Object-oriented biomedical system modeling—The Rationale

A short tutorial and a rationale for Object-Oriented Biomedical (Continuous) System Modelling (OOBSM) are given. The paper investigates and defines what is needed in order to make the work with complex bio-medical and pathophysiological models easier, less error prone and conceptually clearer than is possible by using the existing modelling techniques. It also contains a specification of what is required in order to make such models and corresponding knowledge communicable among different research groups and in order to use such models as components in even more complex models. The work shows that hitherto available continuous system modelling languages and tools are less suitable for the construction of complex, interdisciplinary, multilevel, hierarchical models and model components and that those modelling languages do not allow for easy exchange and communication of the model knowledge between different research groups and sites. It concludes that object-oriented and distributed objects methodologies are both feasible and suitable for such modelling.