An endoscope has an optical fiber and at least one photo-detector. The
optical fiber has a core that transmits illuminating light and at least
one cladding that surrounds the core and transmits reflected light. The
cladding has a refraction slope surface that is tapered toward a
direction opposite the tip portion of the optical fiber. The
photo-detector detects the reflected light that exits from the refraction
slope surface by refraction.