Abstract: In a blood information measuring apparatus, a plurality of types of light of a superficial layer wavelength set, a middle layer wavelength set, and a deep layer wavelength set are successively applied to a detected hypoxic region. A CCD captures an image under the light of each wavelength set, and an oxygen saturation image is produced independently from one wavelength set to another. A wavelength set determination section creates a histogram of each oxygen saturation image. The wavelength set determination section chooses one of the wavelength sets corresponding to the histogram having a maximum variance as an actual imaging wavelength set. Actual imaging operation is performed using the actual imaging wavelength set, and an oxygen saturation level of each pixel is calculated. The oxygen saturation level is reflected in the image, and the image is displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A light source device of an electronic endoscope system has first and second semiconductor lasers. In a vascular observation mode, one of the semiconductor lasers is used in a full light state (100% rated output) while the other is used in a reduced light state (for example, 10% rated output). First and second images of an internal body portion are captured with a color imaging device under illumination of two patterns, respectively. Correlation operation of pixel values of three colors is performed between the two images. Noise components, caused by the first or second semiconductor lasers in the light reduced state, are removed from the first and second images. An oxygen saturation level of blood in a blood vessel is calculated using the first and second images with the noise components removed.

Abstract: In a special mode, a superficial wavelength set having plural types of narrow band light in a blue wavelength band of 400 to 500 nm is chosen. The plural types of narrow band light are successively applied to an internal body portion. A CCD captures images of the internal body portion under the narrow band light. A blood information calculation section calculates an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in a blood vessel based on an image signal. A comparison section compares the calculated oxygen saturation level with a predetermined threshold value. When the oxygen saturation level is less than the threshold value, a hypoxic region detection signal is outputted to a wavelength set switching section. The wavelength set switching section switches from the superficial wavelength set to a middle wavelength set and to a deep wavelength set, so the oxygen saturation levels at middle and deep depths are measured.

Abstract: In a special mode, a superficial layer wavelength set, a middle layer wavelength set, and a deep layer wavelength set are selected successively. Each wavelength set is composed of 3 different types of narrowband light applied successively to an internal body portion. A wavelength set table specifies the number of repetitions of each wavelength set. A controller controls a wavelength band switching element to apply every type of the narrowband light of each wavelength set, and to apply each wavelength set for the number of repetitions specified by the wavelength set table. A CCD captures images of the internal body portion under illumination of the narrowband light of the respective wavelength sets. A blood information calculation section calculates oxygen saturation levels of hemoglobin in blood vessels in the superficial, middle, and deep layers based on image signals, respectively. This provides information on cancer progression.

Abstract: An endoscopic diagnosis system includes a white light source, a narrowband light source for emitting narrowband light having a given wavelength range of blue light, an image sensor receiving reflected light of white light and the narrowband light emitted with a given emission ratio to illuminate a subject from the subject to acquire a narrowband light image, and an image processor for calculating an enhanced luminance signal where a blue image signal of the narrowband light image is enhanced, calculating a hemoglobin index representing blood level in a medium to deep layer of a mucous membrane from a green image signal and a red image signal of the narrowband light image, calculating an enhanced color difference signal enhancing red according to a value of the hemoglobin index, and producing an image signal of an endoscopic image for display.

Abstract: An image of a target portion is captured while first light beams are applied thereto. Thereby, a first image signal is obtained. The first light beams are in a wavelength range in which an absorption coefficient varies in accordance with a change in oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in blood. An image of the target portion is captured while second light beams in a broadband wavelength range are applied thereto. Thereby, second and third image signals are obtained. Oxygen saturation is calculated from the first to third image signals. Reliability of the oxygen saturation is calculated from one of the first to third image signals. Color difference signals each corresponding to the oxygen saturation is obtained from a color table. Each of the color difference signals is corrected in accordance with the reliability. An oxygen saturation image is generated based on corrected color difference signals and displayed.

Abstract: First illumination light of a first wavelength range, in which light absorption coefficient of blood hemoglobin varies with oxygen saturation thereof, is projected into a test subject body, to capture a first image signal from the first illumination light as reflected from inside the test subject body. Then second illumination light of a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range is projected into a test subject body, to capture a second image signal from the second illumination light as reflected from inside the test subject body. A subject image of the test subject is produced from the second image signal. Oxygen saturation levels of the test subject are calculated using the first and second image signals. According to the calculated oxygen saturation levels, color properties of the subject image are changed to produce an oxygen saturation image.

Abstract: The endoscope apparatus includes an illumination unit for irradiating at least three kinds of illumination light having different wavelengths including standard light, first and second reference light onto a biological object, a switching unit for periodically switching the illumination light, an imaging unit for capturing image data by the illumination light in each imaging frame, and an acquisition unit for acquiring biological function information from the captured image data. The irradiation order of illumination light is switched at least in order of the first reference light, the standard light and the second reference light, a standard image by the standard light and reference images by the reference light are acquired, and the biological function information is calculated based on the standard image and the reference images.

Abstract: An image of a portion to be observed is captured while first light beams are applied thereto. Thereby, a first image signal of a first frame is obtained. The first light beams are in a wavelength range in which an absorption coefficient varies in accordance with a change in oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in blood. An image of the portion to be observed is captured while second light beams are applied thereto. Thereby, a second image signal of a second frame is obtained. The second light beams have a broadband wavelength range. Blood volume and oxygen saturation are obtained from the first and second image signals. A blood volume image representing information on the blood volume in pseudo-color and an oxygen saturation image representing information on the oxygen saturation in pseudo-color are generated. The blood volume image is displayed simultaneously with the oxygen saturation image on a display device.

Abstract: An endoscopic diagnosis system accurately calculating the oxygen saturation level considering the effects of the blood vessel depth and the blood amount and displaying an oxygen saturation level distribution in simulated colors includes an endoscope device for illuminating a subject, imaging reflected light, and acquiring image signals corresponding to three or more reflected light having a wavelength range of 460 to 700 nm including a first and a second image signal corresponding to reflected light having two wavelength ranges where the light absorption coefficient changes according to the blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation level and a third image signal corresponding to reflected light having one wavelength range where the light absorption coefficient does not change; a blood amount-oxygen saturation level calculator using the acquired image signals for calculation; and a display for displaying an oxygen saturation level distribution based on the oxygen saturation level information.

Abstract: A lighting device includes first and second light sources, a wavelength converting member and a light quantity ratio changing unit. A first light source uses a semiconductor light emitting device as an emission source. A second light source uses, as an emission source, a semiconductor light emitting device of a different emission wavelength from the first light source. A wavelength converting member is excited for light emission by light emitted from at least one of the first light source and the second light source. The light quantity ratio changing unit changing a light quantity ratio between the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted from the second light source.

Abstract: First to third lights are applied to a body cavity from a light source. The first and second lights have different wavelength ranges. Each of the first and second lights varies in absorbance in accordance with oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The third light is a reference light used for comparison with the first and second lights. A monitoring section monitors a first light quantity ratio between the first and third lights and a second light quantity ratio between the second and third lights. A controller controls the light source such that first and second light quantity ratios reach their respective standard values. First to third data are obtained from images captured with illumination of the three lights, respectively. Vessel depth information and oxygen saturation information are obtained simultaneously from a first brightness ratio between the first and third data and a second brightness ratio between the second and third data.

Abstract: A chest image rotation apparatus includes a chest image input unit that is used to input a chest image, a vertebral-body region extraction unit that extracts a vertebral-body region from the input chest image, a vertebral-body direction calculation unit that calculates, based on the extracted vertebral-body region, the direction of vertebral bodies in the chest image, a chest image rotation unit that rotates the chest image so that the calculated direction of the vertebral bodies becomes perpendicular to the horizontal side of the chest image, and an output unit that outputs the rotated chest image.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes a light source device for sequentially emitting plural kinds of light having different wavelength bands, an electronic endoscope for outputting image data of acquired images corresponding to the plural kinds of light sequentially illuminated to a subject tissue containing blood vessels, a setter for setting a blood vessel characteristics amount from the image data, a setter for setting a region of interest in the acquired image based on the amount, an image producer for producing a first oxygen saturation level image representing a distribution of an oxygen saturation level in the blood vessel from the image data, and an image display for displaying in simulated color a second oxygen saturation level image in which the oxygen saturation level within the region of interest is selectively enhanced.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes a light source device for sequentially emitting kinds of light having different wavelength bands, an electronic endoscope for sequentially illuminating the kinds of light to a subject tissue containing blood vessels, receiving the kinds of reflected light, and outputting image data corresponding to the kinds of received light, an extractor for extracting positions of a blood vessel from each image data corresponding to the kinds of light, an aligner for aligning images corresponding to the image data based on the positions, an image producer for producing an oxygen saturation level image representing the distribution of the oxygen saturation level in the blood vessel from the image data of the aligned images, and an image monitor for displaying the oxygen saturation level image in simulated color.

Abstract: The system includes an illuminating unit, an electronic endoscope, a unit for outputting first image data having different wavelength bands from the imaging signal, a unit for producing blood vessel information from the first image data, a unit for setting a given region in an image as reference value region, a unit for calculating a reference value for the blood vessel information based on second image data for a region within a reference value region, a unit for calculating relative value blood vessel information from the difference between the blood vessel information and the reference value blood vessel information, a unit for producing a simulated-color relative value blood vessel information image from the relative value blood vessel information, and a monitor for displaying a relative value blood vessel information image.

Abstract: A radiation image correction apparatus which includes a data acquisition unit for acquiring, from each of two target radiation images for comparative reading obtained for the same subject, data of approximate density unevenness using pixel values of a predetermined region of each of the radiation images, and a correction unit for correcting pixel values of at least one of the two radiation images based on the data of approximate density unevenness acquired from each of the radiation images by the data acquisition unit such that data of approximate density unevenness to be obtained from each of the radiation images by the data acquisition unit after the correction will correspond to each other.

Abstract: A chest image rotation apparatus includes a chest image input unit that is used to input a chest image, a vertebral-body region extraction unit that extracts a vertebral-body region from the input chest image, a vertebral-body direction calculation unit that calculates, based on the extracted vertebral-body region, the direction of vertebral bodies in the chest image, a chest image rotation unit that rotates the chest image so that the calculated direction of the vertebral bodies becomes perpendicular to the horizontal side of the chest image, and an output unit that outputs the rotated chest image.

Abstract: Unevenness in the density of a radiographic image of a subject that has been obtained by outputting radiation from a radiation output unit toward the subject and by detecting the radiation at a radiographic image detector is corrected. An area that has substantially the same density throughout the area when the radiation output by the radiation output unit is uniform with respect to the entire area of the radiographic image detector and that is present in a subject-image-present area is obtained from the radiographic image. Further, the pixel values of the radiographic image are corrected by using pixel values of the obtained area.

Abstract: A wavelength plate including an organic thin film adhered to a glass substrate through an adhesive is built in an optical head optical system used in a predetermined using temperature range. The adhesive has a glass transition temperature higher than the predetermined using temperature range, and the linear expansion coefficient (K1) of the adhesive, the linear expansion coefficient (K2) of the organic thin film, and the linear expansion coefficient (K3) of the glass substrate have the relation of K3?K1 and K1?K2 under the predetermined using temperature range.