<；P>；PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscopic observation system which can accurately recognize the positions of the blood vessels distributed in object fat, in low-invasive surgery using an endoscope. <；P>；SOLUTION: This endoscopic observation system identifies a specific region within the living body by utilizing a difference in the spectral absorptivity of near-infrared light with a wavelength of 1,200 nm or more. The endoscopic observation system comprises: a lighting optical system for irradiating the living body with the near-infrared light including a wavelength of 1,200-2,200 nm and in the vicinity of 1,450 nm or 1,900 nm； and an imaging optical system which acquires a near-infrared image for the living body by forming an image on the imaging surface of an imaging element 15 by means of the near-infrared light reflected from the living body. The lighting optical system and the imaging optical system each have a polarizer, and the polarization direction of polarized light incident into the polarizer in the imaging optical system by being reflected from the living body is set orthogonal to the polarization direction of the polarizer in the imaging optical system. <；P>；COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
