PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus which usually displays a white light image and simultaneously, acquires a narrow band light image and a bright near infrared fluorescence image with high SN.SOLUTION: The endoscope apparatus includes: an illumination part 1 of white light and near infrared excitation light an optical path branch part 2 branching the reflection light into two optical paths and guiding an near infrared fluorescence image only to a second optical path a white light image acquisition part 3 disposed on the second optical path a variable spectroscopic optical element 4 disposed on the second optical path a special light image acquisition part 5 acquiring a narrow band light image or near infrared fluorescence image transmitted by the variable spectroscopic optical element 4 an imaging mode switching part 6 switching the imaging mode to any of a narrow band imaging mode and a near infrared imaging mode and a control part 7 switching the spectral characteristics of the variable spectral optical element 4 in such a manner that the transmission peak is caused to exist in a desired narrow band within a wavelength band of the white light and to transmit near infrared fluorescence wavelength in the narrow band imaging mode, and the transmission peak is caused to not exist within the wavelength band of white light and to transmit the near infrared fluorescence light wavelength in the near infrared imaging mode.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】白色光画像を常時表示し、同時に狭帯域光画像、高SNで明るい近赤外蛍光画像を取得可能な内視鏡装置の提供。【解決手段】白色光と近赤外励起光の照明部1、反射光を二光路に分岐し、且つ、近赤外蛍光を第2光路のみに導く光路分岐部2、第1光路上に配置された白色光画像取得部3、第2光路上に配置された可変分光光学素子4、可変分光光学素子4を透過した狭帯域光又は近赤外蛍光の画像を取得する特殊光画像取得部5、狭帯域光観察モードと近赤外光観察モードとのいずれかに切替える観察モード切替部6、狭帯域光観察モードでは白色光の波長帯域内における所望の狭帯域に透過ピークを存在させ、且つ、近赤外蛍光波長を透過させ、近赤外光観察モードでは白色光の波長帯域内において透過ピークを存在させず、且つ、近赤外蛍光波長を透過させるように、可変分光光学素子4の分光特性を切替える制御部7を有する。【選択図】図1
