VIA-RAD: a blackboard-based system for diagnostic radiology

The work described in this article presents an approach to the integration of computer-displayed radiological images with cooperative computerized assistance for decision-making. The VIA-RAD system (Visual Interaction Assistant for Radiology) is a blackboard-based architecture, founded on extensive data collection and analysis in the domain of diagnostic radiology, together with cognitive modeling of the interaction between perception and problem-solving. The details of this system are presented in terms of domain knowledge representation and domain knowledge mapping. A small prototype of the system has been implemented and tested with radiology subjects, and the results of this study are also described.