Patent ID: 7826728
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: A61B,G01J

Abstract:
1. A photography device comprising: an illumination light source which illuminates an object, and which comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements that perform light emission of a plurality of different spectroscopic distribution characteristics that are mutually independent in at least a range of visible light; a photography optical system which forms an object image; an image pickup element section which outputs an image signal by picking up the object image formed by the photography optical system; a mode selection section which selects one of a spectroscopic image capture mode for capturing sequential multiband spectroscopic still images of the object so as to perform multiband illumination with at least four primary colors, and an RGB capture mode for capturing an RGB image of the object; and a mode display section which is configured to display mode-related information corresponding to each of the spectroscopic image capture mode and the RGB capture mode, wherein when the spectroscopic image capture mode is selected by the mode selection section, the plurality of light-emitting elements sequentially emit light in accordance with the spectroscopic distribution characteristics to perform the multiband illumination, and wherein the image pickup element section picks up an image of the object at each sequential light emission to capture sequential multiband spectroscopic still images of the object, and the mode display section displays the mode-related information that corresponds to the spectroscopic image capture mode, and wherein when the RGB capture mode is selected by the mode selection section: (i) light-emitting elements of three colors of red, green and blue selected from the plurality of light-emitting elements one of simultaneously and sequentially emit light, wherein the image pickup element section captures the RGB image of the object while the light-emitting elements of red, green and blue are emitting light, and the mode display section displays the mode-related information that corresponds to the RGB capture mode; or (ii) a plurality of clusters of light-emitting elements of the plurality of light-emitting elements including a cluster of light-emitting elements belonging to blue, a cluster of light-emitting elements belonging to green, and a cluster of light-emitting elements belonging to red, sequentially emit light cluster by cluster, and wherein the image pickup element section captures the RGB image of the object while the plurality of clusters of light-emitting elements are sequentially emitting light, and the mode display section displays the mode-related information that corresponds to the RGB capture mode.