Abstract Temporal Diagnosis in Medical Domains

Johann Gamper and Wolfgang Nejdl

Abstract

In this paper we describe a model-based framework for diagnosing time-varying systems by using the diagnosis of hepatitis~B as an example. Based on a logical framework extended by qualitative temporal constraints we show how to describe complex temporal behavior. We introduce the concept of abstract observations as an abstraction from observations at time points into assumptions over time intervals. This leads to a more intuitive representation and makes diagnosis independent of the number of actual observations and the granularity of time. Additionally, the concept of abstract temporal diagnoses captures in a natural way indefinite temporal knowledge we often have about diagnoses, in particular in medical domains.

Keywords: Diagnosis, Model-based Reasoning, Temporal Reasoning

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