University of Sheffield engineers are working on a computer system, which imitates a doctor’s brain to make treatment decisions for intensive care patients.

The system monitors patients’ vital signs and it can learn, adapt, and make informed decisions and decide on the types and quantities of drugs to give to patients in a matter of seconds.

“This new system not only monitors and treats critical patients, but it can also learn from the experiences of medical staff, who can override the machine at any time,” explains Dr Mahdi Mahfouf. “If overridden, the system assimilates the doctor’s input and uses the new information to make decisions about similar cases in the future.”

The system is intended to assist doctors in intensive care units, not to replace them.

Via Net doctor.