Development of pulse diagnostic devices in Korea

AbstractIn Korean medicine, pulse diagnosis is one of the important methods for determining the health status of a patient. For over 40 years, electromechanical pulse diagnostic devices have been developed to objectify and quantify pulse diagnoses. In this paper, we review previous research and development for pulse diagnostic devices according to various fields of study: demand analysis and current phase, literature studies, sensors, actuators, systems, physical quantity studies, clinical studies, and the U-health system. We point out some confusing issues that have been naively accepted without strict verification: original pressure pulse waveform and derivative pressure pulse waveform, pressure signals and other signal types, and minutely controlled pressure exertion issues. We then consider some technical and clinical issues to achieve the development of a pulse diagnostic device that is appropriate both technically and in terms of Korean medicine. We hope to show the history of pulse diagnostic device research in Korea and propose a proper method to research and develop these devices

Confirmatory and Exploratory Factor Analysis for Validating the Phlegm Pattern Questionnaire for Healthy Subjects

Background. Phlegm pattern questionnaire (PPQ) was developed to evaluate and diagnose phlegm pattern in Korean Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, but it was based on a dataset from patients who visited the hospital to consult with a clinician regarding their health without any strict exclusion or inclusion. In this study, we reinvestigated the construct validity of PPQ with a new dataset and confirmed the feasibility of applying it to a healthy population. Methods. 286 healthy subjects were finally included and their responses to PPQ were acquired. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and the model fit was discussed. We extracted a new factor structure by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and compared the two factor structures. Results. In CFA results, the model fit indices are acceptable (RMSEA = 0.074) or slightly less than the good fit values (CFI = 0.839, TLI = 0.860). Many average variances extracted were smaller than the correlation coefficients of the factors, which shows the somewhat insufficient discriminant validity. Conclusions. Through the results from CFA and EFA, this study shows clinically acceptable model fits and suggests the feasibility of applying PPQ to a healthy population with relatively good construct validity and internal consistency

Retrograde Tempofilter II™ Placement within the Superior Vena Cava in a Patient with Acute Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis: the Filter Stands on Its Head

The Tempofilter II is a widely used temporary vena cava filter. Its unique design, which includes a long tethering catheter with a subcutaneous anchor, facilitates the deployment and retrieval of the device. Despite this, the Tempofilter II has been used only in the inferior vena cava of patients with lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. In this article, we present a case of superior vena cava filtering using the Tempofilter II in patients with upper extremity deep venous thrombosis