Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes a plotting unit which plots pixel correspondence points, which correspond to pixels that constitute an intracavitary color image that has a plurality of color components, on a target plane according to color components of the pixel correspondence points, the target plane intersecting the origin of a predetermined color space; an axis setting unit which sets a reference axis in the target plane based on pixel correspondence points plotted on the target plane; and an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates a prescribed evaluation value with respect to the captured image based on a positional relationship between the reference axis and the pixel correspondence points.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope processor has a configuration including: a converting means for converting pieces of pixel data that are made up of n (n?3) types of color components and constitute a color image in a body cavity into pieces of pixel data that are made up of m (m?2) types of color components, m being smaller than n; a color component correcting means for correcting the converted pieces of pixel data made up of m types of color components with use of a predetermined color component correction coefficient; and an acquiring means for acquiring an evaluation result related to a target illness based on the corrected pieces of pixel data made up of m types of color components.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing device and an electronic endoscope system that can acquire a high-quality endoscope observation image by performing sufficient noise reduction processing even if an image capture environment changes. A noise reduction processing unit sets a pixel of interest and a neighboring pixel out of a plurality of pixels that constitute an endoscope observation image, and performs noise reduction processing on the pixel of interest according to a magnitude relationship between: a difference in pixel value between the pixel of interest and the neighboring pixel; and a reference threshold value. A reference threshold value changing processing unit changes the reference threshold value for noise reduction processing based on a ratio between at least two color components that are included in the pixel of interest.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope processor includes a converting means for converting each piece of pixel data that is made up of n (n?3) types of color components and constitutes a color image of a biological tissue in a body cavity into a piece of pixel data that is made up of m (m?2) types of color components, m being smaller than n; an evaluation value calculating means for calculating, for each pixel of the color image, an evaluation value related to a target illness based on the converted pieces of pixel data that are made up of m types of color components; and a lesion index calculating means for calculating a lesion index for each of a plurality of types of lesions related to the target illness based on the evaluation values calculated for the pixels of the color image.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes: an imaging element for imaging a subject illuminated alternately with narrow-band light and broadband light; generating, as a first image signal, an image signal of the subject imaged during an illumination period of the narrow-band light; and generating, as a second image signal, an image signal of the subject imaged during an illumination period of the broadband light. The system also includes a signal processing circuit for generating a high-intensity image signal by adding the first and second image signals together; for generating a low-intensity image signal by adding the first and second image signals together after a signal level of the second image signal is reduced and for generating an HDR image signal using the high-intensity and low-intensity image signals.

Abstract: An endoscope system, includes a light source device that emits illumination light to an object, an image obtaining part that captures light reflected at the object by an image pickup element and thereby obtains a color image including at least three color components, and an evaluation part that obtains, for each of pixels constituting the color image obtained by the image obtaining part, an evaluation result concerning a target disease based on an angle, in a color plane being defined by at least two of the at least three color components, formed between a line segment, which connects a predetermined reference point positioned on the color plane with a corresponding pixel point allocated corresponding to the each of the pixels in the color plane, and a reference axis having a correlation with the target disease. The reference axis is set to pass through the predetermined reference point.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and an electronic endoscope system that can acquire an observation image that is natural overall and has excellent visibility, while highlighting characteristic parts such as affected parts and parts that are to be examined. A normal observation image captured using normal light and a narrow-band observation image captured using narrow-band light that has a bandwidth narrower than that of normal light are input to the observation image input unit. A characteristic part extraction unit extracts a characteristic part that is included in a narrow-band observation image. A highlight display unit displays a single image in which a part of the normal observation image, the part corresponding to a characteristic part that is included in the narrow-band observation image, is highlighted using the characteristic part.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing device and an electronic endoscope system that can acquire a high-quality endoscope observation image by performing sufficient noise reduction processing even if an image capture environment changes. A noise reduction processing unit sets a pixel of interest and a neighboring pixel out of a plurality of pixels that constitute an endoscope observation image, and performs noise reduction processing on the pixel of interest according to a magnitude relationship between: a difference in pixel value between the pixel of interest and the neighboring pixel; and a reference threshold value. A reference threshold value changing processing unit changes the reference threshold value for noise reduction processing based on a ratio between at least two color components that are included in the pixel of interest.

Abstract: This endoscope system comprises: an image acquiring means for acquiring a color image having at least three color components; a placement means for placing points corresponding to respective pixels forming the color image in accordance with the color components of the points, within a plane including a first axis that is an axis of a first component among the at least three color components and a second axis that is an axis of a second component among the at least three color components and that intersects with the first axis; a distance data calculating means for calculating data regarding the distances between the points corresponding to respective pixels and a third axis defined as an axis that passes through a point at which the first axis and the second axis intersect with each other in the plane and that is not parallel to the first axis and the second axis; and an evaluation value calculating means for calculating a certain evaluation value for the color image on the basis of the calculated distance da

Abstract: An image detection device executing a detection process for images of a subject obtained by illuminating cyclically the subject with light having different spectral properties and capturing the subject at timings synchronizing with illuminating cycles of the light, the image detection device comprising a shift vector detection means that detects a shift vector of the subject based on a comparison result between an image of the subject captured at a current cycle and an image of the subject which is captured at a past cycle and is illuminated with the light having a same spectral property as that of the light illuminated at the current cycle.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes a plotting unit which plots pixel correspondence points, which correspond to pixels that constitute an intracavitary color image that has a plurality of color components, on a target plane according to color components of the pixel correspondence points, the target plane intersecting the origin of a predetermined color space; an axis setting unit which sets a reference axis in the target plane based on pixel correspondence points plotted on the target plane; and an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates a prescribed evaluation value with respect to the captured image based on a positional relationship between the reference axis and the pixel correspondence points.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system includes a plotting unit which plots pixel correspondence points, which correspond to pixels that constitute a color image that has multiple color components, on a first color plane according to color components of the pixel correspondence points, the first color plane intersecting the origin of a predetermined color space; an axis setting unit which sets a predetermined reference axis in the first color plane; a transform unit which defines a second color plane that includes the reference axis, and subjecting the pixel correspondence points on the first color plane to projective transformation onto the second color plane; and an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates a prescribed evaluation value with respect to the color image based on the pixel correspondence points subjected to projective transformation onto the second color plane.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to discover a composition that contains a large amount of a plant sterol completely insoluble in water and exhibiting poor solubility in oil because of its extremely high crystallinity. Such composition can be easily dispersed in water, and to produce the composition. It has been discovered that a composition obtained by adding and dissolving a small amount of phosphatidylcholine in a plant sterol that is hardly soluble in water or in oil results in such composition easily dispersible in water.

Abstract: A ground contamination detector has a duct (21) having an annular opening (21a). The annular opening blows air toward the ground (1) to form an air curtain that defines an enclosed space (2A) between the duct and the ground. The detector also has a pipe (23) having a nozzle that opens in the enclosed space and jets heated air toward the ground, to promote the evaporation of noxious substance (3) and diffuse the evaporated gas in the enclosed space. The detector also has a suction pipe (24) to suck the evaporated gas from the enclosed space and a sensor (25) to analyze the sucked gas. The enclosed space formed by the air curtain defines a detection area on the ground, and the detector collects and analyzes contaminants in the enclosed space in a noncontact way. The detector is installable on a vehicle, to efficiently detect the presence and position of contaminants on the ground in real time.

Abstract: A ground contamination detector has a duct (21) having an annular opening (21a). The annular opening blows air toward the ground (1) to form an air curtain that defines an enclosed space (2A) between the duct and the ground. The detector also has a pipe (23) having a nozzle that opens in the enclosed space and jets heated air toward the ground, to promote the evaporation of noxious substance (3) and diffuse the evaporated gas in the enclosed space. The detector also has a suction pipe (24) to suck the evaporated gas from the enclosed space and a sensor (25) to analyze the sucked gas. The enclosed space formed by the air curtain defines a detection area on the ground, and the detector collects and analyzes contaminants in the enclosed space in a noncontact way. The detector is installable on a vehicle, to efficiently detect the presence and position of contaminants on the ground in real time.

Abstract: An image processor comprises a CPU, a ROM for storing programs and data, a main storage memory for storing image data, parameters for image processing and the like, an image memory for storing image data which are to be displayed on a monitoring device, a DA converter for outputting a signal to the external monitoring device or video printer, a DMA controller, a clock signal generator for driving an imager device such as a CCD sensor, an AD converter for converting an image signal SG from the imager device into a digital signal, an input/output circuit for generating a busy signal to an external X-ray controller and receiving an exposure signal from the X-ray controller, etc.

Abstract: An image processor comprises a CPU, a ROM for storing programs and data, a main storage memory for storing image data, parameters for image processing and the like, an image memory for storing image data which are to be displayed on a monitoring device, a DA converter for outputting a signal to the external monitoring device or video printer, a DMA controller, a clock signal generator for driving an imager device such as a CCD sensor, an AD converter for converting an image signal SG from the imager device into a digital signal, an input/output circuit for generating a busy signal to an external X-ray controller and receiving an exposure signal from the X-ray controller, etc.

Abstract: A medical X-ray image processing apparatus, comprising an X-ray sensor which converts an image of X-rays penetrated an object into an electric signal using a solid-state image sensor and a data processor which processes the electric signal to generate an electric image signal corresponding to the X-ray image, compares the data of each picture element derived from the above-mentioned solid-state image sensor with the data of picture elements being adjacent to the picture element and present within a certain region, and corrects the data of the picture element referring to the data of the above-mentioned adjacent picture elements only when the data of the picture element is exceptionally different from the data of the adjacent picture elements by a predetermined reference value or more.

Abstract: A medical X-ray tomographing apparatus, wherein the output end surfaces of a plurality of optical fiber bundles are optically coupled to the image pickup surfaces of vertically long solid-state image pickup devices, such as one-dimensional image sensors, and the input end surfaces of a plurality of the optical fiber bundles having a vertically long cross-sectional shape being identical to that of the output end surfaces thereof are optically coupled individually to a plurality of vertically long divisions obtained by dividing the fluorescent surface of a scintillator in the width direction thereof. With this apparatus, it is not necessary to significantly contract the size of the image on the fluorescent surface, thereby remarkably reducing the number of the solid-state image pickup devices and the number of the divisions of the fluorescent surface.

Abstract: A medical X-ray image detecting device arranged such that an X-ray image sensor comprising an x-ray fluorescent element, a solid-state image pickup device and a plurality of optical fiber bundles for optically connecting the fluorescent surface of the X-ray fluorescent element to the image pickup surface of the image pickup device, is housed in an outer casing, the medical image detecting device being characterized in that it further comprises an X-ray intensity detecting element disposed in the casing adjacent to the X-ray fluorescent element. Clear X-ray images with a constant blackening degree can be obtained by controlling X-ray radiation time using the X-ray dose calculated by integrating the X-ray intensity output from the X-ray intensity detecting element with respect to X-ray exposure time.