Latticed Channel Model of Touchable Communication Over Capillary Microcirculation Network

Recent progress on bioresorbable and bio-compatible miniature systems provides prospects for developing novel nanorobots operating inside the human body. These nanoscale systems are expected to dissolve in vivo and cause no side effect after completing their tasks. Motivated by these advancements, we have developed the analytical framework of touchable molecular communication (TouchCom) to describe the process of direct drug targeting (DDT) using externally controllable nanorobots. Built upon our previous work, we develop a novel latticed channel model of TouchCom for an interconnected capillary network near a targeted tumor area. Specifically, we propose a two-dimensional grid to synthesize the microcirculation environment, which is used to describe the propagation process of nanorobots. Furthermore, by applying the concept of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems in wireless communications to the therapeutic window in cancer treatment, we propose a MIMO DDT strategy in the latticed channel to enhance the targeting efficiency while minimizing the adverse effect of drug toxicity. Based on the proposed model, we study the influence of blood flow direction on the efficiency of DDT, and introduce a compensation strategy with the help of an external guiding field to mitigate the misalignment between the direction of blood flow and the tumor location.