Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a latent image bearer, a development unit, and processing circuitry. The development unit develops a latent image on the latent image bearer. The development unit is detachable from the apparatus body. The processing circuitry determines a lifetime of the development unit. The processing circuitry detects whether a replacement development unit attached to the apparatus body by replacement is a reuse item, and forms a degradation state detection image to ascertain a degradation state of the replacement development unit of the reuse item when the processing circuitry detects that the replacement development unit is the reuse item, and sets a remaining lifetime of the replacement development unit of the reuse item based on the degradation state detection image.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.