Abstract
Recently, Molecular Communication (MC) has been recognized as an enabling technology for nanonetworks where MC is envisioned to enable nanorobots to achieve sophisticated and complex tasks in the human body for promising medical applications. Many MC methods that can be applied in the human body have been proposed and modeled in the literature. However, none of them can be used to convey information between distant points that are separated by body fluids, tissues, or placed in different organs. In this paper, we propose a new method and system for Molecular Communication in the Body, denoted MoSiMe and MoCoBo, respectively. The method takes advantage of how the absorption, distribution, metabolization, and elimination (ADME) bodily processes affects drugs, referred to as Pharmacokinetics (PK) in pharmacology, to enable MC between any points of the human body regardless of their distance even if they are in different parts of the body and separated by tissues and fluids. The architecture, design and components of the MoCoBo system and MoSiMe method are described and different transmitter designs, including a novel passive transmitter design for the first time in telecommunications, are introduced. An analytical model for the body channel is derived and validated with respect to existing human and animal tests. The model captures the ADME bodily processes that affect the kinetics of substances administered to the body. Additionally, an experimental MoCoBo proof of concept platform, capable of reliably sending and receiving a stream of bits between a transmitter and a receiver, is built and validated against clinical trials, animal tests and analytical models. The introduced platform can also be utilized to test modulation techniques and designs for new MoCoBo transmitters and receivers.