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Synchrotron radiation phase-contrast X-ray CT imaging of acupuncture points

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry volume 401, pages 803–808 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) topographic structures of acupuncture points were investigated by using synchrotron radiation in-line X-ray phase contrast computerized tomography. Two acupuncture points, named Zhongji (RN3) and Zusanli (ST36), were studied. We found an accumulation of microvessels at each acupuncture point region. Images of the tissues surrounding the acupuncture points do not show such kinds of structure. This is the first time that 3D images have revealed the specific structures of acupuncture points.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (no. 2006CB504509) and the Project of the State Key Program of the National Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 10635060). We also would like to thank the staff of SSRF BL13W for technical support and their help in treatment of IL-XPCT images.

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Affiliations

  1. Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Dongming Zhang, Xiaohui Yan & Xinyi Zhang

  2. Physics Department of Yancheng Teachers’ College, Yancheng, 224002, China

    Chenglin Liu

  3. The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Ruishan Dang

  4. Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China

    Tiqiao Xiao

  5. Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Peiping Zhu

Authors
  1. Dongming Zhang
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  2. Xiaohui Yan
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  3. Xinyi Zhang
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  4. Chenglin Liu
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  5. Ruishan Dang
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  6. Tiqiao Xiao
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  7. Peiping Zhu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xinyi Zhang.

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Published in the special issue Imaging Techniques with Synchrotron Radiation with Guest Editor Cyril Petibois.

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Zhang, D., Yan, X., Zhang, X. et al. Synchrotron radiation phase-contrast X-ray CT imaging of acupuncture points. Anal Bioanal Chem 401, 803–808 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-4913-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-4913-7

Keywords

  • Acupuncture point
  • Synchrotron radiation
  • X-ray
  • Phase contrast
  • Microvessel