Analytical Modeling of Dispersive Closed-loop MC Channels with Pulsatile Flow
2026-04-09 • Emerging Technologies
Emerging Technologies
AI summaryⓘ
The authors study how molecules carry messages inside the body through blood flow, which is not constant but pulses with the heartbeat. They created a simple mathematical model showing how the changing blood flow affects the spread of these molecules over time. Their model matches detailed computer simulations well and helps understand molecular communication in real, moving blood. This work highlights that blood flow's pulsing nature changes how signals travel compared to assuming steady flow.
Molecular communicationCardiovascular systemPulsatile flowDiffusionChannel impulse responseCyclostationary processParticle-based simulationWrapped Normal distributionDispersive channelClosed-loop network
Authors
Theofilos Symeonidis, Fardad Vakilipoor, Robert Schober, Nunzio Tuccitto, Maximilian Schäfer
Abstract
Molecular communication (MC) is a communication paradigm in which information is conveyed through the controlled release, propagation, and reception of molecules. Many envisioned healthcare applications of MC are expected to operate inside the human body. In this environment, the cardiovascular system ( CVS) acts as the physical channel, which forms a closed-loop network where particle transport is mainly governed by the combined effects of diffusion and flow. Despite the fact that physiological flows in many parts of the human body are inherently pulsatile due to the cardiac cycle, most existing models for dispersive closed-loop MC channels assume a constant flow velocity. In this paper, we present a time-variant one-dimensional (1D ) channel model for dispersive closed-loop MC systems with pulsatile flow. We derive an analytical expression for the channel impulse response (CIR ), which follows a wrapped Normal distribution with time-variant mean and variance. The obtained model reveals the cyclostationary nature of the channel and quantifies the influence of pulsation on the temporal concentration profile compared to steady-flow systems. Finally, the model is validated by three-dimensional ( 3D ) particle-based simulations (PBS s), showing excellent agreement and enabling an efficient analytical characterization of the channel.