Provided are a capsule endoscope and a capsule endoscope system which can use a white LED as a light source for illuminating the inside of a subject and can acquire an image with a high data level of a desired color component. The capsule endoscope 10 includes a light emitting element that generates light including a first wavelength component as a current flows and a light emitting element that absorbs light including a first wavelength component and thereby absorbs light having a first wavelength component An illumination unit 12 that can emit illumination light including first and second wavelength components, and an illumination unit 12 that is capable of emitting illumination light including first and second wavelength components, and an illumination unit 12 that illuminates with the illumination light generated by the illumination unit 12 An imaging unit 11 that images the inside of the subject and acquires image data, and an illumination unit 12 is generated by changing the magnitude of the current flowing to the illumination unit 12 in synchronization with the imaging operation of the imaging unit 11 And a control unit 13 that performs control to switch the spectral characteristic of the illumination light.被検体内を照明する光源として白色LEDを用い、所望の色成分のデータレベルの高い画像を取得することができるカプセル型内視鏡及びカプセル型内視鏡システムを提供する。カプセル型内視鏡10は、電流が流れることにより第1の波長成分を含む光を発生する発光素子と、第1の波長成分を含む光を吸収することにより第1の波長成分とは異なる第2の波長成分を含む光を発生する蛍光体とを有し、第1及び第2の波長成分を含む照明光を発光可能な照明部12と、照明部12が発生した照明光により照明された被検体内を撮像して、画像データを取得する撮像部11と、撮像部11の撮像動作と同期して、照明部12に流す電流の大きさを変化させることにより、照明部12が発生する照明光の分光特性を切り替える制御を行う制御部13とを備える。
