Help with internal working of a software

[jalo]

Hi,

I want to ask your opinion about the way to work internally a software that i'm developing as end of degree project.

The thing is that, in essence i want to develope a desktop aplicaction for medical issues, that, basically and in a very reduced mode is a program to make diagnostics. The user introduce some parameters (symtomps, clinic signs, laboratory test, etc) and the program will make a posible diagnostic from the parameters.

The main idea was store all the data in a BD (embedded probably), and with SQL consults obtain the posible options, but my project director consider this "poor computing" and recommend me to search alternatives to give to the program more power (in computing terms).

The first option that comment me was to use ontologys, in order to create (or search if exists.. (*)) a medical ontology, where will introduce the inference rules needed for every disease, in order to make the posible diagnostic(s) from the given data (symtomps, etc.).

The problem is that with these subjects i'm very lost, i can't understand very well the concept and working of ontologys and i'm not sure if use this in my software is the best way to solve my problem.

(*): Exists medical ontolgys like:

diseaseontology in sourceforge dot net

But i think that is not exactly that i'm looking for.

Apart from the existence of this ontology, and to finish, i want your opinion about how to cover the project, how do you think ghat is the best option: Use a relational BD and complete the software with other things to give it more power (in computing terms)? Continue with ontologys? Other options?

Very thanks and sorry for my english.

[WingedPanther]

It sounds like you want to create an expert system with rules for the system stored in a database.

[jalo]

It sounds like you want to create an expert system with rules for the system stored in a database.

Yeah,

The main idea was store all the data in a database and obtain with consults the data required through the parameters given like symtomps, clinic signs, laboratory test, etc.. But this option, for my project director is not enough and she recomend me to use ontologys but i'm not sure if this is the best option.

Anyone knows more options to develop this ? In the subject of experts systems, can you recomend me some techonolgy that could be right for this kind of project?

Thanks for reply!