This method is for calibrating an optical scanning apparatus that includes an optical fiber with a tip supported to allow vibration and an actuator that drives the tip of the optical fiber in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical fiber. The method includes arranging a position sensitive detector that detects a position of emitted light from the tip of the optical fiber (step S02) and detecting the position of the emitted light with the position sensitive detector while supplying light to the optical fiber and driving the tip of the optical fiber (step S03). The step of detecting (step S03) is performed using an interference fringe reducer that reduces interference fringes occurring along an optical path reaching the position sensitive detector.

A biological observation system includes: a light source apparatus configured to supply a first illuminating light, and a second illuminating light, while switching between the first illuminating light and the second illuminating light; an image pickup device configured to receive light from an object at each of a plurality of pixels having different sensitivities, and picks up an image; a color separation processing portion configured to separate, from respective color components, a color component obtained when an image of light of a predetermined wavelength band is picked up by a pixel having the greatest sensitivity to the light in the predetermined wavelength band; and a control portion configured to cause different processing to be performed between a case where an inputted image pickup signal corresponds to the first illuminating light and a case where an inputted image pickup signal corresponds to the second illuminating light.

An apparatus for measuring a scanning pattern of an optical scanning apparatus can easily reduce the effect of stray light and improve the measurement accuracy of the scanning pattern. An apparatus for measuring a scanning pattern of an optical scanning apparatus (100), which scans an object being illuminated with illumination light and generates a display image of the object being illuminated, includes a screen (11) scanned by the illumination light and an optical position detector (12) that detects the position of an irradiation spot of the illumination light on the screen (11). The apparatus for measuring a scanning pattern sequentially detects a position of the irradiation spot at predetermined time points with the optical position detector (12) during scanning of the screen (11) to measure the scanning pattern of the illumination light.

A scanning observation apparatus (10) deflects illumination light with an actuator (25) through an illumination optical system (26) to scan an object (32), subjects light from the object (32) to photoelectric conversion with an optical detector (44), performs processing with an image processor (46), and displays an image of the object (32) on a display (60). A memory (35) stores information on optical characteristics related to chromatic aberration of magnification of the illumination optical system (26) relative to light of predetermined colors. A scanning pattern calculator (45) calculates a scanning pattern, on the object (32), of light of each color using the information. Using the scanning pattern, the image processor (46) calibrates a plot position yielded by a photoelectric conversion signal from the optical detector (44) for light of each color and generates an image of the object (32), thereby more easily correcting the chromatic aberration of magnification.

A method and an apparatus for setting driving conditions applied in an optical scanning apparatus. The method for setting driving conditions includes attaching a scanning pattern detector and adjusting a scanning pattern detected by the scanning pattern detector by changing a drive signal applied to an actuator (steps S03 to S06). The step of adjusting includes setting a first drive signal value of the drive signal applied to the actuator and a target amplitude of the scanning pattern (step S03) and determining a frequency of the drive signal applied to the actuator by comparing an amplitude of the scanning pattern detected by changing the frequency of the drive signal applied to the actuator with the target amplitude while vibrating the actuator at the first drive signal value (step S04).

Provided is an endoscope that can connect proximal ends of the first signal lines and a signal relay part together without securing an extra length for the first signal lines. An airtight casing is disposed inside an outer tube of an insertion part, an imaging device and first signal lines are accommodated inside the airtight casing, a distal end of the airtight casing is airtightly sealed by a cover glass, and a proximal end of the airtight casing is airtightly sealed by a partition wall part. The airtight casing is constituted of a first tubular body and a second tubular body, and the second tubular body is disposed in a nested shape with respect to the first tubular body. During the connection between the proximal ends of the first signal lines and the terminal part, the second tubular body is advanced toward the first tubular body.

Exemplary apparatus for method for forming at least one spectral encoding endoscopy configuration. For example, it is possible to modify a spacer configuration and an lens optics configuration to have respective predetermined lengths, and also to modify a dispersive optics configuration to have a further predetermined length. Further, the modified spacer and modified lens optics configurations can be attached to one another to form a combined spacer-lens optics configuration. The modified dispersive optics configuration can be attached to a substrate to form to form a grating substrate configuration. Additionally, the combined spacer-lens optics configuration can be connected to an optical fiber, and the modified attached dispersed optics configuration can be connected to the modified attached lens optics configuration to form the spectral encoding endoscopy configuration(s) which can extends along a particular axis. The dispersive optics configuration can be modified to be at a predetermined angle with respect to the particular axis.

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including at least one illumination source configured to emit illumination energy and an illumination control system to receive the illumination energy. The illumination control system is configured to control the illumination energy to output a sequence of different illumination wavelengths using the illumination energy. The apparatus also includes a plurality of optical fibers connected to the illumination control system and configured to sequentially output the different illumination wavelengths. Each optical fiber is configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths from the optical fibers toward an object. The apparatus further includes an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, and each pixel of the image capture device is configured to detect the illumination energy associated with each of the plurality of different illumination wavelengths reflected from the object.

According to one aspect, the invention concerns a device for transporting and controlling light pulses for lensless endo-microscopic imaging and comprises: a bundle of N monomode optical fibers (F.sub.1) arranged in a given pattern, each monomode optical fiber being characterized by a relative group delay value (Ax) defined relative to the travel time of a pulse propagating in a reference monomode optical fiber (F.sub.0) of the bundle of fibers (40), an optical device for controlling group velocity (50) comprising a given number M of waveplates (P.sub.j) characterized by a given delay (8t.sub.j); a first spatial light modulator (51) suitable for forming from an incident light beam a number N of elementary light beams (B.sub.i) each of which is intended to enter into one of said optical fibers, each elementary beam being intended to pass into a given waveplate such that the sum of the delay introduced by said waveplate and the relative group delay of the optical fiber intended to receive said elementary light beam is minimal in absolute value; a second spatial light modulator (52) suitable for deviating each of the N elementary light beams such that each elementary light beam penetrates into the corresponding optical fiber perpendicularly to the entrance face of the optical fiber.

An endoscope includes at least one lens having a circular exterior shape in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, an image sensor that has a square exterior shape in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and has one side whose length is same as length of a diameter of the lens, a sensor cover that has a square exterior shape in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and has one side whose length is same as one side length of the image sensor, a bonding resin portion that fixes the sensor cover to the lens, the optical axis of the lens coinciding with a center of the imaging area.