PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope system that separately displays an extremely-superficial vessel and a superficial vessel and can selectively emphasize and suppress those vessels.SOLUTION: An endoscope system images a sample illuminated with purple light and green light and then acquires RGB image signals. The system generates a base image on the basis of the RGB image signals. The system applies frequency filtering processing to a B image signal and then acquires vessel extraction signals obtained by extracting an extremely-superficial vessel C1A, a superficial vessel C1B and an intermediate vessel C2 that mutually differ in depth. The system obtains edge intensity of each vessel in the vessel extraction signals. The system applies display control processing based on the edge intensity of each vessel to the base image. Accordingly, the system generates: a first special image that separately displays the extremely-superficial vessel C1A, the superficial vessel C1B and the intermediate vessel C2； or a second special image that displays the extremely-superficial vessel C1A, the superficial vessel C1B and the intermediate vessel C2 selectively in an emphasized or suppressed form.【課題】極表層血管と表層血管とを分離して表示し、またそれら血管を選択的に強調・抑制することができる内視鏡システムを提供する。【解決手段】紫色光と緑色光で照明された検体を撮像して、RGBの画像信号を得る。RGB画像信号に基づいてベース画像を生成する。B画像信号に周波数フィルタリング処理を施して、互いに深さが異なる極表層血管C１A、表層血管C１B、中層血管C２を抽出した血管抽出信号を得る。血管抽出信号における各血管のエッジ強度を求める。各血管のエッジ強度に基づく表示制御処理をベース画像に対して施す。これにより、極表層血管C１Aと表層血管C１B及び中層血管C２とが分離して表示される第１特殊画像、又は極表層血管C１A、表層血管C１B、中層血管C２が選択的に強調表示又は抑制表示された第２特殊画像が生成される。【選択図】図１４
