23 European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering

Recent research efforts in biomedical science areas report the use of Optimal Control techniques in the development of effective therapeutic treatments. However, the solution algorithms of this kind are complex and often not generally applicable. In this work we analyze a model of the natural response of immune system to the determination of a treatment based on the application of therapeutic agents and a Dynamic Programming Theory. Objective function was proposed for minimizing harm to an organism by a pathogen attack and excessive use of drugs. The problem was formulated using the Bellman principle of optimality and solved by using an exhaustive search method: the Iterative Dynamic Programming Algorithm. This class of tools has been scarcely explored in medicine and biomedical research; the results demonstrate reliability of this tool in the determination of best medical treatment.