Abstract: A V-LED emits violet narrowband light. A G-LED emits green light. A filter limits wavelengths of the green light to pass green narrowband light. The V-LED and the G-LED are turned on alternately to apply the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light alternately to an object. A complementary color image sensor has a Cy pixel and an Mg pixel, which are sensitive to both the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light. The complementary color image sensor images the object under illumination of the violet narrowband light to output a first image signal and images the object under illumination of the green narrowband light to output a second image signal. Based on the first and second image signals, a special image, in which surface structure (surface blood vessels) and subsurface structure (subsurface blood vessels) are isolated from each other, is produced and displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A band limiter comprises an optical filter, which has first and second filter sections, and a filter moving mechanism for moving the optical filter. The first filter section reduces intensity of blue light, which is emitted from a B-LED, in a wavelength range of greater than or equal to a peak wavelength of the blue light to generate first blue light. The second filter section reduces intensity of the blue light in a wavelength range of less than or equal to the peak wavelength of the blue light to generate second blue light. A light source controller places the first filter section in a light path of the blue light in a normal mode to generate the first blue light, and places the second filter section in the light path of the blue light in an oxygen saturation mode to generate the second blue light.

Abstract: A band limiter comprises an optical filter, which has first and second filter sections, and a filter moving mechanism for moving the optical filter to place the first or second filter section in a light path of blue light. A passband where transmittance of the first filter section is greater than or equal to half a peak value thereof is defined as a first transmission band. The first transmission band includes a peak wavelength, at which an absorption coefficient of hemoglobin is at its peak. A passband where transmittance of the second filter section is greater than or equal to half a peak value thereof is defined as a second transmission band. The second transmission band does not include an isosbestic wavelength (in the order of 450 nm), at which an absorption coefficient of oxyhemoglobin equals or crosses an absorption coefficient of deoxyhemoglobin.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes a light source unit, a band limiting unit, a light source control unit, an imaging sensor, an imaging control unit, and an oxygen saturation image generation unit. The light source unit includes a V-LED that emits violet light, a B-LED that emits blue light, a G-LED that emits green light, and an R-LED that emits red light. The band limiting unit generates measurement light having a specific wavelength band for measuring the oxygen saturation from the blue light. The light source control unit switches the control of the light source unit between a first light emission mode, in which the observation target is irradiated with the violet light, the measurement light, the green light, and the red light, and a second light emission mode, in which the observation target is irradiated with the measurement light.

Abstract: The invention provides an endoscope system for generating an oxygen saturation image that can be used for various medical applications, such as oxygen saturation monitoring during surgery. A clip 141 is attached to the surrounding tissue of a tumor CN from the luminal side. The tissue to which the clip 141 is attached becomes an ischemic part CL. An oxygen saturation image is generated from image information obtained by imaging the tissue on the abdominal cavity side. In the oxygen saturation image, the ischemic part CL is displayed as a low oxygen region. Accordingly, it becomes easy to find the location of the tumor CN even from the abdominal cavity side.

Abstract: The invention provides an endoscope system for the early detection of suture failure. Parts of the large intestine separated by the resection of a tumor are sutured by using a suturing member 167. A sutured portion is imaged. An oxygen saturation image 180 is generated by imaging the oxygen saturation of the sutured portion based on image information obtained by the imaging. The generated oxygen saturation image 180 is displayed on a display device 14. In the case of suture failure, a low oxygen region 180a is displayed in the oxygen saturation image.

Abstract: A fluorescent type of green light source of a semiconductor in a light source apparatus for an endoscope includes a blue excitation light source device and green emitting phosphor. The blue excitation light source device emits blue excitation light. The green emitting phosphor is excited by the blue excitation light, and emits green fluorescence. A dichroic filter in a dichroic mirror cuts off the blue excitation light from an emission spectrum of mixed light of the blue excitation light and green fluorescence from the fluorescent type of green light source. Thus, illumination light with the emission spectrum of a target can be stably supplied without influence of the blue excitation light to a light amount of blue light from a blue light source of a semiconductor.

Abstract: A light source apparatus outputs light for an endoscope apparatus. A blue LED emits blue light with a peak wavelength equal to or longer than 450 nm. A wavelength cut-off filter is disposed downstream of the blue LED, for cutting off a component in the blue light having a wavelength equal to or longer than the peak wavelength. Preferably, the wavelength cut-off filter cuts off a component of a wavelength equal to or longer than a reference wavelength in a wavelength range equal to or longer than the peak wavelength. A mode changer changes over an enhancement mode and a normal mode, the enhancement mode is set for enhancing and imaging a surface blood vessel of the object by use of the wavelength cut-off filter, the normal mode is set for imaging the object by disabling a function of the wavelength cut-off filter.

Abstract: A V-LED emits violet narrowband light. A G-LED emits green light. A filter limits wavelengths of the green light to pass green narrowband light. The V-LED and the G-LED are turned on alternately to apply the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light alternately to an object. A complementary color image sensor has a Cy pixel and an Mg pixel, which are sensitive to both the violet narrowband light and the green narrowband light. The complementary color image sensor images the object under illumination of the violet narrowband light to output a first image signal and images the object under illumination of the green narrowband light to output a second image signal. Based on the first and second image signals, a special image, in which surface structure (surface blood vessels) and subsurface structure (subsurface blood vessels) are isolated from each other, is produced and displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A light source apparatus for supplying a light guide device incorporated in an endoscope with a light beam is provided. A light emitting device of semiconductor, for example, laser diode generates the light beam. A light homogenizer homogenizes irradiance distribution of the light beam in a radial direction. A short focus lens is disposed between the light homogenizer and the light guide device, for enlarging a divergence angle of the light beam. Furthermore, the light homogenizer is a transparent light guide rod disposed to extend in an optical axis direction of the light beam. A diameter of the light homogenizer is constant in an optical axis direction thereof. The diameter of the light homogenizer is equal to or less than a diameter of the short focus lens.

Abstract: A light source apparatus for supplying an endoscope with light includes at least one light source unit for generating the light. A transparent light homogenizer includes an entrance end face, disposed on a proximal side in an optical axis direction, for receiving entry of the light, an exit end face, disposed on a distal side in the optical axis direction, for exiting the light traveling from the entrance end face, and a reflective interface, formed in a tubular shape between the entrance end face and the exit end face, for total reflection of the light in an internal manner and for directing the light in the optical axis direction. A photo sensor is disposed on the reflective interface, for measuring a light amount of the light. The light homogenizer regularizes the light amount of the light from the exit end face in a radial direction.

Abstract: An OCT probe has a sheath to be inserted into a subject; and an optical system within the sheath, for changing the direction of light which propagates from a light source through an optical fiber to irradiate the light onto the subject through a transparent portion of the sheath, and for reflecting the light beam, which is reflected by the subject, to guide the light into the optical fiber. A light output surface, for causing the light to be output from the reflecting surface in a direction obliquely inclined with respect to the inner surface of the sheath, and a reflected light sheath entrance preventing portion, for preventing light reflected by the inner surface of the sheath from entering the optical fiber, are provided in the optical system. The reflected light sheath entrance preventing portion may be formed by providing a cut planar surface portion on the lens.

Abstract: A color-image forming method in a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, having the steps of: performing exposure of the light-sensitive material cut into sheets; and subjecting the exposed light-sensitive material sheets to photographic processing, while conveying them with conveying rollers, with the sheet conveying speed being 40.0 to 100 mm/sec; wherein the light-sensitive material to be exposed contains any of: 1) a dye-forming coupler of formula (IA), 2) a compound of formula (I), and 3) 1.4 mg/m2 or more of a compound of formula (II); wherein R? and R? are a substituent; Z is a hydrogen atom, or a coupling split-off group; A is an alkyl group, M is a cation, and R is an atom or group having 100 or lower total molecular weight.

Abstract: A color-image forming method in a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, having the steps of: performing exposure of the light-sensitive material cut into sheets; and subjecting the exposed light-sensitive material sheets to photographic processing, while conveying them with conveying rollers, with the sheet conveying speed being 40.0 to 100 mm/sec; wherein the light-sensitive material to be exposed contains any of: 1) a dye-forming coupler of formula (IA), 2) a compound of formula (I), and 3) 1.4 mg/m2 or more of a compound of formula (II); wherein R? and R? are a substituent; Z is a hydrogen atom, or a coupling split-off group; A is an alkyl group, M is a cation, and R is an atom or group having 100 or lower total molecular weight.

Abstract: An OCT probe has a sheath to be inserted into a subject; and an optical system within the sheath, for changing the direction of light which propagates from a light source through an optical fiber to irradiate the light onto the subject through a transparent portion of the sheath, and for reflecting the light beam, which is reflected by the subject, to guide the light into the optical fiber. A light output surface, for causing the light to be output from the reflecting surface in a direction obliquely inclined with respect to the inner surface of the sheath, and a reflected light sheath entrance preventing portion, for preventing light reflected by the inner surface of the sheath from entering the optical fiber, are provided in the optical system. The reflected light sheath entrance preventing portion may be formed by providing a cut planar surface portion on the lens.

Abstract: A color-image forming method in a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, having the steps of: performing exposure of the light-sensitive material cut into sheets; and subjecting the exposed light-sensitive material sheets to photographic processing, while conveying them with conveying rollers, with the sheet conveying speed being 40.0 to 100 mm/sec; wherein the light-sensitive material to be exposed contains any of: 1) a dye-forming coupler of formula (IA), 2) a compound of formula (I), and 3) 1.4 mg/m2 or more of a compound of formula (II); wherein R? and R? are a substituent; Z is a hydrogen atom, or a coupling split-off group; A is an alkyl group, M is a cation, and R is an atom or group having 100 or lower total molecular weight.

Abstract: In an exposure device, a beam emitted from a light emitting point of a laser diode (LD) is limited by a slit. The slit limits a light beam in a direction orthogonal to an active layer of the LD. The exposure device has a moving mechanism which moves a plate in which the slit is provided, in a direction orthogonal to the plate. Object points are different at a beam and at flare light. Therefore, the plate is provided in a vicinity of the light emitting point in order to limit the light beam in the vicinity of the light emitting point, i.e., at a place near a point where a beam spot is smallest, and to be able to effectively block only the flare light.

Abstract: The optical scanning apparatus includes a light amount reducing filter such as a neutral density filter which has transmittance ?nd satisfying an expression ?nd=(W1/W0)/(?AOM×?ref×?tra) and a light amount reducing function using absorption or reflection and which is disposed between a laser light source and an AOM on an optical path of laser light beam. In the expression, W0 denotes the amount of light emitted from the laser light source, W1 denotes the amount of light required for recording on a recording medium, ?AOM denotes diffraction efficiency in the AOM, ?ref denotes a sum of reflectances of reflective optical elements located between the laser light source and a surface to be scanned, of the recording medium, and ?tra denotes a sum of transmittances of transmissive optical elements located between the laser light source and the surface to be scanned, other than transmittance of the neutral density filter.

Abstract: A blue laser light source is a semiconductor laser having a sapphire substrate that is transparent to a wavelength of a blue laser beam emitted from an active layer. A condenser lens converges the blue laser beam at a focal point where a modulator is placed. A slit plate limits the light flux on the exit side of the condenser lens. A slit of the slit plate is located at a depth position (Z) on an optical axis of the condenser lens, and the depth position satisfies the following conditions: Z?Z0 (Z0<0) and Pp(Z0)=P1, wherein Z is assumed to have a positive value on a forward side of the blue laser beam from the focal point, Pp(Z) is a value obtained by dividing a width of the blue laser beam in the parallel direction to the active surface at the depth position Z by a width of the extraneous light in the parallel direction at said depth position, and P1 is a convergent value of Pp(Z) at the infinity (Z??).

Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving circuit for driving a semiconductor laser as an exposure light source is used in an image recording apparatus for recording an image using a light beam from the laser. The light beam emitted from the laser is subjected to pulse modulation in correspondence with a command signal. The circuit includes an error amplifier for amplifying a difference between the command signal and a signal fed back from the laser to output an output signal, a diode and a resistor connected in series between an input terminal and an output terminal of the error amplifier and a driver for driving the laser based on the output signal.