Infrared Thermal Imaging-Based Research on the Intermediate Structures of the Lung and Large Intestine Exterior-Interior Relationship in Asthma Patients

• Published in: Chinese journal of integrative medicine Vol. 22; no. 11; pp. 855 - 860
• Main Authors: Fu, Yu, Ni, Jin-xia, Marmori, Federico, Zhu, Qi, Tan, Cheng, Zhao, Ji-ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2016
• Subjects: Acupuncture Research; and; asthma; Asthma - diagnosis; Asthma - pathology; Biomedical Research; bronchial; Case-Control Studies; Diagnostic Imaging; exterior-interiorrelationship; Female; Humans; imaging; infrared; Infrared Rays; intermediate; Intestine; Intestine, Large - pathology; Large; Lung; Lung - pathology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; structure; Temperature; thermal; Thermography - methods; infrared thermal imaging; bronchial asthma; intermediate structure; Lung and Large Intestine exterior-interior relationship
• ISSN: 1672-0415; 1993-0402
• DOI: 10.1007/s11655-016-2102-4

Objective： By observing body surface temperature variation of the intermediate structures ofthe Lung （Fei） and Large Intestine （Dachang） exterior-interior relationship in asthmatic patients, to investigatethe pathological response on the pathway of channels and to substantiate the objective existence of theintermediary structures. Methods： The study included 60 subjects meeting the bronchial asthma inclusion criteria（experimental group） and 60 healthy subjects （normal control group）. ATIR-M301 infrared thermal imagingdevice was used for detecting body surface temperature of the subjects and collecting the infrared thermalimages. The temperature values of the intermediate structures of Lung and Large Intestine exterior-interiorrelationship [throat, Quepen, elbow, nose, Lieque （LU 7）, Pianli （LI 6）], control areas （0.2 cm lateral to the abovestructures） and Yintang （EX-HN 3） were measured on the infrared thermal image by infrared imaging system.Then, the above temperature values were compared and analyzed within and between two groups. Results：There were insignificant differences between the temperature on the left and right sides of the intermediatestructures （Quepen, elbow, LU 7, LI 6） in normal control group （P〉0.05）. Except for that of Quepen, there wereinsignificant differences between the temperature of the intermediate structures and their corresponding controlareas in normal control group （P〉0.05）. In the experimental group, the temperature on the left and right sidesof the intermediate structures （Quepen, elbow, LU 7, LI 6） showed statistically significant differences （P〈0.05or P〈0.01）; the temperature difference between intermediate structure （throat, Quepen, elbow, nose, LI 6） andtheir respective control areas were also significant （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. The temperature of the intermediatestructures （throat, Quepen, elbow, LU7, LI 6） between the experimental group and normal control group showedsignificant differences （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Conclusions： This study is an initial step to validate the objectiveexistence of Lung and Large Intestine exterior-interior relationship intermediate structures, as described in theChinese classical medical literatures, through the functional imaging angle. The intermediate structures are thepathological reaction areas of the bronchial asthmatic patients.