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Artificial intelligence (AI) aims to mimic human cognitive functions and execute intellectual activities like that performed by humans dealing with an uncertain environment. The rapid development of AI technology provides powerful tools to analyze massive amounts of data, facilitating physicians to make better clinical decisions or even replace human judgment in healthcare. Advanced AI technology also creates novel opportunities for exploring the scientific basis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and developing the standardization and digitization of TCM pulse diagnostic methodology. In the present study, we review and discuss the potential application of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. The major contents include the following aspects: (1) a brief introduction of the general concepts and knowledge of TCM pulse diagnosis or palpation, (2) landmark developments in AI technology and the applications of common AI deep learning algorithms in medical practice, (3) the current progress of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis, (4) challenges and perspectives of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. In conclusion, the pairing of TCM with modern AI technology will bring novel insights into understanding the scientific principles underlying TCM pulse diagnosis and creating opportunities for the development of AI deep learning technology for the standardization and digitalization of TCM pulse diagnosis.

Introduction The utilization of information and communications technology (ICT) devices is a new way to record and analyze health data of the elderly. This time-series study aimed to analyze health changes, and the correlation between pulse manifestation and health indicators, in the elderly. Methods We conducted continuous 93-day monitoring of health data and pulse records in 8 elderly participants. A time series method was used to analyze health changes in participants. The correlation between pulse manifestation and health indicators was analyzed using a structural equation model. Results During the use of ICT devices, the number of steps taken by the elderly showed a significant increase (p Conclusion Through the use of ICT devices, we can understand the health status of the elderly and make behavior predictions. Pulse manifestation data can indicate the health status of the elderly. Thus, ICT devices can be used as health management tools and assist doctors in making simple diagnoses.

Introduction Gender differences are important intrinsic factors in wrist arterial pulse assessment in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. The current study aimed to examine gender differences in wrist pulse waves at the Cun, Guan, and Chi positions of the wrist and to identify associations between physical indices and anatomical properties at all three positions. Methods One hundred thirty-nine middle-aged Korean men and women participated in this cross-sectional study. A blood analysis was performed, and blood pressure and medical history were recorded. Artery diameter and depth, blood flow velocity, and pulse wave were measured. Results The pulse power index (PPI), pulse depth index (PDI), and power spectrum density at the third harmonic frequency/first harmonic frequency (PSD_w3_w1) showed highly significant differences according to gender. Men exhibited larger PPI values than women at all three positions. The PDI and PSD_w3_w1 in men were higher at the Cun position than those in women, whereas the PDI at the Chi position was higher in women than in men. Gender differences in the spectral harmonic energy ratio were greater at the Guan and Chi positions than those at the Cun position. The subendocardial viability ratio differed significantly between genders. In women, the PDI was highly positively correlated with radial artery depth at all positions; however, in men, the PDI was only marginally correlated with artery depth at the Guan and Chi positions. Conclusion We suggest that gender differences should be considered in wrist artery pulse diagnosis, including those related to pulse diagnostic positions and anatomical properties.

The association of acupuncture points requires realization of synergistic combinations to be as effective as possible while avoiding possible aggravations. To this end, the meridian balance method is an effective tool. It is based on the 6 systems of Richard T.-F. Tan, MD, which derive from 6 principles of traditional knowledge: (1) Chinese meridian-name sharing; (2) branching meridians (Bie-Jing); (3) interior-exterior pairs (Biao-Li); (4) Chinese clock opposite; (5) Chinese clock neighbor; and (6) the same meridian. However, the results seem to unstable over time, and, therefore, synergies with "root" treatment based on Japanese meridian therapy could help stabilize the therapeutic effects of the meridian balance method. Japanese meridian therapy uses pulse diagnosis to identify 4 basic primary patterns: (1) Liver Deficiency, generally treated with a combination of acupuncture points LR8-KI10; (2) Kidney Deficiency, treated with LU 5-KI 7; (3) Spleen Deficiency, treated with PC 7-SP 3; and (4) Lung Deficiency, treated with SP 3-LU 9. After reviewing the main principles of Japanese acupuncture, a nondogmatic approach coupling Japanese meridian therapy with Dr. Tan's balance method is proposed in order to use the best of each of the 2 methods in an integrative approach.

All daily physiological activities have some effects on the body, and traditional Chinese medicine believes that pulse diagnosis can reflect the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body. This study aimed to explore the effects of five physiological activities, namely, sleep, exercise, ingestion, defecation, and shower, on pulse waves of the radial artery. Thirty test subjects were recruited for the study, and a wearable pulse signal measurement device was used for self-measurement of radial artery pulses before and after various physiological activities. All collected data were subjected to fast Fourier analysis, which transformed each wave from its time domain to frequency domain of 10 harmonics to describe the changes in pulse waves. The results were as follows: exercise and sleep had larger but opposite effects on the pulse waves; defecation and sleep relaxed the body and had the same trend of effect on the pulse waves. Both exercise and ingestion require energy to proceed, and both exert a burden on the body, and the pulse waves showed the same trend of changes. In contrast, shower had a little effect on the pulse waves. Preliminary observation in this study showed that relaxation of the body could increase high-level harmonics, whereas stress could increase low-level harmonics. Further studies are warranted to unravel the physiological significance of this finding.

Background The theory of pulse diagnosis is to assess the physiological condition of the human body using radial pulse. However, pulses can vary markedly from person to person. Further, pulse diagnosis is difficult to learn and requires one-on-one teaching. Methods To address this problem, we built a home-made pulse diagnoser and measured human pulses for studying the standardization of pulse diagnosis. Our pulse diagnoser was composed of a piezoelectric transducer, differential amplifier, data acquisition instrument, and a Matlab analysis program. The measured pulses were converted into electronic signals by a piezoelectric transducer and saved on a computer. The digitalized data were then refined and analyzed by fast Fourier transform for frequency analysis. Simulations were performed to assess the factors that affected the pulse, including phase shifts of reflected pulse waves (generate sub-peaks in pulses), inconsistent heart rates (deform pulse waves), the vessel stiffness (alter harmonic frequencies of the pulses), and the wave amplitudes (determined by the pulse strength). Results By comparing a published report and our simulation findings, we characterized the pulse types and the effects of various factors, and then applied the findings to study actual pulses in patients. Three types of pulses were determined from the frequency spectrum—choppy pulse (Se mai) without apparent harmonic peaks, the harmonic frequencies of wiry pulse (Xian mai) that are non-integer multiples of the fundamental frequency, and surging pulse (Hong mai) that exhibit strong amplitudes in the spectrum of frequency. A normal pulse and a slippery pulse were differentiated by a phase shift, but not by assessing the frequency spectrum. Conclusion These findings confirm that frequency domain analysis can avoid ambiguity arising in assessing the three types of pulses in the time domain. Further studies of other pulses in the frequency domain are required to develop a precise electronic pulse diagnoser.

Introduction Clinical holistic diagnosis (CHD) in Chinese medicine (CM) has tried to evaluate most of the whole body functions non-invasively but subjectively via pulse diagnosis (PD). There was no useful tool to validate this model quantitatively until visible pulse feeling by three-dimensional pulse mapping (3DPM) was proposed. Methods An ingestion test was designed to explore the relation between digestive activity and the corresponding spatial locations of pulses in CHD. 3DPMs were recorded 5 min before ingestion and 30, 60, and 90 min after a light meal. The signals were acquired at three palpation positions with five incremental pulse-taking pressures for both hands of 19 subjects. An index, α, calculated from 3DPMs was used to check the variation of pulse patterns in response to the ingestion stimulation. The paired t -test was used to evaluate the significance between the α before and after ingestion for the experimental group in comparison to the control group. Results Pulses with significant differences after ingestion occurred at the middle depth of the right Guan (at the radial artery) at 30 and 60 min, at the middle depth of the left Guan at 60 and 90 min, and at the middle to deep depths of the right Guan at 90 min. Conclusion These three position-depths which demonstrated significant differences mapped to the stomach/intestines, liver/gallbladder, and pancreas, respectively in CHD. This is consistent with the process of digestive activity in physiology. This preliminary study partially testified the relationship between organs and palpation positions in CHD by 3DPM.

Introduction Pulse diagnosis (PD) in Chinese medicine (CM) is a well-established clinical tool used to aid holistic diagnosis. However, most of the recent efforts focusing on single-point pulse waves (SPPWs) have been unable to successfully measure and translate how practitioners feel and interpret the pulse. Methods A prerequisite to validating the holistic model used in CM requires pulse-taking standards and a method to quantify the pulse feeling during PD. Regarding the former, the flatness of the wrist radial artery and the pulse-taking depth as defined by width of the radial artery were proposed. Regarding the latter, three-dimensional pulse mapping (3DPM) was obtained using an array sensor to visibly and quantitatively measure the palpation of the pulse. Cold stimulation was used to incite local vascular stiffness and the increase of the systematic blood pressure, to create the string-like pulse feeling, in contrast to the normal gentle pulse feeling. Results Three types of 3DPM were found, namely gentle, string-like, and slippery pulse mappings. All SPPWs had similar one-dimensional shapes whereas the corresponding 3DPMs had quite different three-dimensional shapes. For gentle pulse mapping (indicating health), an initial peak appeared and reached the top at the upstroke peak of SPPWs. As the local artery became stiffer by applying cold stimulation, the peak was replaced by a string-like shape. Additionally, a slippery 3DPM was recorded, with two peaks appearing sequentially like a bead flowing through the artery under a fingertip. Conclusion 3DPM provides quantitatively and non-invasively accesses information to inform holistic health assessment compared to SPPWs. CM can be improved and further developed quantifying pulse palpation and verify its use in assessing a CM clinical holistic diagnosis.

Objective To explore the effects of joy and sorrow on pulse-graph parameters in healthy subjects and analyze their potential effect to provide preliminary evidence that pulse diagnosis can identify human emotional changes. Design and intervention Forty healthy female college students from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine were recruited. The emotion-evoking experiment was conducted to observe the effects of joy and sorrow on pulse-graph parameters, taking neutral emotion as a control. The experiment included the following criteria. (1) Emotions evoked and evaluated: the same subjects watched three emotional videos which were, respectively, neutral, joyful and sorrowful to evoke the corresponding emotions. They completed the “subjective emotion evaluation form” (SEEF) before watching each video (T0), immediately after watching the video (T1) and 15 min after watching the video (T2) to conduct subjective emotion evaluation. Simultaneously, their heart rate, galvanic skin response and heart rate variability were collected with a 16-lead physiological recorder to conduct an objective evaluation of emotional arousal. (2) Collection of pulse-graph parameters: pulse-graph parameters of the subjects at T0, T1 and T2 were collected with a pulse condition analyzer. Results When watching the joy video, the rapid ejection phase extended significantly, both the left ventricular diastole and the cardiac cycle shortened significantly. When watching the sorrow video, the left ventricular diastole extended significantly, the cardiac cycle showed an upward trend, and heart rate showed a downward trend. Conclusion Joy and sorrow have a certain effect on pulse-graph parameters of the subjects. The mechanisms may be that joy contributes to rapid ejection phase extension and a shortening of the left ventricular diastole and the cardiac cycle, while sorrow extends the left ventricular diastole. According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the visceral functions can be mediated through human qi flow. Moderate joy and sorrow can promote, respectively, the smooth qi flow of the heart and the lung. However, excessive or long-term joy and sorrow can lead to disharmonious qi flow of the two viscera. Therefore, maintaining moderate emotions is beneficial to the physiological functions of the viscera. Great emotional fluctuations may damage the visceral functions. Future studies with effects of other emotions on pulse-graph parameters are warranted to determine the reliability of the association of emotions and pulse diagnosis.

Not all patients with angina pectoris have coronary artery stenosis. To facilitate the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), we sought to identify predictive factors of pulse spectrum analysis, which was developed by Wang and is one technique of modern pulse diagnosis. The patients suffered from chest pain and received cardiac catheterization to confirm the CAD diagnosis and Gensini score were recruited. Their pulse waves of radial artery were recorded. Then, by performing a fast Fourier transform, 10 amplitude values of frequency spectrum harmonics were obtained. Each harmonic amplitude was divided by the sum of all harmonic amplitude values, obtaining the relative percentages of 10 harmonics (C1-C10). Subsequently, multivariate logistic regression was conducted with two models and the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) of these 2 models were compared to see if combining the pulse diagnosis parameters with the risk factor of CAD can increase the prediction rate of CAD diagnosis. The predictive factors of CAD severity were analyzed by multivariate linear regression. A total of 83 participants were included; 63 were diagnosed CAD and 20 without CAD. In the CAD group, C1 was greater and C5 was lower than those of the non-CAD group. The CAD risk factors were put alone in Model 1 to perform the multivariate logistic regression analysis which had a prediction rate of 77.1%; while putting the C1 and C5 harmonics together with the risk factors into Model 2, the prediction rate increased to 80.7%. Finally, the area under ROC of Model 1 and Model 2 was 0.788 and 0.856, respectively. Furthermore, left C1, left C5, gender, and presence of hyperlipidemia were predictors of CAD severity. Therefore, pulse spectrum analysis may be a tool to facilitate CAD diagnosis before receiving cardiac catheterization. The harmonics C1 and C5 were favorable predictive indicators.

Information on anatomy of the Cun position at wrist is lacking; whether the blood vessel taking pulse in Cun is the radial artery or the superficial palmar branch is also clinically controversial. The objective was to investigate the boundaries and contents, and the vascular distribution and their pulse points in Cun. Thirty-two upper extremities of 16 human cadavers were investigated for dissection and observation. The boundaries, contents, and blood vessel distribution in Cun were observed; the location of pulse points in Cun was identified; the length of the superficial palmar branch in wrist pulse (L1), the pulp width of the index finger (L2), and the angle between the radial artery and the superficial palmar branch were measured. The results showed that the Cun was located in the region formed by the bulge of the prominent bone proximal to the palm, the radial flexor tendon, the tubercle of scaphoid, and the abductor longus muscle tendon. In this area, the radial artery could be pulsed part in the medial side of the abductor longus muscle tendon, while the superficial palmar branch lied near the surface and was easy to pulse in the lateral side of the radial flexor tendon and the medial side of the tubercle of scaphoid. The ratio of L1 to L2 was 1.2±0.8, and the angle was 23.3±9.9°. The results suggested that it could not be generalized that the blood vessel taking pulse in Cun was the radial artery or the superficial palmar branch; it might depend on the vascular distribution in Cun, the region of finger positioning, and the patient’s pulse condition.

To develop an effective Chinese Medicine (CM) diagnostic model of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to confifirm the scientifific validity of CM theoretical basis from an algorithmic viewpoint. Four types of objective diagnostic data were collected from 835 CHD patients by using a self-developed CM inquiry scale for the diagnosis of heart problems, a tongue diagnosis instrument, a ZBOX-I pulse digital collection instrument, and the sound of an attending acquisition system. These diagnostic data was analyzed and a CM diagnostic model was established using a multi-label learning algorithm (REAL). REAL was employed to establish a Xin (Heart) qi defificiency, Xin yang defificiency, Xin yin defificiency, blood stasis, and phlegm fifive-card CM diagnostic model, which had recognition rates of 80.32%, 89.77%, 84.93%, 85.37%, and 69.90%, respectively. The multi-label learning method established using four diagnostic models based on mutual information feature selection yielded good recognition results. The characteristic model parameters were selected by maximizing the mutual information for each card type. The four diagnostic methods used to obtain information in CM, i.e., observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse diagnosis, can be characterized by these parameters, which is consistent with CM theory.

Hypertension affects functional capacity and quality of life. Pulse wave analysis (PWA) quantifies the pulse waveform's propagation and its changes resulting from arterial remodeling. Pulse image analysis (PIA) in traditional Chinese medicine contributes to pattern differentiation and therapeutic intervention. This protocol study evaluates the relationships between the parameters of both PWA and PIA to identify patterns in patients with hypertension and the associations of those patterns with functional capacity. In this observational, cross-sectional study protocol 40 patients were subjected to clinical and laboratorial examinations to assess the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and pattern differentiation. PWA was noninvasively performed at the radial artery to estimate the pulse wave's velocity, arterial compliance, and reflection index. PIA using the "simultaneous pressing" method was performed to assess nine indicators. Handgrip strength and physical activity was assessed as functional outcomes. We hypothesized that interactions between patterns and pulse images affect the PWA parameters and that the functional outcomes are weakly associated with personal, hemodynamic and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Performing a PIA in patients with hypertension might allow the identification of early target-organ damage, standardization of the PIA based on the PWA, and unification of the pulse diagnosis.

Acupuncture after pulse diagnosis has good efficacy in treatment of cancer, pain, etc., and has advantages when compared with conventional acupuncture according to analysis of the its origin, clinical application, mechanism research, etc.. However, this therapy has not been applied widely clinically due to the lack of large-scale clinical randomized controlled trials, large sample and long-term efficacy observation, and in-depth mechanism research. In the future, large sample and long-term efficacy study should be conducted in order to determine the efficacy of acupuncture after pulse diagnosis, further illuminate its mechanism, and promote its clinical application.

Introduction In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), manual palpation of the radial pressure pulse (RPP) has remained a traditional method of clinical diagnoses for centuries. Arterial mechanics have been studied by various researchers. Time-domain and frequency-domain analyses of the RPP has typically provided a quantitative and non-biased assessment that gives complex physiological and pathological information. To date, no preceding research has clarified the relationship of the radial pulse and the large intestine in TCM theory. In this pre-post intervention study, we compared the RPP parameters of patients with colorectal cancer before and after colectomy. Methods Thirty patients aged between 18 and 80 years old from the Department of Colorectal Surgery in Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Taiwan were enrolled into this study based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria before the colectomy. The assessment of RPP was performed before the colectomy and within 24 h after the colectomy. The mean value of the spectral energy (SE0―10 Hz, SE10―50 Hz, and SE13―50 Hz) and the radial augmentation index (AI) were obtained. Results We observed that the SE10―50 Hz and SE13―50 Hz of the right Chy was significantly increased after the colectomy while the SE13―50 Hz of the right Chun was significantly decreased after the colectomy procedures. The radial AI of the right Chy was significantly reduced after the colectomy compared to the remaining pulse positions. Conclusions To our best knowledge, this preliminary study is the first attempt to investigate the influence of colectomy on the radial pulse parameters in patients with colorectal cancer. The major findings from this study include a significant reduction of the radial AI at the right Chy pulse, and a significant difference in the SE at the right Chy and Chun pulses after colectomy. It is also the first study using modern scientific tools to validate the TCM theory that the right Chy pulse corresponds to the changes in the large intestine through surgical removal of the visceral organs.

Pulse diagnosis is one of the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine. However it suffers from the lack of objective and efficient detection method. We propose a noncontact optical method to detect human wrist pulse, aiming at the precise determination of the temporal and spatial distributions of pulse. The method uses the spatial-carrier digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) to measure the micro/nanoscale skin displacement dynamically. Significant improvements in DSPI measurement have been made to allow the DSPI to detect the comprehensive information of the arterial pulsation at locations of Cun, Guan, and Chi. The experimental results prove that the spatiotemporal distributions of pulse can be obtained by the proposed method. The obtained data can be further used to describe most of the pulse parameters such as rate, rhythm, depth, length, width, and contour.

Background and Objective. The same range of blood pressure values may reflect different vascular functions, especially in the elderly. Therefore, a single blood pressure value may not comprehensively reveal cardiovascular function. This study focused on identifying pulse wave features in the elderly that can be used to show functional differences when blood pressure values are in the same range. Methods. First, pulse data were preprocessed and pulse cycles were segmented. Second, time domain, higher-order statistics, and energy features of wavelet packet decomposition coefficients were extracted. Finally, useful pulse wave features were evaluated using a feature selection and classifier design. Results. A total of 6,075 pulse wave cycles were grouped into 3 types according to different blood pressure levels and each group was divided into 2 categories according to a history of hypertension. The classification accuracy of feature selection in the 3 groups was 97.91%, 95.24%, and 92.28%, respectively. Conclusion. Selected features could be appropriately used to analyze cardiovascular function in the elderly and can serve as the basis for research on a cardiovascular risk assessment model based on Traditional Chinese Medicine pulse diagnosis.

Introduction Pulse palpation is an important diagnostic tool in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and related Oriental medicine systems. However, mastering pulse diagnosis requires long-term experience and remains subjective up to a certain degree even in an advanced stage of practice. Accordingly, considerable research efforts have been spent to objectively measure the radial pulse and in further consequence automate Oriental pulse diagnosis by means of technological aids. This article gives the first comprehensive review about the current state of the art of this field covering topics such as developed pulse acquisition systems, suggested data preprocessing and feature extraction methods, and proposed classification approaches. Furthermore, persisting problems are pointed out and recommendations for future research directions are given. Methods A literature search was conducted using scientific databases such as PubMed and ScienceDirect. ResearchGate, Academia, and GoogleScholar were used as additional literature sources. Key search terms were Chinese pulse diagnosis, Oriental pulse diagnosis, wrist pulse, standardization, objectification, automation, technological aids, sensors, data processing, classification, devices, acquisition systems and combinations and synonyms of these terms. Additionally, the reference lists of found articles were scanned to identify further relevant literature. Results A total of 111 references were included into the review. Four main research themes emerged from the literature: (1) pulse waveform acquisition, (2) pulse waveform preprocessing, (3) pulse waveform feature extraction, (4) classifiers and classification objectives. Conclusion Automating TCM pulse diagnosis by means of technological aids is a very active research field. Nevertheless, much remains to be done in terms of both technological developments and standardization of procedures.

Pulse evaluation has traditionally been the most esteemed diagnostic method in Oriental Medicine, but there has never been a successful integration of Indian methodology with the more commonly taught Chinese approaches. The author has developed a concordance between these practices, which is presented here. Tridosha theory can be translated into Yin Yang, Wu Xing, and Meridian terminology by applying the Three Constitutions theory of Korean Hand Acupuncture. The integration of Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis into the broader field of Oriental medical diagnosis allows for a more exact understanding of the energetic states of the Organ systems and thereby a more accurate approach when using acupuncture to provide harmonizing treatments.

In this research, radial pulse differences according to gender and measuring positions in healthy individuals were investigated in an objective manner. A total of 372 healthy volunteers (189 males and 183 females) participated in this study. The radial pulse was measured at six different measuring positions using a multistep tonometry system. The pulse data were compared between males and females and between different measuring positions. Compared to the pulses in females, those in males were deeper and slower, with a longer diastolic proportion and a shorter systolic proportion. Amplitude of the radial pulse increased as it went distal. The pulse was deepest at the Cheock position and shallowest at the Gwan position. Compared to the right pulse, the radial augmentation index was higher and the main peak angle was larger in case of the left pulse. The results of this research show that the radial pulses in healthy individuals differ significantly according to gender and measuring positions.

Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2017, 2867191 (2017). doi:10.1155/2017/2867191 special issue: "Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine", Published by Hindawi, New York, NY

This research was undertaken to develop a cardiovascular simulator for use in the study of pulse diagnosis. The physical (i.e., pulse wave transmission and reflection) and physiological (i.e., systolic and diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, and mean pressure) characteristics of the radial pulse wave were reproduced by our simulator. The simulator consisted of an arterial component and a pulse-generating component. Computer simulation was used to simplify the arterial component while maintaining the elastic modulus and artery size. To improve the reflected wave characteristics, a palmar arch was incorporated within the simulator. The simulated radial pulse showed good agreement with clinical data.

Introduction In pulse diagnosis, three positions ( Cun , Guan , Chi ) and three levels or depths ( Fu , Zhong , Chen ), called the Three Positions and Nine Indicators (TPNI) are generally used as a finger-reading method, to obtain a holistic view of the patient. However, single pulse signals at nine TPNI locations (three depths at three positions) look quite similar in a waveform. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between pulse-taking depths (Fu, Zhong, and Chen) and pulse-taking positions (Cun, Guan, and Chi). Method To explore the significance of array pulses at the nine TPNI locations, a Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI) with array sensors was used to measure wrist artery pulse signals. It was proposed that a three-dimensional pulse mapping (3DPM) could present array pulses mimicking the fingertips’ sensations of a physician. Four parameters, namely peak value ( P _ V max ), power ( P _ P ), ascending slope ( P _AS), and descending slope ( P _DS) were elucidated from 3DPM using a two-way analysis of variance. Eight volunteers with TPNI health rule of thumb from the R.O.C. Air Force Academy participated in this research. Results The variance of four parameters at nine TPNI locations all reached the level of significance ( p Conclusions The differences in wrist artery signals exist between TPNI locations. TPNI pulse diagnosis could be used to check the holistic health of a patient as determined by TCM.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of short-term bed rest on the radial pulse in healthy subjects. Twenty-one healthy volunteers participated in this study. Their radial pulse was measured at different measuring positions using a multi-step tonometry system. The participants took 30 minutes of bed rest and their radial pulse was measured before and after the bed rest. The effects of bed rest on the radial pulse were analyzed. The pulse area, the amplitudes of h4 and h5, the pulse period, and the diastolic pulse proportion increased with short-term bed rest, whereas the proportions of systolic and hightension pulse and the fundamental frequency of the pulse wave decreased with short-term bed rest. All the changes were in the same direction in both male and female participants at all measuring positions; however, some parameters changed more in women than in men, and some changed more at the distal position than at the proximal position. In shortly, Short-term bed rest induces significant changes in the radial pulse of healthy subjects. The results of this study could be used as a control reference for clinical acupuncture studies with participants lying on a bed for acupuncture treatment.

Toyohari Meridian Therapy (TMT) is a Japanese system of acupuncture that utilizes radial pulse diagnosis to diagnose and guide acupuncture treatment, including ascertaining when the treatment has concluded. The "root" treatment involves manipulation of the body's Qi without penetration of the needle. There has been little research into the physiologic correlates of the changes detected through pulse diagnosis by Traditional East Asian Medicine practitioners practicing TMT.The study objective was to investigate whether there were any concurrent changes in physiologic cardiovascular variables, specifically the Central (Buckberg) Sub Endocardial Viability Ratio (SEVR) or Heart Rate (HR) adjusted Augmentation Index (AI), with changes in the radial pulses produced by a TMT "root treatment."A parallel, single-blind, randomized controlled design was utilized. Sixty-two (62) healthy volunteers were randomized to receive either a TMT root treatment or a sham-treatment. Two (2) TMT practitioners participated, with the same practitioner conducting the needling in each case. The SEVR and HR-adjusted AI were measured by a third researcher.Within-groups analysis (paired Student t-test) and between-groups analysis (analysis of covariance) were used; a p-value of 0.05 was designated as statistically significant.SEVR improved significantly within the treatment group but not in the control group.Results indicate that changes detected in the pulse by the TMT practitioners were associated with a measurable improvement in the SEVR. The findings of this study offer the possibility for further investigation into radial pulse diagnosis practices in an effort to find a physiologic understanding or basis of TMT practice and the system of pulse diagnosis it uses.

Contemporary Chinese pulse diagnosis™ (CCPD) is a system of pulse diagnosis utilized by Dr. John He Feng Shen, OMD, and documented by Dr. Leon Hammer, MD, in the book Chinese Pulse Diagnosis, A Contemporary Approach. It is the traditional method of the Ding medical lineage from the Shanghai region and dates to the 15th century in Chinese language texts. The fundamentals of this system are, however, much older and can be directly traced to the Neijing Suwen. Having been passed from the last direct inheritor of Ding knowledge (Dr. Shen) to modern practitioners of Chinese medicine by way of Dr. Hammer and his students, it represents an important system of advanced diagnosis. Although modern diagnostic technology provides very sophisticated diagnoses, for these instruments to be effective, the disease process must already have a physical manifestation. CCPD, on the other hand, provides the earliest warnings of physiological processes, which if left unchecked may result in the subsequent appearance of a disease. This article describes the derivation and the principles of this system of pulse diagnosis and explores its successful integration into the modern practice of Chinese medicine.

In traditional Korean medicine (TKM), pattern identification (PI) diagnosis is important for treating diseases. The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the relationship between the PI type and tongue diagnosis or pulse diagnosis variables. The study included 1,879 stroke patients who were admitted to 12 oriental medical university hospitals from June 2006 through March 2009. The status of the pulse and tongue was examined in each patient. Additionally, to investigate relatively important indicators related to specialist PI, the quantification theory type II analysis was performed regarding the PI type. In the first axis quantification of the external criteria, the Qi-deficiency and the Yin-deficiency patterns were located in the negative direction, while the dampness-phlegm (DP) and fire-heat patterns were located in the positive direction. The explanatory variable with the greatest impact on the assessment was a fine pulse. In the second axis quantification, the external criteria were divided into either the DP or non-DP patterns. The slippery pulse exhibited the greatest effect on the division. This study attempted to build a model using a statistical method to objectively quantify PI and various indicators that constitute the unique diagnosis system of TKM. These results should assist the development of future diagnostic standards in stroke PI.

Little evidence shows the reliability of Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis. Regularly used in modern practice, it is believed to gather important diagnostic information. However, in the current evidence-based healthcare system, basing clinical decisions on unproven methods is problematic and obviously questions the relevancy of the procedure. Therefore, the literature on reliability of practitioners implementing the method was reviewed.Major medical databases and reference lists of identified articles were searched. All studies published in English that investigated manual pulse diagnosis applied to the radial artery by human testers were considered.Twelve eligible studies were included; three evaluated intra- and inter-rater pulse diagnosis reliability, and nine assessed inter-rater reliability. Acceptable levels of intra- and inter-rater reliability were achieved with operationally defined methods. Poor reliability was related to unclear definitions and terminology existing within the classical definitions, and with standardized systems to persisting imprecise descriptions that can be interpreted differently. Reliability of pulse qualities was influenced by sensation complexity and the amount of sensory input provided to the testers' fingers by the impulse. Consistent study limitations included small sample sizes; the possibility that testers' prior knowledge confounded the data; and, most notably, the fact that many studies did not consider intra-rater reliability. Assessing the effectiveness of interventions in clinical practice is guided by comparisons of markers to baseline. The absence of intra-rater results may therefore raise methodologic concerns for these types of studies.Strategies for future studies include using pulse methods with concrete operational definitions; investigating intra- and inter-rater reliability for extrapolation to clinical practice; similar training and experience in the method to control for tester variance; maintaining independence of the data by ensuring testers have no prior knowledge of the participants' pulses; and for more rigorous testing, consideration of the number of pulse variables, participants, and testers.

Objectives Our study aimed to correlate pulse wave parameters such as augmentation index (AI) and heart rate variability with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution for evaluating health status. Design Out of 177 subjects, 69 healthy subjects were enrolled in the present study, and others were excluded because of cardiovascular, liver, kidney, or other diseases. Each subject was invited to complete pulse wave examination and the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire. Independent Student's t -tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the correlation between pulse wave parameters and TCM constitution. Results Qi-deficient individuals had higher AI (p=0.006) and lower diastolic blood pressure (p=0.011); yang-deficient individuals had lower dP/dt max (p=0.030), systolic blood pressure (p=0.020), and pulse pressure (p=0.048); and damp-heat individuals had higher subendocardial viability index (SEVI) scores (p=0.011). We then categorized the phlegm dampness and yang-deficiency individuals into the cold group and those with damp-heat and yin-deficiency into the heat group. A comparison of the two constitution groups showed higher AI in the cold group (p=0.026). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that only AI was a determinant, as evidenced by the finding that an increase of one unit in AI corresponded to an increase of 5% in the odds ratio for individuals to have a cold constitution (p=0.026). Conclusions Individuals with qi-deficient and cold constitutions had higher AI and lower SEVI, potentially reflecting an increase in arterial stiffness. This study can provide a basis for further investigation of the physiological indicators of TCM constitutions in modern medicine.

Background Ayurveda has its historical roots in India, but has also been internationalised, partly via migration and partly through an increased interest in alternative medicine in the West, where studies point toward increased use. However, there is to date scarce knowledge about the use and experiences of ayurveda in Sweden. Methods We have conducted a case study of a center for ayurvedic healthcare in Sweden. We have collected information on client background data from the center’s documentation, and compiled data from all clients who visited the centre for ayurvedic consultation during spring 2014. In total, 55 individuals were included in the study, and 18 of them were chosen for individual semi-structured interviews, to gain a deeper understanding of their motives for seeking, and experiences of ayurvedic health care. The material was analysed and compiled through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. Results Among the 55 clients, 91 % were female the mean age was 47 years, and 64 % gave a specific illness as a reason for seeking ayurveda. The most common illnesses were respiratory, musculoskeletal, circulatory, tumor, and cutaneous illnesses. The qualitative results showed that ayurveda was being used in combination with other methods, including various diets, other alternative medicine methods and conventional medicine. Some participants recounted having sought ayurveda as a complement to conventional medicine, or in cases when conventional medicine had been experienced as insufficient in terms of diagnosis or treatment. However, some participants experienced it as difficult to follow the ayurvedic life-style advice in the midst of their everyday life. Many participants reported positive experiences of pulse diagnostics, which was the main diagnostic method used in ayurvedic consultation. Some reported concrete, physical improvement of their symptoms. Conclusions This study points towards important aspects of participant experience of ayurveda, that may be subject to further research. The positive effects experienced by some clients should be studied more systematically in order to discern whether they are specific or non-specific. In addition, interesting knowledge may be gained through further study of the reported positive experiences of pulse diagnosis.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on the radial artery’s pressure pulse wave, along with various hemodynamic parameters, and to explore the possible underlying mechanism of pulse diagnosis in healthy participants in their twenties. Methods and analysis: This study is a prospective, single-arm, exploratory clinical study. A total of 25 healthy participants, without regard to gender, in their twenties will be recruited by physicians. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The participants will receive acupuncture once at ST36 on both sides. The radial arterial pulse waves will be measured on the left arm of the subjects by using an applicable pulse tonometric device (KIOM-PAS). On the right arm (appearing twice), electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), respiration and cardiac output (CO) signals, will be measured using a physiological data acquisition system (Biopac module), while the velocity of blood flow, and the diameter and the depth of the blood vessel will be measured using an ultrasonogram machine on the right arm (appearing twice). All measurements will be conducted before, during, and after acupuncture. The primary outcome will be the spectral energy at high frequencies above 10 Hz (SE10-30Hz) calculated from the KIOM-PAS device signal. Secondary outcomes will be various variables obtained from the KIOM-PAS device, ECG, PPG, impedance cardiography modules, and an ultrasonogram machine. Discussion: The results of this trial will provide information regarding the physiological and the hemodynamic mechanisms underlying acupuncture stimulation and clinical evidence for the influence of acupuncture on the pressure pulse wave in the radial artery. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Kyung Hee University’s Oriental Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (KOMCIRB-150818-HR-030). The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. Trial registration number: This trial was registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) at the Korea National Institute of Health (NIH), Republic of Korea (KCT0001663), which is a registry in the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Registry Network.

A stringlike pulse is highly related to hypertension, and many classification approaches have been proposed in which the differentiation pulse wave (dPW) can effectively classify the stringlike pulse indicating hypertension. Unfortunately, the dPW method cannot distinguish the spring stringlike pulse from the stringlike pulse so labeled by physicians in clinics.By using a Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI), this study proposed a novel Plain Pulse Wave (PPW) to classify a stringlike pulse based on an array of pulse signals, mimicking a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician's finger-reading skill.In comparison to PPWs at different pulse taking positions, phase delay Δθand correlation coefficient r can be elucidated as the quantification parameters of stringlike pulse. As a result, the recognition rates of a hypertensive stringlike pulse, spring stringlike pulse, and non-stringlike pulse are 100%, 100%, 77% for PPW and 70%, 0%, 59% for dPW, respectively.Integrating dPW and PPW can unify the classification of stringlike pulse including hypertensive stringlike pulse and spring stringlike pulse. Hence, the proposed novel method, PPW, enhances quantification of stringlike pulse.

Aim of this study Through the use of a Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI) to quantify the finger-reading skills and sensations of TCM physicians, this study was intended to determine whether a subject defined as healthy by Western medicine could be confirmed by the Three Positions and Nine Indicators Health Rule of Thumb (TPNI-HRT) regarding QI circulation. Materials and methods According to the definitions of TCM, Zangfu possesses the spreading, escalating, descending, and reservation properties characteristic of whole-body QI circulation. These properties create the TPNI-HRT, which describes the sequential appearance of a pulse at the distal-middle-proximal ( CUN-GUAN-CHI ) positions in the wrist artery as the fingertip displacement moves from superficial ( Fu ) to deep ( Chen ). Results A total of 50 male undergraduates (age 19.3 ± 1.1 years) in the Taiwan Air Force Academy in excellent health demonstrated normal pulses according to cardiovascular kinetics. The BSPDI was used to mimic the TCM physicians’ finger-reading skills, and the TPNI-HRT agreement ratio between the finger-reading sensations of TCM physicians and the BSPDI measurements was 94% (34:36 pulse appearances). Conclusions Through the use of BSPDI to evaluate the holistic QI circulation, only 4% of the 50 patients in this study demonstrated both excellent health according to Western medicine standards and completely met the conditions of the TPNI-HRT. This result suggests that there should be consideration as to whether the TPNI-HRT should be included in standard health examinations as well as whether TCM researchers should adopt quantitative TCM methodologies rather than utilizing the quantitative tools of Western medicine.

Aim of this study This paper reports the construction and functionality of a newly designed Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI) with a Pressure-Displacement Bi-Sensing System (PDBSS) coupled to a robot finger system. The BSPDI is used to simulate the three positions and nine indicators (TPNI) using the finger-reading rule, which addresses the three levels of superficial ( Fu ), medium ( Zhong ), and deep ( Chen ) at the three positions of distal ( CUN ), middle ( GUAN ) and proximal ( CHI ) on the wrist during pulse diagnosis. Materials and methods A strain gauge and polyvinylidene fluoride pressure sensor were integrated as a PDBSS to separately record finger-reading skills and sense a physician's fingertip sensations. The corresponding sensation and pulse-taking displacement between the physician's fingertips and the BSPDI and the relationship between the pulse diagnosis and the nine TPNI displacements were used to determine the feasibility of the BSPDI. Results TPNI displacements, representing a physician's finger-reading skill, were recorded using a PDBSS. In this scenario, the BSPDI robot fingertips with pressure sensors were placed at the nine recorded TPNI displacements. The pressure sensors recorded pulse signals to simulate a physician's fingertip sensations. Two groups of participants with different health statuses were evaluated by both the BSPDI and TCM physicians. Both groups received similar diagnoses, and the results of a two-way ANOVA indicated that pulse diagnoses were highly related to the clinical experiences of the pulse-taking displacements and positions. Conclusions The novel BSPDI can be used to successfully mimic a TCM physician's finger-reading skill, as this technique obtained pulse signals at the nine TPNI displacements representing fingertip sensations.

This study is to investigate the influences of acupuncture for dyspepsia on the Radial Pressure Pulse (RPP) between the Chun, Guan and Chy positions of the right/left wrist. Two series of experiments were designed; for the first series, 30 patients with dyspepsia (Group P) and 30 normal subjects (Group N) were seated to undergo the measurements of pulse pressure waveforms from radial artery by sphygmograph. The parameters of RPP included the spectral energy of 0–10 Hz (SE0–10Hz), 10–50 Hz (SE10–50Hz) and 13–50 Hz (SE13–50Hz). For the second series, acupuncture was administered at the right and left Tsu San Li (St-36) points for the same 30 dyspepsia patients, and then their pulse pressure waveforms were re-examined. The results showed that the SE0–10Hz at Right Guan (RB) (p < 0.05), the SE10–50Hz at RB (p < 0.01), and the SE13–50Hz at RB (p < 0.01) and Left Guan (LB) (p < 0.05) of Group P were significantly greater than that of Group N. After the acupuncture, there were significant decreases in the SE0–10Hz only at RB (p < 0.01), in the SE10–50Hz at RB (p < 0.01), Right Chy (RC) (p < 0.05) and LB (p < 0.05), and in the SE13–50Hz RB (p < 0.01), RC (p < 0.05) and LB (p < 0.01). We concluded that the pulse-frequency spectrum at RB was a more effective characteristic for dyspepsia patients, and the acupuncture had an effect on SE10–50Hz and SE13–50Hz more obviously than that on SE0–10Hz.

Young individuals typically have a dry-heat (燥熱 zao re) constitution and feel overly stimulated. This study observes specialties on the right-bar (右關 you guān) section of the radial-arterial pulse of healthy young subjects, and investigates pulse variations induced by different attribute foods. Chinese medical doctors grouped thirty subjects into heat and non-heat constitutions. Each subject took water, aged ginger tea, and coconut water, well recognized as neutral, hot, and cold drinks, on different visits. The current study observed physiological signals induced by the samples using novel noninvasive sphygmography and a blood pressure monitor. As the baseline bigger percussion wave, dicrotic wave, and area in the sphygmogram of the non-heat constitution subjects, this work suggests that blood vessels of these subjects may be more relaxed than that of the heat constitution ones. Stroke volume increased and pulse pressure decreased in the non-heat constitution subjects after taking aged ginger tea, which may elevate arterial compliance corresponding to maintaining an estimated radial-arterial diameter in our study. However, the percussion wave widened and the valley increased in the heat constitution subjects after taking aged ginger tea. This corresponds to the markedly reduced radial-arterial diameter, indicating tighter blood vessels than the baseline status. Accordingly, this study confirms that selecting foods with attributes opposite to personal constitutions is important for reestablishing a healthy cold-heat balance within the human body. Moreover, novel noninvasive sphygmography may be a useful instrument to classify scientifically the heat personal constitution and the responses to different attribute foods.

The aim of this study is to evaluate appraiser's consistency and accuracy about pulse diagnosis (PD) in discrimination of eight-constitutions using Gage R&R study. Cumulative numbers of PD for discrimination of eight constitutions of three appraisers' experience were 75,000 cases, 50,000 cases, 1,100 cases, respectively. Three Appraisers diagnosed subject's eight-constitutions by PD with blinded method. Gage R&R study was used to verify the results. In the measurements of consistency, appraiser B (agreement = 80%, Value of k = 0.8276) was very good, appraiser A (agreement = 70%, Value of k = 0.7465) was good, and appraiser C (agreement = 50%, Value of k = 0.5365) was moderate. In the measurements of accuracy, appraiser B (agreement = 70%, Value of k = 0.6812) was good, appraiser A (agreement = 60%, Value of k = 0.6414) was good, and appraiser C (agreement = 0%, Value of k = -0.1000) was poor. The results suggest that accuracy of discrimination of constitutions relatively depend on experience and number of cases of PD. Further large controlled study is needed to evaluate the accuracy of PD.

This paper reviews recent achievements in quantitative analyses of modern research on Traditional Chinese Pulse Diagnosis (TCPD). In order to demystify TCPD and prove its efficiency, some fundamental knowledge such as concepts, diagnosis methods, and standard pulse patterns are discussed. We review the modern research on TCPD mainly from 4 aspects: objectification of TCPD, analyses of pulse waveform, research into the mechanism of pulse formation, clinic observations, and comparisons on pulse images. For each of these aspects, general background information and a brief explanation on them are given. It is especially important to distinguish the pulse images based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the sphygmogram based on Western medicine. Our pulse acquisition system is presented as an example. Furthermore, typical pulse waveforms in our pulse database and their results processed by modern signal processing methods such as cepstrum, short-time Fourier transforms (STFT), and wavelet transf...

Throughout history, diagnostic tools utilizing the human senses, such as pulse diagnosis, have developed all over the world. In many areas where medical technology is limited or absent, they persist, whereas in other areas these skills are in danger of extinction. The practice of pulse diagnosis by the accomplished Maya healer, Don Elijio Panti, who lived in Belize, Central America, was observed over the final decade of his life and work. Don Elijio used pulse palpation as a diagnostic tool, therapeutic tool, and as a means for tracking patients' progress. He could diagnose a wide array of both physical and spiritual afflictions and was observed diagnosing 42 different conditions or states throughout this period by feeling the pulse. He recognized at least 28 distinct pulse types. Herein, the authors report the detailed system of an endangered diagnostic tradition as practiced by the late, acclaimed Maya healer, including pulse-type descriptions and corresponding diagnoses. Pulse diagnosis is still practiced today among some of Belize's diminishing population of traditional healers, although no practice appears to be as developed as that of the previous generation of Maya healers. Furthermore, it is unlikely that there are new practitioners of pulse diagnosis in the Maya community to maintain and build on the disappearing tradition. Given the unfortunate paucity of data on Maya pulse diagnosis, the practice of pulse diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used as an illustrative framework for documenting Don Elijio's practice. Corresponding diagnoses from TCM and Don Elijio's system are compared, elucidating similarities between the two disparate medical systems.

This study was to provide a standardized definition of the positioning method of finger placement on the radial artery for pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); that is, to define the locations of Cun, Guan and Chi in TCM. A total of 200 subjects (100 males and 100 females, 18-40 years of age) were recruited from the general population. According to ancient TCM records, the "6% of the elbow length" (ELx6%) is used as the standard method of establishing the length of Cun. We hypothesized that the highest point of "prominent bone" (PB) is the lower limit of Cun, so "the distance between the distal wrist crease and the highest point of the PB" (DWP) is considered the length of Cun. If this hypothesis holds, then we can define the locations of Cun, Guan and Chi by using the ratio 6:6:7 from the ancient TCM records. The distribution of relative bias and paired t-test were used to verify the findings. The mean value of relative bias of DWP compared with ELx6% was close to 0% (males = 2.1%, SD = 12.2%; females = 0.2%, SD = 12.6%). The paired t-test confirmed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the mean values of the DWP and ELx6%. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the length of the Cun is equal to the length of the DWP. Our findings confirm that the location of Cun is from the distal wrist crease to the highest point of PB.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the correlation Among Sasang Constitutional Disease and Examination of the pulse. I have gone over literatures of mainly Dongyi Soose Bowon and the others Oriental Medical book was studied about the Pulse Diagnosis. And then I came to get some conclusion as follows. 1. Soeumin(소음인) the initial-stage symptoms of wulkwang disease(울광증) ; when the Superficial Pulse and the Superficial+ Moderate Pulse is made a diagnosis, Ceongunggyegitang(천궁계지탕) and Gunggyuhyangsosan(궁귀향소산) can be used. 2. Soeumin(소음인) the initial-stage blood disease symptoms of wulkwang disease(울광증) ; when the Minute+deep Pulse is made a diagnosis, Palmulgnnjatang(팔물군자탕) and Guakhyanggeonggisan(곽향정기산) can be used. 3. Soeumin(소음인) the initial-stage symptoms of mangyang disease(망양증) ; when the Yang region Superficial Pulse and the Yin region Weak Pulse is made a diagnosis, Hwanggigyegitang(황기계지탕), Bojungikgitang(보증익기탕) and Sengyangikgitang(승양익기탕) can be used. 4. Soeumin(소음인) the symptoms of taeum disease(태음증) ; when the Minute Pulse and Deep+Thin Pulse is made a diagnosis, Sasang Prescription can be used. 5. Soeumin(소음인) the symptoms of soeum disease(소음증) ; when the Minute+Thin Pulse, Deep Pulse and Thin+Deep+Rapid Pulse is made a diagnosis, Sasang Prescription can be used. 6. Soyangin(소양인) Wind of soyang disease(소양상풍증) ; when the Superficial+Tight Pulse is made a diagnosis, Hungbangpaedogsan(형방패독산) can be used. And when the Deep+Full with strong power Pulse is made a diagnosis, Hyungbangdojeoksan(형방도적산) can be used. 7. Soyangin(소양인) the symptoms of mangyeum disease(망음증) ; when the Superficial+Large+Rapid Pulse and Flood+Large Pulse is made a diagnosis, Hungbangsabaeksan(형방사백산) can be used. And when the Wiry+Thin Pulse is made a diagnosis, Hungbanggiwhangtang(형방지황탕) can be used. 8. Soyangin(소양인) the chest-phrenic fever syndrome(흉격열증) ; when the Superficial Pulse, Flood+Full+Rapid Pulse and Flood+Large Pulse is made a diagnosis, Sasang Prescription can be used. 9. Soyangin(소양인) the after fever syndrome(음허오열증) ; when the Empty+Soft+Rapid Pulse is made a diagnosis, Sasang Prescription can be used. 10. Taeumin(태음인) the upper neck exterior disease caused by Cold(배추표병) ; when the Superficial and Superficial+Tight Pulse is made a diagnosis, Mawhangbalpoytang(마황발표탕) can be used, And when the Superficial and Superficial+Tight with strong power on left hand Pulse is made a diagnosis, Ungdamsan(웅담산) and Handayulsotang(한다열소탕) can be used. 11. Taeumin(태음인) the Coldness syndrome in esophagus(위완한증) ; when the Superficial+Tight Pulse with weak power on left hand Pulse is made a diagnosis, Taeumjowetang(태음조위탕) can be used. 12. Taeumin(태음인) the Dryness-Heat syndrome(조열증) ; when the Flood+Large Pulse, Long Pulse and Long+Large Pulse is made a diagnosis, Galgeunhaegitang(갈근해기탕) can be used. And when the Tight+Full+Rapid Pulse with deep region is made a diagnosis, Yuldahansotang(열다한소탕) can be used. And when the Superficial+Slippery Pulse is made a diagnosis, Chungsimyunjatang(청심연자탕) can be used. 13. Taeumin(태음인) the symptoms of Yin-blood Exhaustion(음혈모갈증) ; when the Superficial with weak power Pulse is made a diagnosis, Nokyongdaebotang(녹용대보탕) can be used. And when the Deep with weak power Pulse is made a diagnosis, Gongjinheukwondan(공진흑원단) can be used. 14. Taeyangin(태양인) a slight Lumbar vertebrae disease(외감경증) ; when the Superficial+Hollow Pulse is made a diagnosis, Gunshitang(건시탕) can be used. 15. Taeyangin(태양인) the Generalized and Fatigue syndrome(해역증) ; when the Moderate+Choppy Pulse with left hand chi region(척맥) is made a diagnosis, Ogapijangchuktang(오가피장척탕) can be used. 16. Taeyangin(태양인) a slight Small Intestine disease(내촉경증)

Recently there has been an increase in annual per capita consumption of alcohol beverage and the incidence of Alcoholic liver disease is steadily and significantly increasing. Alcoholic liver disease includes alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis and it may lead to systemic influence, in a case of CVA. This report is about one case`s treatment for ICH with alcoholic liver disease. In this case, we administrated Taeumjowetang and did acupuncture treatment to a patient suffering from ICH with alcoholic liver disease and its withdrawal symptoms. After administration of Taeumjowetang medication, clinical symptoms and liver function were prominently improved. This report showed that Taeumjowetang might be useful for alcoholic liver disease.

One component of Oriental medicine diagnosis utilizes the palpation of the radial pulse both for internal medicine and also to help clinicians accurately choose body acupuncture treatment points. In the mid-1980s, an attempt was made to capture diagnostic information with three pressure transducers positioned bilaterally over the radial arteries in such a fashion as to simulate classical Chinese pulse diagnosis (Yoon and Ikezono, 1986 and 1987). The results of this pilot study were subsequently difficult to replicate. In the early 1950s, Paul Nogier in Lyon, France introduced a different pulse diagnostic technique (Nogier, 1976). By touching an acupuncture needle on an active auricular acupuncture point, the radial artery wall over the styloid process changes in tone more prominently than when inactive points on the acuricle are touched. This dermal/cardiovascular reflex of pulse diagnostic technique helps, then to localize salient auricular points to treat regarding a patient's illness. Objective digitalized measurements of the Nogier radial arterial pulse wave were performed by computerized tonometry. This demonstrated that when an active stomach point in the auricle (n = 11) was detected utilizing an imperceptible electric current, the initial upstroke of the pressure wave, the pulse pressure and the peak-to-peak interval of the radial artery pulse wave all increased significantly compared to placebo point electronic detection. Thus, the existence of an active auricular point on the auricle was verified by radial artery tonometry.

To develop classification criteria for Chinese pulse diagnosis and to objectify the ancient diagnostic technique. Methods: Chinese pulse curves are treated as wave signals. Multidimensional variable analysis is performed to provide the best curve fit between the recorded Chinese pulse waveforms and the collective Gamma density functions. Results: Chinese pulses can be recognized quantitatively by the newly-developed four classification indices, that is, the wave length, the relative phase difference, the rate parameter, and the peak ratio. The new quantitative classification not only reduces the dependency of pulse diagnosis on Chinese physician’s experience, but also is able to interpret pathological wrist-pulse waveforms more precisely. Conclusions: Traditionally, Chinese physicians use fingertips to feel the wrist-pulses of patients in order to determine their health conditions. The qualitative theory of the Chinese pulse diagnosis is based on the experience of Chinese physicians for thousands of years. However, there are no quantitative theories to relate these different wrist-pulse waveforms to the health conditions of patients. In this paper, new quantified classification indices have been introduced to interpret the Chinese pulse waveform patterns objectively. Accepted version

Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate the consistency of pattern identification (PI), a set of diagnostic indicators used by traditional Korean medicine (TKM) clinicians.Methods. A total of 168 stroke patients who were admitted into oriental medical university hospitals from June 2012 through January 2013 were included in the study. Using the PI indicators, each patient was independently diagnosed by two experts from the same department. Interobserver consistency was assessed by simple percentage agreement as well as by kappa and AC1statistics.Results. Interobserver agreement on the PI indicators (for all patients) was generally high: pulse diagnosis signs (AC1=0.66–0.89); inspection signs (AC1=0.66–0.95); listening/smelling signs (AC1=0.67–0.88); and inquiry signs (AC1=0.62–0.94).Conclusion. In four examinations, there was moderate agreement between the clinicians on the PI indicators. To improve clinician consistency (e.g., in the diagnostic criteria used), it is necessary to analyze the reasons for inconsistency and to improve clinician training.

This paper gave a brief introduction to professor YU's experience in the treatment of tumor by pulse feeling, which is conducted all through whole acupuncture practice. We hope doctors shall do further and in-depth researches on pulse diagnosis in the future in attempt to reveal the intrinsic relation between pulse and acupuncture to enhance clinical efficacy and thus open up broader space of acupuncture in the treatment of tumor.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pulse diagnosis can reflect the condition of human bodies. 44 young healthy human beings were involved in the investigation of the relationship between the three dimensional motion of the radial artery and the spatiality, rhythmicity, formability and intensity of TCM pulse diagnosis in TCM pulse diagnostics. The colorDoppler vascular imaging, the self-designed cardioelectric phasic marking and non-pressure arm bath-tube were used in the study. Both the radial artery and other arm superficial arteries had three forms of motion, namely diametrical motion, axial motion and the displacement of the axial center. The three forms of motion changed periodically, which was identical with that found in pulsation. The displacement of the vascular axial center was a three-dimensional message of the overall vascular revolving motion observed on a two-e level. Systematically studying the rules of vascular motion and the relationship between the rules of vascular motion and the spatiality, rhythmicity, formability and intensity of TCM pulse patterns has great significance in revealing the specificity of the vascular motion and explaining the mechanisms in the formation of TCM pulse diagnosis. This research could make TCM pulse diagnosis more understandable.Key words: Displacement of the Vascular Axial Center; Color Doppler Ultrasonic Imaging; Spatiality, Rhythmicity, Formability and Intensity of TCM Pulse Diagnosis.

The essence of the traditional Chinese medicine has always been the most advanced and experienced therapeutic approach in the world. It has knowledge that can impact the direction of future modern medical development; still, it is easy to find simple knowledge with mark of times and special cultures. The basic structure of traditional Chinese medicine is composed of three parts: one consistent with modern medicine, one involuntarily beyond modern medicine, and one that needs to be further evaluated. The part that is consistent with modern medicine includes consensus on several theories and concepts of traditional Chinese medicine, and usage of several treatments and prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine including commonly used Chinese herbs. The part that is involuntarily beyond modern medicine contains several advanced theories and important concepts of traditional Chinese medicine, relatively advanced treatments, formula and modern prescriptions, leading herbs, acupuncture treatment and acupuncture anesthesia of traditional Chinese medicine that affect modern medicine and incorporates massage treatment that has been gradually acknowledged by modern therapy. The part that needs to be further evaluated consists not only the knowledge of pulse diagnosis, prescription, and herbs, but also many other aspects of traditional Chinese medicine.

Recently, a need to develop supportive new scientific evidence for contemporary Ayurveda has emerged. One of the research objectives is an assessment of the reliability of diagnoses and treatment. Reliability is a quantitative measure of consistency. It is a crucial issue in classification (such as prakriti classification), method development (pulse diagnosis), quality assurance for diagnosis and treatment and in the conduct of clinical studies. Several reliability studies are conducted in western medicine. The investigation of the reliability of traditional Chinese, Japanese and Sasang medicine diagnoses is in the formative stage. However, reliability studies in Ayurveda are in the preliminary stage. In this paper, examples are provided to illustrate relevant concepts of reliability studies of diagnostic methods and their implication in practice, education, and training. An introduction to reliability estimates and different study designs and statistical analysis is given for future studies in Ayurveda.