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In vivo experimental study of optical characteristics of human acupuncture points

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Abstract

Effective attenuation coefficients and diffuse reflectance spectra of acupuncture point and non-acupuncture point were measured in vivo before and after the brachial artery was constricted with a sphygmomanometer. Experimental results showed that the effective attenuation coefficient of acupuncture point was smaller than that of non-acupuncture point. When the brachial artery was constricted, the effective attenuation coefficients of acupuncture point and non-acupuncture point increased. Furthermore, the increasing amplitude of effective attenuation coefficient of acupuncture point was smaller than that of the non-acupuncture point. Diffuse reflectance of acupuncture point was lower than that of non-acupuncture point within the wavelength range of 470 to 600 nm. Both the diffuse reflectance of acupuncture point and non-acupuncture point decreased after the brachial artery was constricted. These experimental results indicated that the optical characteristics of acupuncture point tissues were correlated with the physiologic changes. Therefore, these optical characteristics of acupuncture points would be helpful to study the mechanism of acupuncture meridian.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic Technology, Institute of Laser and Optoelectronics Technology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Yimei Huang, Hongqin Yang, Yuhua Wang & Shusen Xie

  2. Laboratory of Photonic Traditional Chinese Medicine and Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science of Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China

    Zhouyi Guo & Songhao Liu

Authors
  1. Yimei Huang
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  2. Hongqin Yang
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  3. Yuhua Wang
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  4. Shusen Xie
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  5. Zhouyi Guo
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  6. Songhao Liu
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Correspondence to Shusen Xie.

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Huang, Y., Yang, H., Wang, Y. et al. In vivo experimental study of optical characteristics of human acupuncture points. Front. Optoelectron. China 4, 223–227 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-011-0129-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-011-0129-x

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