Modeling diabetes.

Description

Our body continuously strives to achieve homeostasis. It does so through a number of interlocked biological feedback loops, such as the endocrine system—a collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things.

The pancreas, an organ of the endocrine system is integral to our control of blood glucose. Diabetes limits its ability to do so. Our various means of blood glucose control can be modeled as a first order control system or feedback loop. p The following is a compendium of models on diabetes.

Direction

Categories

Cybernetics

Control Systems

Feedback

Modeling

Open loop process

Open loop process

Closed loop process (control system)

Closed loop process (control system)

An example: mechanical thermostat

An example:
    mechanical thermostat

Healthy person

Healthy person

Person with diabetes making manual injections

Person with diabetes making manual injections

Person with diabetes and an artificial pancreas

Person with diabetes and an artificial pancreas

Physiological feedback loop (with artificial control system)

Physiological feedback loop (with artificial control system)

Physiological feedback loop augmented by behavioral and environmental data

Physiological feedback loop augmented by behavioral and environmental data

Feedback loops are not isolated and naturally interact; emerging systems promise to address this complexity.

Feedback loops are not isolated and naturally interact; emerging systems promise to address this complexity.