Research Progress on Application of Infrared Thermal Imaging Technology to Assist Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment Based on Theory of Acupoint Sensitization
LIAO Xiaoyun
ZHANG Yajun
WANG Pingzhu
LI Peiqi
HUANG Tongjiang
FANG Jianqiao
SHAO Xiaomei
Abstract：Acupoint sensitization refers to the transformation of an acupoint from its physiological"resting state"to a pathological"activated state".The infrared radiation of the human body is influenced by blood circulation,metabolism,as well as physiological and pathological reactions.Acupoints are not only the reaction points for internal organ diseases but also the stimulation points for acupuncture treatment.Therefore,the heat radiation emitted by acupoints can reflect the physiological and pathological information of the corresponding internal organs.Abnormal changes in human body heat radiation can be sensitively detected by infrared thermal imaging technology and presented in an intuitive form as an infrared thermal map.This article reviews the research on the application of infrared thermal imaging technology in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)diagnosis and treatment based on the theory of acupoint sensitization.It is found that this technology has been widely used in the field of TCM for reflecting disease conditions,assisting in syndrome differentiation and treatment,identifying TCM constitutions,guiding disease treatment,and evaluating therapeutic effects.Infrared thermal imaging technology converts the body's cold and hot information into data,and visualizes and objectifies it to reflect the physiological and pathological states of the human body.It can not only be used for health management and clinical disease screening,but also is expected to become one of the key technical tools for the modernization and quantitative research of TCM,with profound significance for the innovation and development of TCM.
Keywords：acupoint sensitizationinfrared thermal imagingtemperature of the body surfacesyndrome differen-tiation and treatmentphysical constitution identificationefficacy evaluation
Publication Date：2025-09-05
Online Publishing Date：2026-05-22(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 937-941,958 )