傳統中醫脈診方法中，所謂三部九候所指的是三組把脈診斷部位（寸部、關部、尺部）以及三組把脈深度（浮位、中位、沉位）。此方法利用中醫師把脈指下感覺的方法進行脈診，以診斷病人身體狀況。然而，三部九候各位置間之單點脈象信號看似相近，但實際上脈象信號會因各位置所代表的意義不同而有所差異。
利用雙感測脈診儀（Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument，BSPDI）之矩陣式壓力感測器由受測者之腕部橈動脈信號中量取脈象信號，並將把脈之指下感覺組織繪成三維脈波圖譜（Three-Dimensional Pulse Mapping，3DPM），計算出脈象信號之峰值、能量值、上升斜率與下降率四組參數。再分別以部位（Position）以及深度（Depth）為因子進行變異數分析。實驗對象為中華民國空軍軍官學校8位自願學生，且經中醫師診斷後為健康者。
研究結果發現：在差異分析部份，四組參數經雙因子變異數分析後，均為顯著差異（p<0.05），再經部位與深度兩兩比較分析（Paired comparison）後，結果近似顯著差異；在趨勢分析部份，利用Pulse Bank的分析方法，確實可得到健康人脈象趨勢，但因取樣時間為春天時節，故在趨勢分析中可分析出春弦現象。
傳統中醫利用三部九候的脈診方法進行診斷，經實驗與分析後得知，在部位與深度的脈象信號間確實存在顯著差異性，且不同位置的信號存在不同生理意義。因此，在傳統中國醫學診斷中，可利用三維脈象圖譜（3D Pulse Mapping）以及三維九公格分析圖（3D Nine Lattice and Tendency Map）來進行總體身體健康狀態的診斷。

This research was to determine the differences of pulse diagnosis and proved the tendency analysis in Three Positions and Nine Indicators (TPNI) of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
In TCM pulse diagnosis, three positions (Cun, Guan, Chi) and three levels or depths (Fu, Zhong, Chen), called TPNI. In general, TPNI is used as a finger-reading method for obtaining a holistic view of the patient. However, single pulse signal at nine TPNI locations (three depths at three positions) look quite similar from each other in its waveform. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between pulse-taking depths (Fu, Zhong, Chen) and pulse-taking positions (Cun, Guan Chi).
To explore the significance of array pulses at nine TPNI locations, a Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI) with array sensors was used to measure wrist artery pulse signals. It was proposed that a three-dimensional pulse mapping (3DPM) could present array pulses mimicking the fingertips' sensations of a physician. Four parameters, namely peak value (P_Vmax), power (P_P), ascending slope (P_AS), and descending slope (P_DS) were elucidated from 3DPM as using a two-way analysis of variance. Eight healthy volunteers based on the evaluation of TPNI health rule of thumb from the R.O.C. Air Force Academy participated in this research.
Results: The variance of four parameters at nine TPNI locations all reached the level of significance (p<0.05). Paired comparison between positions and depths nearly reached significance in result.
Conclusions: There were differences found in wrist artery signals that existing among nine TPNI locations; and those differences have different meanings from the point of physiology that exists in TPNI locations. In TCM, TPNI pulse diagnosis could be used to check the holistic health of a patient as determined by using 3D Pulse Mapping (3DPM) and 3D Nine Lattice and Tendency Map (3DNTP).

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