10 Modeling and Realization on a Chip of Growth Hormone Secretion Mechanism

In this paper, we present a mathematical model for the Growth Hormone (GH) secretion mechanism. The model is simulated using Hardware Description Language; the simulation is then synthesized on a compact electronic chip. This paper is an extension of an extension of previous work [1]. After synthesis, the chip is a stand-alone electronic device that mimics the mechanism. The chip is a Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The chip, because it is compact, can be attached to the skin of the patient and monitor, through miniature sensors, the concentration of the hormones involved in the GH secretion. The mathematical model is developed based on a modified biomathematical nonlinear delay differential equations. The model explores the effects of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH), Somatotropin Release-Inhibiting factor (SRIF), and Insulin-like growth hormone (IGF-1) on Growth Hormone (GH). Testing of the chip indicates that the chip correctly mimics the GH secretion mechanism.