Developing Microprocessor Based Expert Models for Instrument Interpretation

Abstract

We describe a scheme for developing expert interpretive systems and transferring them to a microprocessor environment The scheme has been successfully implemented and tested by producing a program for interpreting results from a widely used medical laboratory instrument a scanning densitometer Specialists in the field of serum protein electrophoresis analysis provided the knowledge needed to build an interpretive model using EXPERT, a general production rule system for developing consultation models By constraining a few of the structures used in the general model it was possible to develop procedures for automatically translating the model to a specialized application program and then to a microprocessor assembly language program Thus, the model development can take place on a large machine, using established techniques for capturing and conveniently updating expert knowledge structures, while the final interpretive program can be targeted to a microprocessor depending on the application Our experience in carrying out the complete process illustrates many of the requirements involved in taking an expert system from its early development phase to actual implementation and use in a real world application I