Title: ARTIFICIAL GILL COMPLEMENTS LIQUID BREATHING FOR DIVING TO GREAT DEPTHS WITHOUT THE BENDS
Abstract: Liquid breathing’s promise for deep diving without “the bends” (blood gases to remain normal, sea level, due to super atmospheric partial pressures of O2 in the breathing liquid), is limited by the inability of tidal respiration of viscous liquids to dispose of sufficient CO2 (elevated partial pressures of CO2 in the blood cannot be tolerated). High Pressure Nervous Syndrome (HPNS) poses additional problems. This presentation proposes for discussion: The thesis that a membrane oxygenator-like, counter or cross current flow-thru, liquid/liquid “artificial gill”, might complement liquid breathing’s inability to dispose of sufficient CO2, and that HPNS might be better understood without high partial pressures of admixed N2, other diving gases or CO2. Kolobow and Gattinoni have demonstrated that only ∼1/5 cardiac output is required to be routed extracorporeally during ECMO for CO2 removal, in order to adequately complement lung preserving one-way insufflation. Consequently, only a doable ∼5 lpm extracorporeal blood flow through the artificial gill, would be required to complement up to a generous ∼25 lpm cardiac output through the liquid breathing lungs. This would permit gaseous homeostasis in the depths, and near gaseous homeostasis during descent and ascent (gill O2 contribution) from the deck of a ship. Tolerable modifications of standard means for gaining access to both respiratory and vascular systems are expected to be employed. The prospect of deep diving without the bends and an improved understanding of HPNS, through liquid breathing complemented by an artificial gill, is proposed for discussion.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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