A Small, Smart Medical System for the Soldier: the MedAgent System for Medical Diagnosis, Informatics and Treatment Support

We approach the development of MedNet from the perspective of modern intelligent systems design. In this project, the elements of modern small smart systems are designed to act in synergy to support a soldier's medical needs. In the design, small sensor devices on the soldier capture health status. Medical software support is hosted in a distributed manner, over a wireless connection, between the sensor devices and the PDA (which captures health status), and to a `ruggedized' laptop hosting medical databases and Grid Agents. Even though the MedNet system is `small', it provides multi-modal interfaces to medical personnel. Logical connectivity for the main elements of the system's software components is provided by software agent technology. Software agent system design is robust in the face of asynchronous communications, multiple activities, and de-centralized systems, and is well suited to interface with resources or external systems, such as TMIP. Software agent technology supports intelligence in the MedNet System; through the algorithmic structure of Grid Agents; in the agent-mediated knowledge store that is the medical cases database and its updates, in medical case retrieval and diagnosis support, in ontological support, and in how the agent-based user interface is designed and user requests agent- supported.