PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To discriminate an expression tissue such as collagen fiber expressed from a lesion part or the like by obtaining a polarized light characteristic image depending on a predetermined polarized light characteristic, obtain a polarized light image to enable diagnosis about the extent of invasion of a cancer, and display an expression tissue expressed from the lesion part to be discriminated from the polarized light image.SOLUTION: Polarized light characteristic image information depending on a predetermined polarization characteristic is obtained for discriminating an expression tissue expressed on the surface layer of a predetermined region from a tissue of the surface layer by applying a plurality of polarized irradiation light beams to a predetermined region of a living body from the surface layer thereof, imaging the plurality of polarized reflected light beams respectively from the surface layer of the predetermined region, and performing the polarized light transformation processing for the plurality of imaged light intensity image information pieces, and a polarized light characteristic image depending on the polarized light characteristic is obtained based on the obtained polarized light characteristic image information. Further display transformation processing is performed to the polarized light characteristic image information to thereby obtain the polarized light characteristic image information for display, and the expression tissue is visualized to be discriminated from the tissue of the surface layer. A displayed polarized light characteristic image is displayed.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】所定の偏光特性による偏光特性画像を得ることにより、病変部等から表出する膠原線維等の表出組織を識別することができ、がんの浸潤度の診断を可能とする偏光画像を得ることができ、及び、この偏光画像から、病変部等から表出する表出組織を識別可能に表示することができる。【解決手段】生体の所定部位に、その表層から複数の偏光状態の照射光をそれぞれ照射し、所定部位の表層からの複数の偏光状態の反射光をそれぞれ撮像し、撮像された複数の光強度画像情報に偏光変換処理を行って、所定部位の表層に表出する表出組織を表層の組織と識別するための、所定の偏光特性による偏光特性画像情報を得、得られた偏光特性画像情報に基づいて偏光特性による偏光特性画像を得ることにより、また、偏光特性画像情報に表示変換処理を行って、表示用偏光特
