The Chorioallantoic Membrane Model: A 3D in vivo Testbed for Design and Analysis of MC Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces the Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) model as a new in vivo 3D testbed for molecular communication systems, enabling realistic testing of MC applications like health monitoring and drug delivery.

Contribution

The paper presents the CAM model as a versatile, reproducible in vivo testbed for molecular communications, including its characterization and an analytical model for molecule propagation.

Findings

CAM model effectively simulates molecule distribution in vascular systems

Proposed analytical model approximates molecule propagation in CAM

CAM facilitates transition from proof-of-concept to practical MC applications

Abstract

Molecular Communications (MC) research is increasingly focused on applications within the human body, such as health monitoring and drug delivery. These applications require testing in realistic and living environments. Thus, advancing experimental MC research to the next level requires the development of in vivo experimental testbeds. In this paper, we introduce the Chorioallantoic Membrane ( CAM ) model as a versatile 3D in vivo MC testbed. The CAM is a highly vascularized membrane formed in fertilized chicken eggs and has gained significance in various research fields, including bioengineering, cancer research, and drug development. Its versatility, reproducibility, and realistic biological properties make the CAM model perfectly suited for next-generation MC testbeds, facilitating the transition from proof-of-concept systems to practical applications. We provide a comprehensive introduction to the CAM model, its properties, and its applications in practical research. Additionally, we present a characterization of the CAM model as an MC system. As a preliminary experimental study, we investigate the distribution of fluorescent molecules in the closed-loop vascular system of the CAM model. We also derive an approximate analytical model for the propagation of molecules in closed-loop systems, and show that the proposed model is able to approximate molecule propagation in the CAM model.