Objective  To provide ideas for the modernization of pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by comparing and analyzing the current status and trends of modern research on pulse diagnosis in China and abroad, using bibliometric and visualization software.

Methods  Modern research literature on pulse diagnosis was searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from the foundation to May 31, 2023, and in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) from January 1, 2003, to May 31, 2023. After further screening, Microsoft Excel 2019 was used for statistical analysis of publication volume, and CiteSpace (6.1.R6) and VOSviewer (1.6.20) softwares were employed for visual analysis of journals, countries/regions, authors, institutions, keywords, etc.

Results  This study included a total of 764 articles in Chinese and 1 459 articles in English. The publication trend of pulse diagnosis research in SCIE database showed an overall fluctuating upward trend, while it exhibited a fluctuating downward trend after 2007 in CNKI database. The volume of English research literature has consistently exceeded that of Chinese literature since 2009. Publications on pulse diagnosis research involved 74 countries/regions. The related journals covered various disciplinary fields, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science. The most prolific author in CNKI database was WANG Yiqin (Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), while the highest number of publications was attributed to ZHANG David (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) in SCIE database. High-volume institutions in pulse diagnosis research in China and abroad were predominantly TCM research institutions. However, comprehensive universities and other research institutions also made noteworthy contributions. In recent years, hot topics in the modernization of pulse diagnosis research in China included pulse waves, sensors, and artificial intelligence. Foreign research focused on pulse diagnosis systems, sensors, pulse feature extraction, pulse signal analysis, pulse detection, and efficiency of use.

Conclusion  Chinese scholars have shown notable participation and emphasis in the modernization research of pulse diagnosis, involving a wide range of disciplinary fields and indicating a characteristic of multidisciplinary cross-fusion development. The hotspots and trends in the modernization of pulse diagnosis research primarily concentrate on the study of pulse condition and signal acquisition, the integration, development, and optimization of various algorithms with pulse diagnosis equipment, and the practical application research of existing objectified outcomes of pulse diagnosis.