Birdcage model for the Chinese meridian system: part VI. meridians as the primary regulatory system

It is imperative to define the fundamental concepts of Qi, channels, and the meridian system of Chinese medicine in terms of scientific terminology before any meaningful and mutually beneficial dialog can begin between Chinese and Western medicine. In the Chinese theory, the meridian system as a whole is the system of the body. We propose the existence of a meridian regulatory system that governs interactions between and adjusts functions of internal organs, connects them to the body surface through a network of pathways (channels) and displays their status on the skin. The meridian systems is analyzed as a 28-leg, uniform, low pass birdcage coil, where each leg represents a channel. The channel is analyzed as a transmission line and Qi is the standing wave riding on it. Each segment in the channel is represented as a section of the transmission line and it is in natural oscillation, with its second lowest resonant frequency being the 50-round circulation frequency f50, 0.578 x 10(-3) Hz.