A domain ontology for mechanical circulatory support systems

Heart failure is a major health problem with a high mortality rate in industrialized countries. Its ultimate therapy, heart transplantation, is limited by the shortage of heart donors. Since decades researchers have been working to solve this problem by developing mechanical circulatory support systems (MCSS) that can replace or assist the failing heart. We defined an ontology - i.e. a catalogue of existing items with formal specification of their features -in the domain of MCSS. Our aim is to support the implementation of an advanced database performing an intelligent management of MCSS installed in a given department. Our database, and relative ontology, has been realized by means of the Protege-2000 tool. About 30 different types of MCSS have been classified and represented according to their qualities. The tool is able to perform several kinds of queries, both with respect to the kind of machine requested and with respect to actual machines installed in a given ward or department.