Patent ID: 7136787

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating a continuous mathematical model of a feature common to subjects in a subject group, wherein the subjects are biological subjects and the feature is a biological feature, the method comprising: determining a plurality of sample data sets corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of the subjects in the subject group; determining, from the sample data sets, a plurality of values for one or more mathematical parameters corresponding to one or more basis functions for the continuous mathematical model; determining, from the values for the one or more mathematical parameters, one or more distribution-function parameters for specifying one or more distribution functions for the one or more mathematical parameters, wherein a summation of the one or more basis functions multiplied by sampled values of the one or more distribution functions provides the continuous mathematical model of the feature; simulating the feature by generating sampled values of the one or more distribution functions by computer; calculating at least one statistical property of the simulated feature for characterizing the at least one physiological characteristic of the subjects in the subject group; and saving the at least one statistical property of the simulated feature.