, thus generating a corrected mask; and an compositing means compositing the two images according to the corrected mask. The correcting means subjects the compositing masks to weighted averaging by performing weighting such that the percentage of the past compositing masks is higher at pixels constituting a static area and an area having contrast lower than a threshold than at pixels constituting a moving-object area or an area having contrast equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: A packing container includes a packing container body having an opening, and a cushioning member provided in the packing container body. The cushioning member includes a cushioning-member body portion, and a pushing portion that pushes a packing object toward a side of the opening.

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 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: An endoscope system includes an endoscope objective optical system that acquires two optical images with different focus positions, an image pickup device that picks up the two optical images to acquire two image signals, an image synthesis processing section that makes a comparison in contrast between the two image signals for each spatially identical pixel region and selects a pixel region having relatively higher contrast to thereby synthesize the two image signals into one image, and a focus switchover mechanism that moves a position of a focus switchover lens provided for the endoscope objective optical system and selectively switches a focus of the endoscope objective optical system to one of two observation regions of proximity observation and remote observation, in which the image synthesis processing section synthesizes two images in each of the respective observation regions of the proximity observation and the remote observation.

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: 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 packaging container includes an outer container, a packaging bag, and an inner packing member. The outer container has a box-like shape and has a containing space and a passage opening. The packaging bag is contained in the outer container in a state in which the packaging bag contains an object. The packaging bag includes a containing portion, an opening portion formed in the containing portion and allowing the object to pass therethrough, and a handle portion graspable by a user. The inner packing member is disposed between the object and the passage opening and contained in the containing space. At least part of the handle portion is disposed on the passage opening side of the inner packing member, and the handle portion moves toward the passage opening together with the inner packing member when the inner packing member is being removed from the outer container.

Abstract: A packaging box includes a box body having a bottom board, side boards, and bending flaps; and a cushioning material having a bottom surface section and side surface sections. A restrainer is formed at least one of the bending flaps, the restrainer having a portion that is separated from and opposes the bottom board when the portion of the restrainer is bent into an accommodation space of the box body. A restrain portion is formed at the side surface section of the cushioning material opposing the restrainer formed at the at least one of the bending flaps, the restrain portion having a portion that is positioned at a side of the bottom board so as to abut upon the portion of the restrainer and that opposes the portion of the restrainer when the cushioning material is fitted in the accommodation space of the box body.

Abstract: The invention provides lenses at low cost, which form an illumination optical system for endoscopes that has high efficiency and achieves improved light distribution. The illumination optical system for endoscopes is used in opposition to a light beam exit end 1 of a transmission means F for light emitted from a light source, and comprises, as viewed from the light beam exit end 1, a lens group 10 having positive power and an optical member 20 subsequent thereto which has a spherical surface 20a that functions as a lens, has a radius of curvature R, and satisfies the following condition: 1.48?S/?R2?4??(1) where R is the radius of curvature of the spherical surface, in mm, and S is a surface area of the spherical surface, in mm2.

Abstract: A packaging container includes an outer container having a containing space and a passage opening, and a packaging bag for containing an object. The packaging bag includes a containing portion, an opening portion, and a handle portion. The handle portion includes strip-like members each connected to the containing portion at two connection portions. The handle portion has a length equal to or larger than half a length of the object along the passage opening when the handle portion is extended in a direction along the passage opening. When the handle portion is extended in a direction through the passage opening, the handle portion has a length with which the handle portion is allowed to protrude away from a surface of the object adjacent to the passage opening toward the passage opening and the connection portions are located at positions separated away from the surface toward the passage opening.