Patent ID: 7289944

Claim:
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method, comprising: acquiring observed signs and symptoms data from a user interface, wherein said data is input by a user to describe a given situation or condition which may or may not be associated with a hazardous incident; acquiring agent characteristic data from records in a database, wherein each record includes data representative of a known hazardous agent; and performing an initial agent identification by comparing the observed signs and symptoms acquired from the user interface with the agent characteristics data for each record in the database, wherein said performing an initial agent identification by comparing the observed signs and symptoms acquired from the user interface with the agent characteristics data for each record in the database comprises using an algorithm selected from the group consisting of: (a) Agent Identification=Max[W 1 ·(number of matched Signs)+W 2 ·(number of matched Symptoms)+W 3 ·(number of matched Times-of-Onset)−W 4 ·(number of Mismatches)], wherein W represents the relative weights given to corresponding matches or mismatches, and Max represents a process in which the result or score obtained from applying the foregoing algorithm to each record in said database is evaluated to determine the record with the greatest numerical value; (b) Agent Identification=Max[W 1 ·(number of matched Signs)+W 2 ·(number of matched Symptoms)+W 3 ·(number of matched Times-of-Onset)−W 4 ·(number of Mismatches)+W 5 ·(Sensor Input)+W 6 ·(Sampling Data)], wherein W represents the relative weights given to corresponding matches or mismatches, and Max represents a process in which the result or score obtained from applying the foregoing algorithm to each record in said database is evaluated to determine the record with the greatest numerical value; and (c) Agent Identification=Max[W 1 ·(number of matched Signs)+W 2 ·(number of matched Symptoms)+W 3 ·(number of matched Times-of-Onset)−W 4 ·(number of Mismatches)+W 5 ·(Sensor Input)+W 6 ·(Sampling Data)+W 7 ·(Time Data)+W 8 ·(Intelligence)+W 9 ·(Number of Casualties)+W 10 ·(Distribution of Casualties)+W 11 ·(MET Data)], wherein W represents the relative weights given to corresponding matches or mismatches, and Max represents a process in which the result or score obtained from applying the foregoing algorithm to each record in said database is evaluated to determine the record with the greatest numerical value.