Patent ID: 7370021

Claim:
A neural network system, comprising: a processor, a memory device, an input layer comprising one or more input nodes configured to receive a first set of gene expression data categorized into one or more conditions from groups of subjects having said one or more conditions and to store said data in said memory device; said input layer further comprising input nodes configured to receive a second set of gene expression data from a biological sample from a patient; a rule base layer comprising one or more rule nodes; an adaptive component; and an output layer comprising one or more output nodes, said memory device having an evolving connectionist systems (ECOS) program embodied on a computer-readable medium containing a set of instructions for execution by said processor; where said adaptive component is configured to extract one or more first rules from the rule base layer, said one or more first rules representing relationships between the first set of gene expression data and the one or more conditions; where each of said rule nodes in said rule base layer has a minimum activation threshold; and where each of said rule nodes is adapted to become activated when said data satisfies the minimum activation threshold of said rule node; where said one or more first rules is a criterion for diagnosis or prognosis of a disease condition in a patient; and said program containing instructions to compare said one or more first rules and a second rule obtained from said second set of gene expression data from said patient to determine whether said patient has a disease condition.