Patent ID: 8506478

Claim:
An endoscope system having an endoscope that includes an imaging device and an illumination device for use in the endoscope, the illumination device comprising: a light source that outputs at least one of first light and second light; wherein the light source includes: a first light source that emits light having a first wavelength; and a second light source that emits light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; an optical fiber that guides the light output from the light source to a tip end of an endoscope insertion portion of the endoscope; a wavelength conversion member that is provided at an emission end of the optical fiber, the wavelength conversion member configured to be excited by at least one of the first light and the second light the light source; and an illumination light control unit that controls the light source such that the light source outputs the first light and the second light alternately in every imaging frame of an imaging device of the endoscope, wherein the first light emitted from the optical fiber and light obtained by exciting the wavelength conversion member by the first light emitted from the optical fiber are mixed to generate white illumination light, wherein light obtained by exciting the wavelength conversion member by the second light emitted from the optical fiber includes light in a specific visible wavelength band, and wherein the wavelength conversion member is configured to be excited by the light of the first light source to emit first fluorescence having a wavelength different from the first wavelength, and an energy of fluorescence of the wavelength conversion member when the wavelength conversion member is excited by light having the second wavelength and having a certain energy is equal to or less than 1/10 of that of fluorescence of the wavelength conversion member when the wavelength conversion member is excited by light having the first wavelength and having the certain energy.