Using ontologies to reason about the usability of interactive medical devices in multiple situations of use

Abstract

Formally modelling interactive software systems and devices allows us to prove properties of correctness about such devices, and thus ensure effectiveness of their use. It also enables us to consider interaction properties such as usability and consistency between the interface and system functionality. Interactive modal devices, that have a fixed interface but whose behaviour is dependent on the mode of the device, can be similarly modelled. Such devices always behave in the same way (i.e. have the same functionality and interaction possibilities) irrespective of how, or where, they are used. However, a user’s interaction with such devices may vary according to the physical location or environment in which they are situated (we refer to this as a system’s context and usage situation). In this paper we look at a particular example of a safety-critical system, that of a modal interactive medical syringe pump, which is used in multiple situations. We consider how ontologies can be used to reason about the effects of different situations on the use of such devices.