Imaging apparatus
View Patent ↗An imaging apparatus includes a light source unit that selectively outputs white light and light in a different wavelength band to an observation target, an imaging unit including an imaging device, and a spectral image formation circuit that generates a spectral image signal for a specified wavelength by an operation using an image signal based on an output from the imaging unit and predetermined matrix data. The imaging unit selectively obtains an image of the observation target for each of first, second and third light components in a visible light region and an image for each of at least fourth and fifth light components in a near-infrared region. Further, the imaging unit includes first spectral devices that make only the first and fourth light components enter first pixels of the imaging device and second spectral devices that make only the second and fifth light components enter second pixels thereof.
1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light source unit that can selectively output white light and light in a wavelength band that is different from that of the white light to an observation target;
an imaging unit that includes an imaging device for imaging the observation target that is illuminated with the light output from the light source unit, the imaging device having first pixels and second pixels, and the imaging unit further including first spectral devices that make only first light components in a visible light region and fourth light components in a near-infrared region enter the first pixels of the imaging device and second spectral devices that make only second light components in the visible light region and fifth light components in the near-infrared region enter the second pixels of the imaging device, wherein the imaging unit selectively obtains an image of the observation target for each of the first light components, the second light components and third light components, which are three kinds of light components in different wavelength ranges from each other in the visible light region, and an image of the observation target for each of at least the fourth light components and the fifth light components, which are at least two kinds of light components in different wavelength ranges from each other in the near-infrared region; and
a spectral image formation circuit that generates a spectral image signal representing a spectral image that has a specified wavelength by performing an operation using an image signal based on an output from the imaging unit and predetermined matrix data.
2. An imaging apparatus, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the spectral image formation circuit generates the spectral image signal by using the image signal that is at least based on the fourth light components and the fifth light components.
3. An imaging apparatus, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the specified wavelength is the wavelength of fluorescence, and wherein the light in the wavelength band that is different from that of the white light is excitation light for exciting the fluorescence.
4. An imaging apparatus, as defined in claim 1 , wherein a color image based on the first light components, the second light components and the third light components in the visible light region, a first spectral image based on at least two of the first light components, the second light components and the third light components in the visible light region and a second spectral image based on at least the fourth light components and the fifth light components in the near-infrared region can be formed.
5. An imaging apparatus, as defined in claim 4 , wherein at least two of the color image, the first spectral image and the second spectral image can be displayed at the same time.
6. An imaging apparatus, as defined in claim 4 , wherein at least two of the color image, the first spectral image and the second spectral image can be displayed in such a manner that they are superimposed one on another.