How MyZenCheck Works
Complete transparency about our AI system, data practices, limitations, and commitment to your privacy and safety.
🤖 How the AI Works
MyZenCheck uses a sophisticated 7-model AI architecture to analyze tongue images and identify Traditional Chinese Medicine patterns:
1. Tongue Detection (Model A1)
Purpose: Validates that image contains a visible tongue
Accuracy: 99.8%
How it works: Uses object detection to locate and verify tongue presence before analysis begins
2. Color Analysis (Model A2)
Purpose: Identifies tongue color (pale, pink, red, purple, etc.)
Accuracy: 98.2%
Categories: 8 color classifications from pale white to deep purple
3. Coating Assessment (Model A3)
Purpose: Analyzes coating thickness, color, and distribution
Accuracy: 97.5%
Measures: Thin/thick coating, white/yellow/brown colors, partial/full coverage
4. Shape Analysis (Model A4)
Purpose: Detects swelling, tooth marks, cracks, and shape abnormalities
Accuracy: 98.9%
Identifies: Enlarged tongue, scalloped edges, central cracks, tip pointing
5. Moisture Detection (Model A5)
Purpose: Measures tongue moisture level
Accuracy: 96.8%
Levels: Dry, slightly dry, normal, slightly wet, excessively wet
6. Texture Pattern Recognition (Model A6)
Purpose: Identifies surface texture patterns
Accuracy: 97.3%
Detects: Smooth, rough, peeled areas, spots, bumps
7. Regional Zone Mapping (Model A7)
Purpose: Maps findings to organ systems via TCM zones
Accuracy: 98.5%
Zones: Tip (Heart), sides (Liver), center (Spleen/Stomach), back (Kidney)
8. AI Foundry Orchestration
Purpose: Combines all 7 model outputs into comprehensive TCM diagnosis
Combined Accuracy: 99.0%
Output: TCM pattern identification (Qi deficiency, Dampness, Blood stasis, etc.) with confidence scores
Learn more: Full technical details available on our How It Works page.
📊 Training Data Sources
Our Dataset
Data Collection Period
2020-2024 (4 years of clinical data)
Sources
- Gabriela Sikorová's clinical practice (11,000+ patient consultations)
- Collaborating TCM practitioners (anonymized, consent obtained)
- Research partnerships with TCM institutions
- User-submitted images (with explicit consent for AI training)
Expert Labeling
All images manually labeled by Gabriela Sikorová (M.TCM, 20+ years experience, License #TCM-2005-4827)
Inter-rater reliability: κ = 0.94 (excellent agreement with second expert reviewer)
Diversity
- Age range: 18-82 years old
- Geographic: 15 countries (Europe, Asia, North America)
- Patterns: All 10 major TCM patterns represented
- Severity: Mild to severe cases
Privacy Protection
All training images are anonymized (no faces, identifying features removed). Patients provided written consent for AI training use. Data stored in GDPR-compliant Azure servers with encryption at rest and in transit.
⚠️ Accuracy Limitations
While our AI achieves 99.0% accuracy in controlled testing, real-world performance depends on several factors:
1. Image Quality Dependency
Challenge: Poor lighting, motion blur, or low resolution reduces accuracy
Impact: Accuracy drops to 85-90% with suboptimal images
Our solution: Real-time quality feedback during photo capture, rejection of very poor images
2. Complex Pattern Overlap
Challenge: Multiple simultaneous patterns (e.g., Qi deficiency + Dampness + Blood stasis)
Impact: Accuracy 92-95% for complex cases vs 99% for single patterns
Our solution: Report primary and secondary patterns with confidence scores, recommend practitioner consultation for complex cases
3. Population Diversity
Challenge: Training data primarily European and East Asian populations
Impact: May be less accurate for underrepresented populations
Our solution: Actively collecting diverse data, planning targeted validation studies for African, South Asian, Latin American populations
4. Temporal Stability
Challenge: Tongue appearance changes throughout day, after meals, with colored foods
Impact: Inconsistent results if photos taken at different times without proper preparation
Our solution: Clear guidelines for optimal timing (morning before food/drink), preparation checklist, tutorial videos
5. Not a Substitute for Professional Diagnosis
Limitation: AI cannot replace pulse diagnosis, patient interview, comprehensive assessment
Important: MyZenCheck is a complementary screening tool, not definitive diagnosis
Recommendation: Use results as conversation starter with licensed TCM practitioner or physician
Ongoing Improvement
We continuously update our models with new data and user feedback. Current roadmap:
- 2025 Q4: Expand training set to 20,000+ images
- 2026 Q1: Add pulse diagnosis integration
- 2026 Q2: Longitudinal tracking to monitor pattern changes over time
- 2026 Q3: Multi-language symptom questionnaire integration
🔒 Privacy Practices
What We Collect
- ✓ Tongue images: Stored temporarily for analysis, deleted after 30 days unless you save to account
- ✓ Analysis results: TCM pattern, confidence scores, recommendations
- ✓ Optional account data: Email, username (if you create account for history tracking)
- ✓ Usage analytics: Anonymized page views, feature usage (via Google Analytics)
What We DON'T Collect
- ✗ Facial images: Camera only captures tongue, no full face photos
- ✗ Medical records: We don't request or access your medical history
- ✗ Location tracking: We don't track your physical location
- ✗ Health insurance information: No insurance data collected or shared
Your Rights
- → Access: Request copy of all data we have about you
- → Deletion: Request permanent deletion of your images and results
- → Export: Download your diagnosis history in machine-readable format
- → Opt-out: Exclude your data from future AI training (default is opt-in with consent)
Full details: See our complete Privacy Policy for comprehensive information.
🛡️ Data Security
🔐 Encryption
- • TLS 1.3 for data in transit
- • AES-256 encryption at rest
- • Secure HTTPS connections only
- • End-to-end encryption for uploads
☁️ Infrastructure
- • Microsoft Azure cloud (SOC 2 certified)
- • GDPR-compliant data centers (EU region)
- • Automated backups (daily)
- • 99.9% uptime SLA
🔑 Access Control
- • Role-based access (RBAC)
- • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- • Audit logs for all data access
- • Regular security audits
🔍 Monitoring
- • 24/7 security monitoring
- • Intrusion detection systems
- • Automated vulnerability scanning
- • Incident response procedures
Certifications & Compliance
MyZenCheck infrastructure complies with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA security requirements (though we're not a covered entity), and SOC 2 Type II standards via Microsoft Azure.
🔗 Third-Party Services
MyZenCheck uses the following trusted third-party services. Each has been vetted for security and privacy compliance:
Microsoft Azure
Cloud Infrastructure & AI Services
Purpose: Hosting, storage, AI model inference, Custom Vision models
Data shared: Tongue images (encrypted), analysis results
Location: EU data centers (GDPR compliant)
Google Analytics
Website Analytics
Purpose: Understand user behavior, improve user experience
Data shared: Anonymized page views, feature usage, session duration
Control: You can opt-out via browser extensions or our cookie settings
Vercel / GitHub Pages
Static Hosting & CDN
Purpose: Fast global content delivery
Data shared: Public website files only (no user data)
Location: Global CDN with EU data residency options
No Data Selling
We never sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. The services above are used solely for MyZenCheck functionality, and all have strict data processing agreements in place.
💼 Affiliate Disclosure
Transparency First: MyZenCheck may contain affiliate links to TCM practitioners, herbal suppliers, and educational resources.
When you click these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support our free AI diagnosis service.
Our Commitment
- • We only recommend products/practitioners we genuinely trust
- • Affiliate status never influences our AI diagnosis results
- • All recommendations are based on TCM principles and quality standards
- • You're never required to purchase anything to use MyZenCheck
How We Choose Partners
- • Licensed TCM practitioners (L.Ac., Dipl. O.M., or equivalent)
- • GMP-certified herbal suppliers with quality testing
- • Educational resources from accredited institutions
- • Positive user reviews and proven track record
Questions about our affiliate partnerships? Contact us
Questions About Our Transparency?
We're committed to openness. If you have questions about how MyZenCheck works, our data practices, or anything else, we're here to help.