Rotating three primary color filter and a shutter used switchable electronic endoscope with the normal light illumination and the special light illumination wavelength and there

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic endoscope which not only enables physical examination and diagnosis by alternately changing over ordinary light illumination and special wavelength illumination relating to a same subject but also makes the operability of the scope itself substantially the same as in the case of the ordinary light illumination even in the special wavelength illumination. SOLUTION: Pixel signals obtained by an image pickup sensor of the scope 10 of the electronic endoscope are outputted as video signals after being properly processed with an image signal processing unit 12. An optical guide cable 18 is inserted into this scope in order to introduce the illumination light for illuminating the front of the distal end of the scope. The proximal end thereof is optically connected to the illumination device within the image signal processing unit. The illumination device includes an ordinary light source 24, a special wavelength light source 26 and a light source changeover means 32 for selectively introducing either one of the ordinary light from the ordinary light source and the special wavelength light from the special wavelength illumination to the proximal end face of the optical guide cable.