Endoscope system

Abstract

An endoscope system includes an image acquisition section, an attention area setting section, and a dimming control section. The image acquisition section acquires a captured image that includes an object image. The attention area setting section sets an attention area within the captured image based on information from the endoscope system. The dimming control section performs a dimming control process that controls the intensity of illumination light based on the attention area set by the attention area setting section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An endoscope system comprising:
 an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image that includes an object image, the object image being obtained by applying illumination light emitted from a light source section to an object;   an attention area setting section that sets an attention area within the captured image based on information from the endoscope system; and   a dimming control section that performs a dimming control process that controls an intensity of the illumination light based on the attention area set by the attention area setting section,   the attention area setting section calculating a feature quantity based on the captured image, and setting the attention area based on an area having a given feature quantity.   
     
     
         2 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 1 ,
 the captured image being a special light image in which the object image having information within a specific wavelength band is captured, and a normal light image in which the object image having information within a wavelength band of white light is captured, and   the attention area setting section setting the attention area based on the special light image.   
     
     
         3 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 2 ,
 the dimming control section performing the dimming control process on the normal light image based on the attention area set by the attention area setting section.   
     
     
         4 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 2 ,
 the specific wavelength band being a band that is narrower than the wavelength band of the white light.   
     
     
         5 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 4 ,
 the normal light image and the special light image being in vivo images, and   the specific wavelength band included in the in vivo images being a wavelength band of light absorbed by hemoglobin in blood.   
     
     
         6 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 2 ,
 the normal light image and the special light image being in vivo images, and   the specific wavelength band included in the in vivo images being a wavelength band of fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance.   
     
     
         7 . The endoscope system as defined in  claim 2 ,
 the normal light image and the special light image being in vivo images, and   the specific wavelength band included in the in vivo images being a wavelength band of infrared light.