Models and Representations of Formulas in Korean Medicine Information Systems

Article information

J Korean Med. 2014;35(1):41-49

Publication date (electronic) : 2014 March 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.14004

Sang-Kyun Kim, Anna Kim, Young-Taek Oh, Hyunchul Jang

Informatics Development & Management Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine

">Correspondence to: 장현철 (Hyunchul Jang), 대전광역시 유성구 전민동 461-24 한국한의학연구원 정보개발운영그룹, Tel:+82-42-868-9364, Fax:+82-42-861-9421, E-mail:hcjang@kiom.re.kr

Received 2013 November 20; Revised 2014 March 10; Accepted 2014 March 14.

Abstract

Objectives

We propose a method to model and represent formulas in Korean medicine information systems.

Methods:

All the formulas were codified in the form of graphs representing the relationship between a formula and its constituents. To identify a unique formula in a graph, the formula’s name, the book in which the formula was written, the book where the formula was extracted, and the page number in the extracted book are used. All the formulas and the relationship between formulas are modelled as an ontology based on graphs.

Results:

A formula search system was constructed using our ontology, which can represent formula information efficiently by grouping and filtering of formulas. Our formula model was also constructed as a mobile application.

Conclusions:

The information in our formula search system depends on our ontology. However, our model or our search scenarios could be extended according to formula information.

Keywords: Ontology; formula; semantic search; mobile; Korean medicine

Fig. 1

Example of modeling an ephedra herb in Korean medicine ontology

Fig. 2

Relation diagram among ephedra herbs in Korean medicine ontology

Fig. 3

Two scenarios of searching formula

Fig. 4

Searching process by a formula name

Fig. 5

Searching process by references from other objects

Fig. 6

Example of a source list of formulas

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