Endoscope apparatus, image processing apparatus and image adjusting method

An image processing apparatus that generates an image for display, which corresponds to a display area to be displayed on a monitor, from an image generated on the basis of an imaging signal of a solid-state imaging element that is relatively positioned and fixed with respect to an observation optical system, obtains an optical image formed thereon by the observation optical system, and has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arrayed therein which photoelectrically convert the optical image, and outputs the image for display to the monitor, comprising:

• an information acquiring section which acquires image cutting-out information from a memory section that stores the image cutting-out information therein that specifies an image cutting-out region for a process of cutting out the image for display from the image;
• and
• an image processing section which cuts out the image for display from the image on the basis of the image cutting-out information that the information acquiring section has acquired, wherein
• the information acquiring section acquires information for specifying the image cutting-out region for a process of cutting out the image for display, which corresponds to an overlapping region in which a displayable pixel area of the solid-state imaging element and an imaging area of the optical image to be formed on the solid-state imaging element by the observation optical system overlap one another, and overlap one another when the center of the imaging area is matched with the center of the display area, as the image cutting-out information, from the memory section, and
• the image processing section expands the image for display to an image size of the display area, when an image size of the cut-out image for display becomes smaller than the image size of the display area due to deviation between the center of the displayable pixel area and the center of the imaging area.

An image adjusting method for an endoscope apparatus comprising:

• a storing step of making a memory section store image cutting-out information that specifies an image cutting-out region for a process of cutting out an image for display, which corresponds to a display area to be displayed on a monitor, from an image generated on the basis of an imaging signal of a solid-state imaging element that is relatively positioned and fixed with respect to an observation optical system, obtains an optical image formed thereon by the observation optical system, and has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arrayed therein which photoelectrically convert the optical image;
• and
• an image processing step of cutting out the image for display from the image on the basis of the image cutting-out information stored in the memory section, wherein
• in the storing step, the memory section stores information for specifying the image cutting-out region for a process of cutting out the image for display, which corresponds to an overlapping region in which a displayable pixel area of the solid-state imaging element and an imaging area of the optical image to be formed on the solid-state imaging element by the observation optical system overlap one another, and overlap one another when the center of the imaging area is matched with the center of the display area, as the image cutting-out information, and
• in the image processing step, the image for display is expanded to an image size of the display area, when an image size of the cut-out image for display becomes smaller than the image size of the display area due to deviation between the center of the displayable pixel area and the center of the imaging area.