Abstract: A lithotripsy apparatus includes: a treatment laser beam source that emits a treatment laser beam that crushes a stone; a guide light source that emits guide light; a photodetector that detects return light that returns as a result of the emitted guide light being reflected at the stone; and a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to: measure a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light; determine a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and adjust a light quantity of the treatment laser beam on the basis of the determined condition of the bubble.

Abstract: Provided is a temperature measurement method for measuring an ambient temperature of a long-length medical device, using first and second optical fibers attached to the medical device, the first and second optical fibers extending in parallel with each other along a longitudinal direction of the medical device, and the first optical fiber having a distal end serving as a measurement unit extending beyond a distal end of the second optical fiber along a longitudinal direction of the first and second optical fibers. The method includes: measuring an optical path length difference between a first optical path including the first optical fiber and a second optical path including the second optical fiber; and calculating a temperature of the measurement unit based on the optical path length difference. When temperatures of the first and second optical fibers are uniform, optical path lengths of the first and second optical paths are equal.

Abstract: An observation system includes an observation apparatus including a housing having an arrangement surface for placement of a sample, the sample including a culture medium, and an external illumination unit which is disposed outside the housing and includes at least one light source configured to emit illumination light. At least a part of the arrangement surface is formed of a transparent member having an optically transparent property. The observation apparatus includes an imaging unit which is provided in the housing and includes an image sensor configured to image, via the transparent member, the sample illuminated by the illumination light from the external illumination unit to acquire images of at least three colors.

Abstract: A lithotripsy apparatus includes: a treatment laser beam source that emits a treatment laser beam that crushes a stone; a guide light source that emits guide light; a photodetector that detects return light that returns as a result of the emitted guide light being reflected at the stone; and a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to: measure a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light; determine a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and adjust a light quantity of the treatment laser beam on the basis of the determined condition of the bubble.

Abstract: A photoacoustic wave detection device includes a light projection optical system and a photoacoustic wave detection system. The light projection optical system includes: a light source that emits excitation light; an excitation light incident surface that guides the excitation light emitted from the light source to the inside by transmission; an internal reflection surface that reflects the excitation light that has entered through the excitation light incident surface by internal reflection; and a prism having positive refractive power and an excitation light emitting surface for emitting the excitation light reflected by the internal reflection surface to the outside by transmission. The photoacoustic wave detection system includes: the prism; and a transducer that detects a photoacoustic wave that has passed through the excitation light emitting surface of the prism, is reflected by the internal reflection surface, and is emitted from the prism.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a light source that radiates a pulsed light beam onto an imaging subject; an imaging optical system; an image transmission optical system that transmits the image of the imaging subject; an optical sensor that has a light receiving surface on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed and that detects a light level of the image; and one or more processors, wherein the optical sensor obtains light levels by detecting, in a time division manner, a reflected light beam of the pulsed light beam at each of the pixels, and wherein the processors are configured to: calculate an observation distance to the imaging subject from the imaging optical system on a basis of the light levels.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope objective lens unit includes: an objective lens which irradiates a sample with excitation light L; a photoacoustic wave detection unit which detects a photoacoustic wave U generated from the sample; and a photoacoustic wave guide system. The photoacoustic wave guide system includes: a photoacoustic wave separation member; and an acoustic lens that is disposed between the photoacoustic wave separation member and the sample and has a focus position that substantially matches with a focus position of the objective lens. The acoustic lens is obtained by cementing a main acoustic lens and a correction acoustic lens to each other. The main acoustic lens and the correction acoustic lens satisfy predetermined Conditional Expressions.

Abstract: An image-acquisition apparatus is provided with: an imaging optical system; and an image-acquisition device that acquires parallax images, wherein the imaging optical system is provided with a first negative lens group, a first positive lens group, and a second positive lens group, wherein the first positive lens group and the first negative lens group are disposed along a common center axis, wherein the second positive lens group is provided with two positive lens groups that are disposed next to each other in a parallax direction on either side of the common center axis and that individually have center axes, wherein two aperture stops having openings, wherein the first positive lens group has only one moving lens group that is moved, and wherein all of remaining lens components in the imaging optical system, excluding the moving lens group, remain still.

Abstract: In order to acquire height information regarding a subject disposed on the internal surface of an elongated tubular member, an image processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, includes a processor the processor including hardware and configured to perform the steps of receiving a first image and a second image acquired from a subject using an optical system having a field of view in a direction of at least about 90° to a central axis of the optical system, the first image acquired at a first position, the second image acquired at a second position, the second position different from the first position along the central axis; and calculating a distance between the subject and the central axis of the optical system, based on a distance between the first position and the second position, and based on the corresponding points in the third image and in the fourth image.

Abstract: An observation system includes an illumination unit including a light source from which emits an illumination light including light of a plurality of colors, and light receiving unit including an optical sensor which acquires a light intensity. The illumination unit emits the illumination light for a culture vessel so that the illumination light travels from a first side to a second side of the culture vessel, the first side and the second side being defined by interposing a culture medium. The light receiving unit receives, on the first side, light emitted from the illumination unit, entering the culture vessel from the first side, reflected at the second side, and transmitted through the culture medium, and acquires a light intensity for each color in the received light for calculation of a pH value of the culture medium.

Abstract: An observation system includes an observation apparatus including a housing having an arrangement surface for placement of a sample, the sample including a culture medium, and an external illumination unit which is disposed outside the housing and includes at least one light source configured to emit illumination light. At least a part of the arrangement surface is formed of a transparent member having an optically transparent property. The observation apparatus includes an imaging unit which is provided in the housing and includes an image sensor configured to image, via the transparent member, the sample illuminated by the illumination light from the external illumination unit to acquire images of at least three colors.

Abstract: An image acquisition device including: an imaging optical system forming two images having parallax; and an element acquiring the parallax images, the imaging optical system includes: a first negative lens group having negative refractive power; a first positive lens group having positive refractive power; and a second positive lens group having positive refractive power, the first negative lens group includes two negative lens groups disposed side by side in the parallax direction and having central axes respectively, the first positive lens group is a common lens group having a single central axis, and light rays emitted from the negative lens groups pass therethrough, the second positive lens group includes two positive lens groups disposed side by side in the parallax direction and having central axes respectively and the first positive lens group includes a moving lens group moved along the central axis of the first positive lens group.

Abstract: A medium changing device includes a lid disposed at a position where two or more regions in which a medium may be stored are covered therewith, the regions being disposed adjacent to each other and being open upward; one or more flow-path members each disposed so as to penetrate the lid, and each disposed at a position where one of the regions is bridged to another therewith when the lid is disposed at the position where the regions are covered; and a pump disposed on the other side of the lid and acting on the intermediate sections of the flow-path members, exposed on the other side, so as to cause the medium to flow from the opening at one end toward the opening at the other end of each of the flow-path members.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope apparatus includes a light source that emits excitation light which generates photoacoustic waves, an objective lens which focuses the excitation light on a specimen, a scanning unit which moves a focused position of the excitation light on the specimen, a photoacoustic-wave detecting unit which has a sensor unit that detects a photoacoustic wave generated, and an image constructing unit which constructs an image based on data from the photoacoustic-wave detecting unit. For the sensor unit, an angle of a range which is capable of receiving the photoacoustic wave incident on the sensor unit is larger than an angle corresponding to a numerical aperture on a side illuminated of the objective lens.

Abstract: In order to acquire height information regarding a subject disposed on the internal surface of an elongated tubular member, an image processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, includes a processor the processor including hardware and configured to perform the steps of receiving a first image and a second image acquired from a subject using an optical system having a field of view in a direction of at least about 90° to a central axis of the optical system, the first image acquired at a first position, the second image acquired at a second position, the second position different from the first position along the central axis; and calculating a distance between the subject and the central axis of the optical system, based on a distance between the first position and the second position, and based on the corresponding points in the third image and in the fourth image.

Abstract: A photoacoustic wave detection device includes a light projection optical system and a photoacoustic wave detection system. The light projection optical system includes: a light source that emits excitation light; an excitation light incident surface that guides the excitation light emitted from the light source to the inside by transmission; an internal reflection surface that reflects the excitation light that has entered through the excitation light incident surface by internal reflection; and a prism having positive refractive power and an excitation light emitting surface for emitting the excitation light reflected by the internal reflection surface to the outside by transmission. The photoacoustic wave detection system includes: the prism; and a transducer that detects a photoacoustic wave that has passed through the excitation light emitting surface of the prism, is reflected by the internal reflection surface, and is emitted from the prism.

Abstract: An image acquisition device including: an imaging optical system forming two images having parallax; and an element acquiring the parallax images, the imaging optical system includes: a first negative lens group having negative refractive power; a first positive lens group having positive refractive power; and a second positive lens group having positive refractive power, the first negative lens group includes two negative lens groups disposed side by side in the parallax direction and having central axes respectively, the first positive lens group is a common lens group having a single central axis, and light rays emitted from the negative lens groups pass therethrough, the second positive lens group includes two positive lens groups disposed side by side in the parallax direction and having central axes respectively and the first positive lens group includes a moving lens group moved along the central axis of the first positive lens group.

Abstract: An image-acquisition apparatus is provided with: an imaging optical system; and an image-acquisition device that acquires parallax images, wherein the imaging optical system is provided with a first negative lens group, a first positive lens group, and a second positive lens group, wherein the first positive lens group and the first negative lens group are disposed along a common center axis, wherein the second positive lens group is provided with two positive lens groups that are disposed next to each other in a parallax direction on either side of the common center axis and that individually have center axes, wherein two aperture stops having openings, wherein the first positive lens group has only one moving lens group that is moved, and wherein all of remaining lens components in the imaging optical system, excluding the moving lens group, remain still.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope includes an objective lens that irradiates a specimen with excitation light, a light scanning unit that deflects the excitation light to scan the specimen, an acoustic lens that converts a wavefront of a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, a photoacoustic wave detection unit that detects the photoacoustic wave from the acoustic lens, a drive unit that displaces at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly.

Abstract: Provided is a three-dimensional-endoscope optical system that is provided with two objective optical systems having optical axes, which are arranged with a spacing therebetween, and that satisfies the following conditions: 0.5 mm<OP<1.5 mm??(1); 3 mm<D<200 mm??(2); ?<10°??(3); and 110°<?<180°??(4), where OP is a spacing between the optical axes of optical members at the most distal ends of the objective optical systems, D is a depth of field, ? is an angle of convergence (inward angle) of the depth of field D when performing near-point observation, and ? is an angle of view of the objective optical systems.