Overview on MED1: a Heuristic Diagnostics System with an Efficient Control-Structure

Abstract

MED1 is a fully implemented tool for constructing diagnosis systems especially in the medical area. A model to diagnose diseases provoking chest pain has been completed. It tries to simulate the way physicians diagnose and is capable of explaining every reasoning step. From other diagnosis systems using the techniques of Artificial Intelligence for representation of heuristic expert knowledge, MED1 differs mainly regarding more flexibility in hypothesis generation, reasoning with uncertainty and deciding the necessity of technical diagnostic procedures. The comfortable knowledge-acquisition facility enables the expert familiar with the structure of MED1 to communicate his knowledge to the system without knowing anything about LISP.