Options for Diving Accident Management in Remote Locations
- Slides: 20
Options for Diving Accident Management in Remote Locations William C. Phoel, Ph. D. Undersea Research Foundation International, Inc. 35 Freeman Court Toms River, New Jersey, USA 08753 -2613 and J. Morgan Wells, Ph. D. Undersea Research Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 696 North, Virginia, USA 23128
Four Basic Therapy Options Recompression Chamber on Site In-water Recompression Therapy Oxygen Therapy during Transportation Oxygen Therapy Without Recompression
RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER ONSITE Representative Examples Hydrogen Bomb Search, Mediterranean Sea 150’-165’ Surface Supplied Air U. S. Navy 1966 Biological Research Studies, Gulf of Maine, USA 105’ – 120’ Open-Circuit Scuba NOAA/NMFS 1977 Archaeological Research, Mediterranean Sea 100’-200’ Open-Circuit Scuba >40, 000 Dives INA ~1960 -1990 s
Typical OSV Configuration for a 54” Chamber and ROV
NOAA 42” Double Lock Chamber In Cargo Van
Back End Of Chamber Van HP Compressor Air and Oxygen Cylinders Heat and Air Conditioning Electrical Panels
42” Diameter Double Lock Chamber on a Fishing Boat
Transportation Chambers ©Fabric Chambers Successfully Used For Recompression Therapy Onsite Mostly One-occupant chambers ©Metal Chambers Successfully Used For Recompression Therapy Onsite Single-occupant Chambers and Dual-occupant Chambers
Older, Single Occupant “Coffin Chamber”
Drager Duocom Transportable Chamber Cut-away
Multi-place and Multi-lock Chambers Major Considerations Size and Weight
42 inch diameter double-lock recompression chamber Less than ~3000 lbs (~1315 kg)
Vortex Tube Cooling
Eclipse Oxygen Generator
Required Equipment Extra To Research Diving Operations Without Recompression Capabilities © Recompression Chamber © Vortex Cooling Tube © Oxygen Generator © Semi-closed Rebreather Inside the chamber
Addition of Chamber and Associated Equipment Means ©Increased Safety e. g. Onsite Diving Accident Management ©Increased Efficiency e. g. Surface Decompression with Oxygen Increased Safety plus Increased Efficiency Equals Increased Cost Effectiveness