PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscopic apparatus for reducing the appearance of noise components in images projected on the monitor even when drive signals having electric energies of a few watts to a few tens of watts are supplied to a piezoelectric transducer.SOLUTION: The endoscopic apparatus 1 includes: a transparent member 32 provided at the tip of the insertion part to face the image pickup optical system a piezoelectric transducer 37 provided on the transparent member 32 for generating an ultrasonic vibration f an operation circuit 61 for outputting an operation signal a diffraction grating 40 provided on the transparent member 32 for converting the ultrasonic vibration f generated by the piezoelectric transducer 37 to a surface elastic wave Φ propagated to the outer surface of the transparent member 32 a drive signal-supplying system 55 for supplying a drive signal that drives the piezoelectric transducer 37 an image pickup device 34 for capturing images of the subjects body and a control unit 52 for exercising control to start up drive signals of the drive signal-supplying system only during periods when no video output signal of the image pickup device 34 is being output.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】 圧電振動子へ数ワットから数十ワットの電力量を有する駆動信号を供給しながらも、モニタに映し出される画像にノイズ成分の出現を低減する内視鏡装置の提供。【解決手段】 内視鏡装置1は、挿入部先端に撮像用光学系に対向して設けられた透明部材32と、透明部材32に設けられ、超音波振動fを発生する圧電振動子37と、操作信号を出力する操作回路61と、透明部材32に設けられ、圧電振動子37で発生した超音波振動fを透明部材32の外表面に伝播する表面弾性波Φに変換する回折格子40と、圧電振動子37を駆動する駆動信号を供給する駆動信号供給系55と、被験者の身体映像を撮像する撮像素子34と、撮像素子34の映像出力信号が出力されていない期間内のみに駆動信号供給系の駆動信号の立ち上げを行うように制御する制御部52と、を備える。【選択図】図2
