PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a skin observation apparatus with high safety when an ultraviolet LED is used as a light source of the skin observation apparatus, and to improve the reliability by extending the term until imaging is impossible even if the life span of the ultraviolet LED stays constant.SOLUTION: This apparatus includes: an imaging optical system (10) wherein a light shielding head (2) is protrusively formed to be contacted to a skin as an observed subject, and an observation hole (5) is formed in a skin abutment surface (4) formed at the protrusion part of the light shielding head (2), having an imaging element (11) for imaging the observed object through the observation hole (5) and a control device (7) disposed with a lightening system (20) having an ultraviolet light source (22) for irradiating the observation hole (5) with the ultraviolet light, disposed with a contact sensor (S) for outputting a detection signal when the skin abutment surface (4) of the light shielding head (2) abuts on the skin, and lightening an ultraviolet light source (21) during the abutment of the skin contact surface based on the detection signal of the contact sensor (S).COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】肌用観察装置の照明光源として紫外LEDを用いた場合でも安全性が高く、また、紫外LEDの寿命が一定でも撮像不能に至るまでの期間を延ばして信頼性を向上させる。【解決手段】被観察物となる肌に当接させる遮光ヘッド(2)が膨出して形成され、遮光ヘッド(2)の膨出部に形成された肌当接面(4)に観察孔(5)が形成されると共に、その内側に、観察孔(5)を通じて被観察物の画像を取り込む撮像素子(11)を備えた撮像光学系(10)と、観察孔(5)に向かって紫外光を照射する紫外光源(22)を備えた照明系(20)が配されて成り、遮光ヘッド(2)の肌当接面(4)が肌に当接されたときに検出信号を出力する接触センサ(S)が配されると共に、接触センサ(S)の検出信号に基づき肌当接面(4)が当接されている間、紫外光源(21)を点灯させる制御装置(7)を備えた。【選択図】図1
