PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus having optical path switching means, which can determine whether or not the optical path is correctly switched during image processing without additional optical path detection means being physically mounted.SOLUTION: An endoscope apparatus (10) includes a switching part (20) for switching between a first optical system (21) and a second optical system (22), an imaging element (31), and a control unit (44). The control unit instructs the switching part to switch the optical system, compares, after instructing the switching, a plurality of images generated by the imaging element before and after instructing the switching, and determines, based on a result of the comparison, whether or not the switching is performed successfully by the switching part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2020,JPO&INPIT【課題】光路切り替え手段を有する内視鏡装置において、追加の光路検出手段を物理的に実装しなくても、画像処理で光路が正しく切り替わったか否かを判定できる。【解決手段】内視鏡装置（１０）は、第１の光学系（２１）と第２の光学系（２２）を切り替える切り替え部（２０）と、撮像素子（３１）と、制御部（４４）と、を備え、前記制御部は、光学系を切り替えるように前記切り替え部に指示し、切り替え指示をした後に、前記切り替え指示をした前後に前記撮像素子により生成された複数の画像を比較し、前記比較した結果に基づいて、前記切り替え部による前記切り替えが正常に行われたか否かを判定することを特徴とする。【選択図】図１
