PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus comprising an optical scanning unit capable of observing the desired site inside the gastric cavity.SOLUTION: The endoscope apparatus comprises: an insertion section which includes a circular columnar distal end hard part and a tubular curved section arranged coaxial with the distal end hard part and coupled with the proximal end of the distal end hard part a treatment instrument path which is formed within the insertion section and into which a predetermined treatment instrument is inserted and a curving operation part which directs, by curving the curved section, the distal side end face of the distal end hard part in a direction of reference up, reference down, reference left, or reference right, provided that the axial direction of the coaxially arranged distal end hard part and curved section set as a predetermined reference direction and the upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions with the reference direction as the reference are set as the reference up, reference down, reference left, and reference right directions, respectively. In this configuration, the distal end hard part comprises in its housing: an imaging optical system for introducing a subject image to a predetermined imaging element and a scanning optical system for scanning the subject. In addition, the optical axis of the scanning optical system and the center of the opening end of the treatment instrument path are decentered in the reference right direction relative to the central axis.COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】胃腔内の所望の位置を観察可能な光走査ユニットを備える内視鏡装置を提供する。【解決手段】内視鏡装置を、円柱状の先端硬性部、及び先端硬性部と同軸上に配置され且つ先端硬性部の基端と連結された管状の湾曲部を有する挿入部と、挿入部内に形成され所定の処置具が通される処置具通路と、同軸上に配置された先端硬性部及び湾曲部の軸線方向を所定の基準方向とし、基準方向を基準とした上下左右方向をそれぞれ基準上、基準下、基準左、基準右方向とした場合に、湾曲部を湾曲させることで、先端硬性部の先端側端面を基準上、基準下、基準左または基準右方向に向ける湾曲操作部と、から構成する。この構成において、先端硬性部は、その筐体内に、被写体像を所定の撮像素子に導く撮像光学系と、被写体を走査するための走査光学系とを備える。また、走査光学系の光軸及び処置具通路の開口端の中心は、中心軸に対して基準右方向に偏芯している。【選択図】図2
