Novel diagnostic algorithm for the floating and sunken pulse qualities and its clinical test

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Pulse diagnosis is a cornerstone of traditional Oriental medicine.
• Objective quantification of pulse characteristics remains a challenge.
• Distinguishing between floating and sunken pulse types is clinically significant.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel algorithm for classifying floating and sunken pulses.
• To validate the algorithm's accuracy through a clinical study.
• To explore correlations between pulse types and physiological parameters.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new classification algorithm based on a defined coefficient (C(fs)).
• A clinical trial involving 12 Oriental medical doctors diagnosing 169 subjects.
• Pairwise diagnosis comparison and statistical analysis (Two sample T-tests).

Main Results:

• The algorithm achieved up to 69% accuracy in classifying pulses, aligning with expert diagnoses.
• Inter-rater reliability among doctors showed 72% concordance (MCC = 0.42).
• Sunken pulse group exhibited significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and C(fs) values (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• The proposed algorithm demonstrates validity for differentiating floating and sunken pulses.
• The C(fs) coefficient shows potential as a biomarker for pulse classification.
• This objective approach may enhance the consistency and reliability of pulse diagnosis.