Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells that are responsible for the production of insulin. As a result, exogenous insulin is required to regulate glucose levels in subjects with type 1 diabetes.

Bergman et al. (1981) formulated a simple model to capture insulin/glucose kinetics in plasma and maintain a basic physiologic framework. This ‘minimal model’ adequately describes the dynamics of insulin and glucose with three differential equations, one to represent glucose and two to describe insulin action.

Ref. Bergman, R. N.; Philips, L. S. & Cobelli, C. (1981), 'Physiological evaluation of factors controlling glucose tolerance in man', J. Clin. Invest. 68(6), 1456-1467