Diffusive Molecular Communication in Biological Cylindrical Environment

TL;DR

This paper analytically models diffusive molecular communication within a biological cylindrical environment, considering flow, degradation, and receptor reactions, and evaluates system performance through simulations and error probability analysis.

Contribution

It derives an analytical Green's function for diffusion in a biological cylinder considering asymmetry, flow, degradation, and receptor reactions, advancing the understanding of molecular communication in such environments.

Findings

Degradation and receptor-covered boundaries help reduce intersymbol interference.

Analytical Green's function accurately characterizes the diffusion channel.

Simulation results validate the analytical model and show parameter effects.

Abstract

Diffusive molecular communication (DMC) is one of the most promising approaches for realizing nano-scale communications in biological environments for healthcare applications. In this paper, a DMC system in biological cylindrical environment is considered, inspired by blood vessel structures in the body. The internal surface of the cylinder boundary is assumed to be covered by the biological receptors which may irreversibly react with hitting molecules. Also, information molecules diffusing in the fluid medium are subject to a degradation reaction and flow. The concentration Green's function of diffusion in this environment is analytically derived which takes into account asymmetry in all radial, axial and azimuthal coordinates. Employing obtained Green's function, information channel between transmitter and transparent receiver of DMC is characterized. To evaluate the DMC system in the biological cylinder, a simple on-off keying modulation scheme is adopted and corresponding error probability is derived. Particle based simulation results confirm the proposed analysis. Also, the effect of different system parameters on the concentration Green's function are examined. Our results reveal that the degradation reaction and the boundary covered by biological receptors may be utilized to mitigate intersymbol interference and outperform corresponding error probability.