Chain Modeling of Molecular Communications for Body Area Network

Abstract

Molecular communications provide an attractive opportunity to precisely regulate biological signaling in nano-medicine applications of body area networks. In this paper, we utilize molecular communication tools to interpret how neural signals are generated in response to external stimuli. First, we propose a chain model of molecular communication system by considering three types of biological signaling through different communication media. Second, communication models of hormonal signaling, Ca ${}^{2+}$ signaling and neural signaling are developed based on existing knowledge. Third, an amplify-and-forward relaying mechanism is proposed to connect different types of signaling. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed communication system facilitates the information exchange between the neural system and nano-machines, and suggests that proper adjustment can optimize the communication system performance.