Question: Team Members Full Names:
Answer: Cristina Despa, Ionut Cirja

Question: Mentor:
Answer: We have no mentor, we are ourselves mentors.

Question: Title of Project:
Answer: TAT(Technology against Tuberculosis)

Question: Project Overview:
Answer: Out of the 6 billion people worldwide almost ½ are infected with a form of TB virus. Considering these numbers it's no surprise that nearly 2 million people are killed every year at the dawn of the new millennium. More people die every year of tuberculosis rather then violent conflicts around the world. In past years the United Nations has been advocating the need for proper medical care in developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America as a main millennium goal. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2020 nearly one billion people will be newly infected, 200 million people will get sick and 35 million will die from TB (twice as much as the victims of World War I). The mechanisms, pathogenesis and prophylaxis knowledge is minimal. Students around the world use Imagine Cup as means to focus their energy and creativity on helping, preventing and solve some of these pressing problems. Our team has, thus developed TAT Technology against Tuberculosis website, a community website destined to help diagnose the early stages of tuberculosis infection using an advanced expert system and provide vital information and guidance in countries where medical practices and assistance can be a problem. Our mail goal is to keep an efficient report upon TB’s evolution and to carry out its virtual diagnosis. The application comprises latest news in the field (first page) as well as a tribute brought to all pioneers who contributed to TB’s discovering, diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, the forte is the expert system that facilitates the virtual diagnosis of the disease. The system is based on real data facts and information colleted by us on the field during project’s development. It took us a long while and a lot of research, but this is what makes the system work and not a prototype. You can find out more about it in the ‘Expert System: What is an expert system?’ section. This web application refers to those infected with TB or medical staff, but every passionate student or teacher is welcome to expand his knowledge and learn something new. The fight against TB needs everybody’s action and commitment. Tuberculosis is still everywhere and its future care is everybody’s responsibility.

Question: Technology/Software Used:
Answer: Expression Design, Flash, XML, Php

Question: Inspiration: What inspired your team to enter the Microsoft Imagine Cup and why did you choose the Design competition?
Answer: This is not our first year in the Imagine Cup Competition. We have a great experience because he have participated in the past in the Software Design, Photography, Web development, Short Film, Embedded or Interface competition also. But, far from the most, the Design competition is our favorite one.

Question: Team History: How did your team meet?
Answer: We met in 2003 and our passion for design united us. We are together ever since.

Question: Team Experience: What experience did your team have with Design before competing in the Imagine Cup?
Answer: First of all, one of us already works in the design field and also has two sequent finals in Imagine Cup design competitions.

Question: Highlights: What has been the best part of the Imagine Cup competition to date?
Answer: The second round has always been the most challenging part of the competition because it meant lots of work, many hours and long nights spent on solving bugs and problems, developing parts of application. This brought us even closer.

Question: Inspiration: How did your team come up with your submission? Include which Millennium Development Goal inspired your solution.
Answer: Students around the world use Imagine Cup as means to focus their energy and creativity on helping, preventing and solve pressing problems of the new millennium. Our team has, thus, thought to develop this submission which is destined to help diagnose the early stages of an killing disease-tuberculosis infection.

Question: Challenges: What personal or technological challenges did your team face while developing your submission?
Answer: Only a few technological problems were encountered. Most of the issues were personal ones because our project implied lots of research and interaction with persons in the field who helped us gather all the information and data we needed to complete the application.

Question: Future Plans: What does your team plan on doing after the Worldwide Finals in Cairo, Egypt? Do you plan to use your project to launch a new business?
Answer: I can't tell that we will start a business with this project, because it is a non-profit project. We created it just to help and inform people about this disease. Anyway, we have other plans to develop a business.

Question: Links to more information (i.e. website, blog):
Answer: www.techatb.com