Scanning endoscope apparatus, image processing apparatus and operation method of image processing apparatus

A scanning endoscope apparatus comprising:

• a light source section that emits illuminating light;
• a light guiding section that guides and applies the illuminating light to a subject from a distal end in such a manner that the illuminating light has directionality;
• a scanning section that performs scanning in which a direction of the distal end of the light guiding section is varied;
• a first light detecting section that detects light in a wavelength band of the illuminating light;
• a second light detecting section that does not detect light in the wavelength band of the illuminating light, but detects light in a wavelength band other than the wavelength band of the illuminating light;
• an illumination control section that controls a light application period in which the illuminating light is applied from the distal end of the light guiding section and an interruption period in which the application of the illuminating light from the distal end of the light guiding section is interrupted;
• a removal section that corrects a result of detection by the second light detecting section in the light application period, based on a ratio of a result of detection by the first light detecting section relative to a result of detection by the second light detecting section in the interruption period to estimate an extrinsic light component contained in the result of detection by the first light detecting section in the light application period, and removes the estimated extrinsic light component to extract a return light component of the illuminating light from the subject;
• and
• an image processing section that forms image information to be outputted to a display section that displays an image, based on the return light component extracted by the removal section.

An image processing apparatus for processing an image obtained by a scanning endoscope apparatus, the scanning endoscope apparatus including

• a light source section that emits illuminating light,
• a light guiding section that guides and applies the illuminating light to a subject from a distal end in such a manner that the illuminating light has directionality,
• a scanning section that performs scanning in which a direction of the distal end of the light guiding section is varied,
• a light detecting section that detects light from the subject, and
• an illumination control section that controls a light application period in which the illuminating light is applied from the distal end of the light guiding section and an interruption period in which the application of the illuminating light from the distal end of the light guiding section is interrupted, the image processing apparatus comprising:
• a removal section that outputs a result of an average value of a plurality of detection results obtained by the light detecting section in the interruption period being subtracted from each of a plurality of detection results each obtained according to the direction of the distal end varied by the scanning section in the light application period;
• and
• an image processing section that forms image information to be outputted to a display section that displays an image, based on the result outputted by the removal section.

A method of operation of an image processing apparatus for processing an image obtained by a scanning endoscope apparatus, the scanning endoscope apparatus including

• a light source section that emits illuminating light,
• a light guiding section that guides and applies the illuminating light to a subject from a distal end in such a manner that the illuminating light has directionality,
• a scanning section that performs scanning in which a direction of the distal end of the light guiding section is varied,
• a light detecting section that detects light from the subject, and
• an illumination control section that controls a light application period in which the illuminating light is applied from the distal end of the light guiding section and an interruption period in which the application of the illuminating light from the distal end of the light guiding section is interrupted,
• wherein a removal section outputs a result of an average value of a plurality of detection results obtained by the light detecting section in the interruption period being subtracted from each of a plurality of detection results each obtained from the light detecting section according to the direction of the distal end varied by the scanning section in the light application period;
• and
• wherein an image processing section forms image information to be outputted to a display section that displays an image, based on the result outputted from the removal section.