PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidity detecting method capable of reliably estimating the humidity state at a distal end portion of the internal space of an endoscope without enlarging the diameter of an endoscope insertion portion.SOLUTION: In a humidity detecting device for detecting the humidity of an internal space 55 of an endoscope 10, leakage currents of an imaging device 45D and a peripheral circuit of an electric board 47 disposed at a distal end portion of the internal space 55 of the endoscope are detected and the humidity state of the internal space 55 of the endoscope is determined by a determining section 58A based upon the detected leakage currents.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】内視鏡挿入部を大径化することなく、しかも内視鏡内部空間の先端部における湿度状態を確実に把握することができる。【解決手段】内視鏡10の内部空間55の湿度を検出する湿度検出装置において、内視鏡内部空間55の先端部に配置される撮像素子45Dや電気基板47の周辺回路の漏れ電流を検出し、検出された漏れ電流に基づいて内視鏡内部空間55の湿度状態を判定部58Aで判定する。【選択図】図4
