The Automatic Tongue Image Analysis Algorithms in Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment

Tongue image analysis, a key method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is widely used in clinical practice. This study aims to develop and validate a computer-assisted algorithm for tongue image analysis to improve diagnostic accuracy and consistency. A diverse range of tongue images was collected from patients of different ages, genders, and health conditions. We applied image processing and machine learning techniques to automatically categorize tongue characteristics, including tongue color, shape, texture, coating quality, and coating color. These characteristics were then compared with clinical diagnostic results. Extensive validation experiments demonstrated precision rates of 90%, 80%, 89%, 90%, and 91%. Furthermore, we conducted research to establish connections between these tongue characteristics and specific health conditions. This research highlights the algorithm's effectiveness and efficiency in tongue image analysis and its relevance in associating tongue characteristics with medical conditions.