Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an illumination portion including an emitter and being configured to radiate illumination light beam onto an imaging subject, the beam having intensity distribution in which light and dark portions are spatially repeated; a controller configured to cause widths of the dark portions to change; an imager configured to acquire a plurality of illumination images of the subject being illuminated with beams in which the widths of the dark portions are different from each other; and at least one processor including hardware, the processor being configured to: create first and second images from each of the illumination images, the first images containing a greater quantity of information about a deep layer of the subject than the second images do; and calculate information about depths of a feature portion in the subject on the basis of changes among the first images and changes among the second images.

Abstract: An endoscope system of the present invention includes: a first illumination unit that emits first illumination light for imaging two sets of image information about a subject at different depths; a second illumination unit that emits second illumination light having a wide band covering a visible band from a position different from the position of the first illumination light; an imaging unit that images a first illumination image and a second illumination image of the subject that is illuminated with the first illumination light and the second illumination light; a separation processing unit that separates the two sets of image information from the first illumination image; and a separated-image generating unit that generates two separated images by processing the second illumination image using the two sets of image information.

Abstract: An endoscope system according to the present invention includes: a second illumination unit that emits second illumination light; a first illumination unit that emits, simultaneously with the second illumination light, first illumination light that is light of a different wavelength band from the second illumination light and is for imaging two sets of image information about a subject different depths; an imaging unit that simultaneously images a first illumination image of the subject illuminated with the first illumination light and a second illumination image of the subject illuminated with the second illumination light; a separation processing unit that separates the two sets of image information from the first illumination image; and a separated-image creating unit that processes the second illumination image using the two sets of image information to create separated images.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an illumination portion including an emitter and being configured to radiate illumination light beam onto an imaging subject, the beam having intensity distribution in which light and dark portions are spatially repeated; a controller configured to cause widths of the dark portions to change; an imager configured to acquire a plurality of illumination images of the subject being illuminated with beams in which the widths of the dark portions are different from each other; and at least one processor including hardware, the processor being configured to: create first and second images from each of the illumination images, the first images containing a greater quantity of information about a deep layer of the subject than the second images do; and calculate information about depths of a feature portion in the subject on the basis of changes among the first images and changes among the second images.

Abstract: An endoscope system according to the present invention includes: an illumination unit that radiates illumination light onto a subject, the illumination light having a spatially non-uniform intensity distribution including a light section and a dark section in a beam cross section orthogonal to an optical axis; an imaging unit that images an illumination image of the subject irradiated with the illumination light; and a separation processor that generates two separate images from the illumination image. Among intensity values of pixels within the illumination image respectively corresponding to the light section, the dark section, and a section having intermediate intensity between the light section and the dark section, the separation processor generates the two separate images based on at least two of the intensity values.

Abstract: For the purpose of performing illumination with which vignetting of illumination light caused by a structure is alleviated, thus making the difference between a bright part and a dark part on an object less noticeable, an illumination device according to the present invention is provided with: a light-emitting part that has an emission end from which illumination light is emitted; a diffusion optical member that is disposed around a predetermined axis in the circumferential direction, that is provided with an incident end disposed so as to be opposed to the emission end, that guides the illumination light entering from the incident end while diffusing the illumination light, and that emits the illumination light from a surface thereof; and a reflective layer that is disposed adjacent to a radially inward surface of the diffusion optical member and that reflects the illumination light radially outward, wherein an angle, around the axis, of an emission region for the illumination light in the diffusion optical

Abstract: An endoscope system of the present invention includes: a first illumination unit that emits first illumination light for imaging two sets of image information about a subject at different depths; a second illumination unit that emits second illumination light having a wide band covering a visible band from a position different from the position of the first illumination light; an imaging unit that images a first illumination image and a second illumination image of the subject that is illuminated with the first illumination light and the second illumination light; a separation processing unit that separates the two sets of image information from the first illumination image; and a separated-image generating unit that generates two separated images by processing the second illumination image using the two sets of image information.

Abstract: An endoscope illumination device includes: an illumination optical system including an entrance surface disposed along a circumferential direction centered on a predetermined axis and provided at one-end side in the direction of the predetermined axis, an emission surface positioned at an outermost side in a radial direction with respect to the predetermined axis and radially emitting illumination light entering from the entrance surface, a diffusion surface disposed at an intermediate position of an optical path of the illumination light between the entrance surface and the emission surface and transmitting and diffusing the illumination light; and a light emitting portion disposed closer to the one-end side than the entrance surface is and emitting, toward the entrance surface, the illumination light substantially in the direction of the axis.

Abstract: An endoscope system according to the present invention includes: a second illumination unit that emits second illumination light; a first illumination unit that emits, simultaneously with the second illumination light, first illumination light that is light of a different wavelength band from the second illumination light and is for imaging two sets of image information about a subject different depths; an imaging unit that simultaneously images a first illumination image of the subject illuminated with the first illumination light and a second illumination image of the subject illuminated with the second illumination light; a separation processing unit that separates the two sets of image information from the first illumination image; and a separated-image creating unit that processes the second illumination image using the two sets of image information to create separated images.

Abstract: An endoscope system according to the present invention includes: an illumination unit that radiates illumination light onto a subject, the illumination light having a spatially non-uniform intensity distribution including a light section and a dark section in a beam cross section orthogonal to an optical axis; an imaging unit that images an illumination image of the subject irradiated with the illumination light; and a separation processor that generates two separate images from the illumination image. Among intensity values of pixels within the illumination image respectively corresponding to the light section, the dark section, and a section having intermediate intensity between the light section and the dark section, the separation processor generates the two separate images based on at least two of the intensity values.

Abstract: An endoscope system of the present invention includes: a first illumination unit that emits first illumination light for imaging two sets of image information about a subject at different depths; a second illumination unit that emits second illumination light having a wide band covering a visible band from a position different from the position of the first illumination light; an imaging unit that images a first illumination image and a second illumination image of the subject that is illuminated with the first illumination light and the second illumination light; a separation processing unit that separates the two sets of image information from the first illumination image; and a separated-image generating unit that generates two separated images by processing the second illumination image using the two sets of image information.

Abstract: An illumination device comprises: an optical member that is provided with a circular ring-shaped or horseshoe-shaped light-guiding layer and diffusion layer, which are laminated in a central axis direction, the light-guiding layer having a light-entrance surface facing a tangential direction; and a light-introducing member that is disposed at the radially outer side of the optical member and that introduces illumination light into the light-guiding layer from the light-entrance surface, in the tangential direction; wherein the diffusion layer diffuses the illumination light entering from the light-guiding layer by volume scattering, and the optical member is formed, at least, of one end surface in the axial direction and emits the illumination light emitted from the diffusion layer.

Abstract: For the purpose of performing illumination with which vignetting of illumination light caused by a structure is alleviated, thus making the difference between a bright part and a dark part on an object less noticeable, an illumination device according to the present invention is provided with: a light-emitting part that has an emission end from which illumination light is emitted; a diffusion optical member that is disposed around a predetermined axis in the circumferential direction, that is provided with an incident end disposed so as to be opposed to the emission end, that guides the illumination light entering from the incident end while diffusing the illumination light, and that emits the illumination light from a surface thereof; and a reflective layer that is disposed adjacent to a radially inward surface of the diffusion optical member and that reflects the illumination light radially outward, wherein an angle, around the axis, of an emission region for the illumination light in the diffusion optical

Abstract: An illumination device comprises: an optical member that is provided with a circular ring-shaped or horseshoe-shaped light-guiding layer and diffusion layer, which are laminated in a central axis direction, the light-guiding layer having a light-entrance surface facing a tangential direction; and a light-introducing member that is disposed at the radially outer side of the optical member and that introduces illumination light into the light-guiding layer from the light-entrance surface, in the tangential direction; wherein the diffusion layer diffuses the illumination light entering from the light-guiding layer by volume scattering, and the optical member is formed, at least, of one end surface in the axial direction and emits the illumination light emitted from the diffusion layer.

Abstract: An endoscope illumination device includes: an illumination optical system including an entrance surface disposed along a circumferential direction centered on a predetermined axis and provided at one-end side in the direction of the predetermined axis, an emission surface positioned at an outermost side in a radial direction with respect to the predetermined axis and radially emitting illumination light entering from the entrance surface, a diffusion surface disposed at an intermediate position of an optical path of the illumination light between the entrance surface and the emission surface and transmitting and diffusing the illumination light; and a light emitting portion disposed closer to the one-end side than the entrance surface is and emitting, toward the entrance surface, the illumination light substantially in the direction of the axis.

Abstract: A first light source module and an irradiation module are mutually combined. By the combination, illumination light corresponding to a purpose of use is emitted. A relative distance between a light source-side emitter and an irradiation-side incidence entrance in an optical axis direction is adjusted as desired in accordance with the irradiation module, which is connected to the first light source module.

Abstract: An endoscope according to the present invention includes: a first image pickup optical system for observing a first observation direction, a second image pickup optical system for observing an observation a second observation direction, a light guide guiding illumination light, and an illumination optical system including a ring-shaped portion illuminating the first observation direction, an incident surface being in contact with an end surface of the light guide to receive the illumination light, and two reflecting surfaces disposed at a position opposite to the incident surface, having inclinations in two directions with respect to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion, disposed so as to face each other, and reflecting the illumination light incident from the light guide toward directions along tangent lines of the ring-shaped portion of the illumination optical system, to cause the illumination light incident to inside of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: An endoscope according to the present invention includes: a first image pickup optical system for observing a first observation direction, a second image pickup optical system for observing an observation a second observation direction, a light guide guiding illumination light, and an illumination optical system including a ring-shaped portion illuminating the first observation direction, an incident surface being in contact with an end surface of the light guide to receive the illumination light, and two reflecting surfaces disposed at a position opposite to the incident surface, having inclinations in two directions with respect to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion, disposed so as to face each other, and reflecting the illumination light incident from the light guide toward directions along tangent lines of the ring-shaped portion of the illumination optical system, to cause the illumination light incident to inside of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for an endoscope guiding externally-entering light to a transparent light-guiding body including an annular-shaped annular portion, the annular portion including inner and outer circumferential faces, and making the light exit from the annular portion as illuminating light, wherein the light-guiding body includes: a notch portion formed by cutting out a part of the annular portion so as to form a line extending perpendicularly from the outer circumferential face toward the inner circumference side of the annular portion from a line extending from a point on an outer circumference of a circle in a cross section of the annular portion; and an incident portion that allows the light to enter in a direction along the line extending from the point on the outer circumference, the direction being a direction perpendicular to a cutout surface of the notch portion provided in the annular portion.

Abstract: A reflecting structure is provided with a first surface having two side-end portions opposing each other and a plurality of light scatterers, each scattering light, formed on the first surface. In a section perpendicular to an axis located on the first surface between the two side-end portions, the height of each of the light scatterers from the first surface gets smaller from the axis toward the side-end portion.