[Development status and research progress of meridian diagnosis technology from the perspective of patents]

To discuss the development status of meridian diagnosis technology through the patent analysis, so as to obtain the hot spots of patents and provide the ideas for the research and development of new equipment.

The patent data of meridian diagnosis technology were searched from Chinese Think Tank of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The patent analysis and SWOT method were used to deeply explore the patent application of meridian diagnosis technology.

Among 100 patents included, the inventions were mainly in Chinese mainland, and the invention institution was from Chengdu University of TCM. Since 2015, the number of patent application for meridian diagnosis technology was increasing, and up to a peak from 2020 to 2021. The main technological programs cover electrical, temperature and optical detection; and the application functions focus on the precise positioning of acupoints, and the diagnosis of zangfu diseases.

From the perspective of patents, it is suggested that the development of meridian diagnosis technology in China should pay attention to reducing the cost, improving the function, driving the standard formulation, strengthening safety measure, deepening human-machine interaction, exploring biological effect and optimizing the experimental platform. Through continuous innovation and breakthrough, the meridian diagnosis technology can be further matured and widely applied, so as to realize its comprehensive upgrade.