PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus in which a palpation to a specified site in a body cavity is performed, and based on this result, an illumination is automatically changed to such an illumination light that can observe the condition of the affected part in more detail to support a diagnosis by the endoscope.SOLUTION: The endoscope apparatus 100 irradiates an illuminative light from the tip of an endoscope inserting part 19 and takes an image of an object to be observed by an photographing element 21 to acquire image taking information. The endoscope apparatus 100 includes: a light source part 45 for selectively emitting a white light, and a special light with a spectrum different from the white light a pressing member 41 projecting a contactor 75 formed on one end from the tip of the endoscope inserting part 19 and pressing the same on the surface of a living body of the object to be observed a characteristic quantity detecting part 67 for detecting the characteristic quantity of the surface of the living body from the image taking information which is photographed by pressing the contactor 75 of the pressing member 41 on the surface of the living body and an observing mode switching part for switching to either an ordinary observation mode or a special light observation mode in accordance with the detected characteristic quantity.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】体腔内の特定部位に対する触診を行い、その結果に基づいて患部の状態をより詳細に観察できる照明光に自動的に変更して、内視鏡による診断を支援する内視鏡装置を提供する。【解決手段】内視鏡装置100は、内視鏡挿入部19の先端から照明光を照射するとともに、被観察対象を撮像素子21により撮像して撮像画像情報を取得する。内視鏡装置100は、白色光、及び白色光とは異なるスペクトルの特殊光を選択的に出射する光源部45と、内視鏡挿入部19の先端から、その一端に形成された触子部75を突出させて被観察対象の生体表面に押し当てる押し当て部材41と、押し当て部材41の触子部75を生体表面に押し当てて撮像した撮像画像情報から生体表面の特徴量を検出する特徴量検出部67と、検出された特徴量に応じて通常観察モード、特殊光観察モードのいずれかに切り替える観察モード切換部と、を備える。【選択図】図1
