> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.b2ihealthcare.com/snow-owl-authoring-platform/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.b2ihealthcare.com/snow-owl-authoring-platform/browsing-and-searching/snomed-ct-view/icons.md).

# Icons

### Top-level concepts and dedicated icons

To facilitate working with SNOMED CT, each top-level concept has its own dedicated icon which is also used for its children (e.g. a heart icon for clinical findings). This way, you can easily distinguish the different top-level hierarchies from each other, no matter where you are working within the hierarchy or what function of Snow Owl you are using.

You can find  below the icons that are used in Snow Owl to identify top-level concepts accompanied by a bit of information about their content:

| Icon                                                                                                     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <img src="/files/sWOuGwkdnP6a9epzbrv3" alt="" data-size="line"> **SNOMED CT Concept**                    | Also called as `root concept`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| <img src="/files/tfGNt8N0WYguoFLhQiPP" alt="" data-size="line"> **Body structure**                       | Normal (e.g. Entire femur) or abnormal (e.g. Vascular polyp) body structures. Anatomically abnormal body structures are found in the Morphologically altered structure sub-hierarchy.                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| <img src="/files/BQMto89597zekzF8EHtX" alt="" data-size="line"> **Clinical finding**                     | <p>Outcomes of clinical observation, assessment, or judgment, as well as <br>normal and abnormal (e.g. Pulse fast) states. Clinical states that are necessarily abnormal (e.g. Acute allergic reaction) are found in the <br>Disease sub-hierarchy.</p>                                                                                                                                         |
| <img src="/files/6CV5U509u7wGvWBLRf4z" alt="" data-size="line"> **Environmental or geographic location** | Different types of environments (e.g. Intensive care unit, Toxic environment, Cold zone) and locations such as countries, states, and regions (e.g. Burundi, Arizona, Island in the region of North America).                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| <img src="/files/dZLUtwwxlp3tCpwWjGxu" alt="" data-size="line"> **Event**                                | <p>Occurrences (e.g. Accident, Exposure to carbon dioxide, Air travel, Environmental event). </p><p>Procedures and interventions are excluded from this category.</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| <img src="/files/5eFgcSZxjJbXKU1sQ92l" alt="" data-size="line"> **Observable entity**                    | Entities that can be measured or observed (e.g. Age at first symptom, Blood pressure, Body temperature).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| <img src="/files/ShN9uMOynb8VlvrtubWP" alt="" data-size="line"> **Organism**                             | Organisms that are relevant in human and veterinary medicine such as animals (e.g. Canis lupus familiaris), plants (e.g. Amaryllis), life-cycle forms (e.g. Bacterial spore), trophic life forms (e.g. Carnivore), chromista (e.g. Oomycota), and microorganisms (e.g. Fungus).                                                                                                                 |
| <img src="/files/r6dowjPOSdtdRzBpPWX7" alt="" data-size="line"> **Pharmaceutical / biological product**  | <p>Drug products (e.g. Oral form aspirin, Alcoholic disinfectant, Lavender oil). </p><p>This hierarchy has to be distinguished from the substance hierarchy, in which the chemical constituents used in pharmaceutical products are represented.</p>                                                                                                                                            |
| <img src="/files/NNAWf1ye7AfoozyGhds7" alt="" data-size="line"> **Physical force**                       | <p>Different kinds of physical influences that are connected to an injury. <br>Examples: Detonation, Air and water pressure, Radiation, Mechanical stress</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| <img src="/files/k7Eyodv70lQADjzBUPVw" alt="" data-size="line"> **Physical object**                      | Devices (e.g. Industrial machine), materials (e.g. Leather), instruments (e.g. Firearm), vehicles (e.g. Snowmobile), and other natural or man-made objects (e.g. Hospital bed, Silver jewelry).                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| <img src="/files/kfHc05nv345rPF9xyNEV" alt="" data-size="line"> **Procedure**                            | Activity in the healthcare sector such as administrative (e.g. Death certification, Formal complaint about GP), invasive (e.g. Removal of wart), diagnostic (e.g. Complete blood count), imaging (e.g. Radiography of shoulder), educational procedures (e.g. Diet education), as well as referrals (e.g. Referral by clinical oncologist)                                                      |
| <img src="/files/NdOJAj9IApAzBNoUbA4N" alt="" data-size="line"> **Qualifier value**                      | <p>Qualifier value concepts are used as values for other SNOMED CT attributes. </p><p>For example, the values for specifying the laterality of an ulnar fracture (i.e. Left, Right) are contained here.</p>                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| <img src="/files/hO4lKb0tjbDy3XoXaLvh" alt="" data-size="line"> **Record artifact**                      | <p>Documents that were created to provide information about healthcare-related <br>events or states of affairs (e.g. Anesthesia record, Birth certificate).</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| <img src="/files/daOND3dDf8Lrv52QwFSl" alt="" data-size="line"> **Situation with explicit context**      | <p>Concepts in this hierarchy specify the circumstances of a procedure, a finding, or a condition. They refer to procedures and conditions in the past (e.g. Injection given) or future (e.g. Awaiting radiotherapy), <br>findings that can be ruled out (e.g. No cardiovascular symptom), or information about someone other than the patient (e.g. Family history of alcoholism).</p>         |
| <img src="/files/MAGXIH3MXEZ1DLRYLaOw" alt="" data-size="line"> **SNOMED CT Model Component**            | Core metadata concepts (provides structural information for international releases), foundation metadata concepts (reference sets, reference set attributes), linkage concepts (attributes, link assertions), namespace concepts, module concepts (e.g. national extensions), etc.                                                                                                              |
| <img src="/files/jVrx6ZcJ2zLFAtpMTu2c" alt="" data-size="line"> **Social context**                       | Social aspects that may influence the health and treatment of a patient. Concepts refer to social status (e.g. Lower middle class economic status), ethnic group (e.g. Caucasian), religion (e.g. Anglican), lifestyle (e.g. Eating habit), family (e.g. Divorced parents), and occupation (e.g. Factory worker).                                                                               |
| <img src="/files/2u162uzF4VaTBmcuG9KH" alt="" data-size="line"> **Special concept**                      | Inactive concepts (e.g. outdated concept) as well as some navigational concepts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| <img src="/files/amKwh9OM2fFulzuFNlb8" alt="" data-size="line"> **Specimen**                             | <p>Samples or specimens that were acquired for examination or analysis. <br>Examples: Blood sample, Genetic sample, Environmental swab, Specimen <br>from bone marrow obtained by biopsy.</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| <img src="/files/p7rjBaO5fsALtR78dNDu" alt="" data-size="line"> **Staging and Scales**                   | <p>Concepts in this hierarchy refer to different instruments of testing and scaling: Assessment scales (e.g. Stanford Binet intelligence scale), classifications <br>(e.g. Endometriosis classification of American Fertility Society), grading <br>systems (e.g. Nottingham histologic grading system), symptom ratings (e.g. Chest pain rating), and tumor staging (e.g. Cancer staging).</p> |
| <img src="/files/wvLvkK3OPL7QF1JjMCZB" alt="" data-size="line"> **Substance**                            | <p>Substances and chemical constituents that are used for pharmaceutical and biological products, as well as body, dietary, and diagnostic substances. <br>Examples: Diclofenac, Melatonin, Urine protein, Swimming pool water.</p>                                                                                                                                                             |


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.b2ihealthcare.com/snow-owl-authoring-platform/browsing-and-searching/snomed-ct-view/icons.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
