• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.320-326
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• 2016

Tongue diagnosis is convenient and non-invasive method to examine the body's functional condition, and it has been frequently used in traditional Korean Medicine (KM). The aim of this study was to investigate the difference of the tongue color assessed by computerized tongue image analysis system (CTIS) between the common cold (CC) patients and healthy subjects. A total of 85 participants, including 45 CC patients without organic diseases and 40 healthy subjects, were asked to complete the CC symptom questionnaire. A tongue image was acquired by using CTIS. Color differences in Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) L*, a* and b* between the CC patient group and the control group were analyzes by using paired t-test analysis. The variable CIE b* of the tongue body was significantly lower in CC than that in controls (P=0.019). The variable CIE L* of the tongue coating was significantly higher in CC than that in controls (P=0.032). In CC, the color of the tongue body seems to be changed to intense red color. The color of the tongue coating seems to be changed to thick fur. The present study demonstrated that the CTIS can be used as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for the objective and standardized evaluation of common cold in clinics.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.242-254
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• 2023

Although upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are common diseases, there have been no studies of their relationship with the indices obtained from tongue image analyses. The purpose of this study was to identify a tongue index through an analysis of tongue images (TIs) showing significant changes before and after treatment in patients with URTIs. A computerized tongue image acquisition system was developed to acquire TIs from subjects in the same environment. An image was taken from each of 39 URTI patients and 39 healthy controls. For the patients, images were acquired before and after treatment to identify changes. The tongue area was classified into a tongue body and a tongue coating, and the coating ratio between the two areas, the average value of the colour of each area, and teeth marks were calculated. No significant difference was observed in age or sex between the URTI patients and control participants. Heart rates were slightly different. The analysis of TIs showed that the luminance of the tongue coating and the coating area ratio were decreased, while the reddish value of the tongue body at the centre area increased as the treatment progressed. Tongue coating and body in URTIs had different colour and shape from those in the normal. It is expected that this result will contribute not only to the objectification of traditional Chinese medicine but also to diagnostic methods that do not involve face-to-face physician visit during the pandemic.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.637-644
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• 2018

Objectives: In this study, the tongue features of patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) were compared with those of healthy controls. Methods: This prospective, case-control study was conducted on patients with FD and controls recruited at a single center. After screening, the subjects were allocated to the patient or control groups (patients=42, controls=40). Tongue images were acquired using a computerized tongue image acquisition system (CTIS). An independent t-test was conducted to compare the measurements from patients and controls. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine significant differences between the two groups after adjusting for age and sex. Results: The CIE $a^*$ color value in the tongue coating area was significantly lower in the patients with FD than in the controls (p=0.001). The tongue coating ratios were also significantly higher in the FD group than in the control group (p=0.003). We found that the CIE $a^*$ color value in the tongue coating area and the tongue coating ratios were significant predictive factors in both groups, based on binary regression analysis (p=0.016, 0.044, respectively). Conclusions: This study found that FD was significantly associated with CIE $a^*$ color value in the tongue coating area and tongue coating ratios. We suggest that these factors could be used as objective indicators of FD.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제7권6호
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• pp.1219-1223
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• 2006

혀는 전통 한의학(중의학)에서 환자 진단의 가장 중요한 부분의 하나이다. 본 논문은 사람의 혀 영상을 이용한 건강 모니터링 방법을 제안한다. 제안한 방법은 사용자의 혀의 절대적 특징을 사용하지 않고 병원에서 진단된 기준 건강 상태(RHC)와 특징차를 이용하는 방법이다. 건강 모니터링 시스템은 사용자로부터 매일 혀 영상을 획득하고, 혀의 관심영역을 추출하여 기준 건강 상태의 특징값과 비교한다. 실험에서 제안한 혀 영상 분석 방법이 건강 모니터링에 사용 가능성을 보였다.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.348-360
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• 2015

Objectives From observing the tongue of a patient, one can assess the health status; this method has been frequently used in traditional Korean Medicine (KM) clinics. In particular, KM posits that the color of the tongue is highly related to digestive functions. In this study, the color of tongue and heart rate variability (HRV) were compared between chronic dyspepsia (CD) patients and healthy subjects. Methods Healthy subjects and CD patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or chronic gastritis (CG) were enrolled for the study. Profile view images of the tongue were acquired by using a computerized tongue image acquisition system (CTIS). The color of the tongue body was extracted from the non-coated region on the tongue images. Results Color differences in CIE L*a*b* color space between the three sub-types of CD patients and healthy subjects were analyzed by using multiple linear regression analysis with age and sex as the factors. The variable b* was significantly lower in GERD patients than in the controls (p=0.017). Variable a* was significantly lower in CG than in the controls (p=0.03). No significant difference was seen between FD and controls. In GERD, the tongue body seems to be intense red in color; in CG, pale red. Frequency domain analysis showed that HF was significantly lower in GERD patients than in the controls (p=0.041). Conclusions The color of the tongue body and HF of HRV can be used for diagnosing digestive functions in health care.