Portable Hyperbaric Chambers

[hyperbaricjosh]

Here are some pictures we have taken back in September 2007 when we introduce the Hyperlite in the remote area of Les Escoumins. Notice this is a Dauphin A365 rescue helicopter and we managed to fit the Hyperlite in the helicopter. You can see the pictures on the Hyperlite web site. The protocoles we are using for transfering a patient were developped by the US Navy. We also developped a CO poisoining treatment protocoles. Keep in mind that an unconscious patient would not be allowed in the Hyperlite for obvious reason that you do not have access to the patient. However the Hyperlite has a penetrator plate where various patient monitoring device can be introduced. I understand that the price for a unit may sometime scare a certain clientele however what I can tell you is that we were able to raise $100K for the whole program in a municipality that has 1200 permanent resident we were able to do this in one year. We are also most likely putting another one where the population is no greater than 1500 resident. It takes some convincing to certain people but they understand the needs to have such device available for the safety of their tourist divers.

 

[Thalassamania]

What does that $45K buy? Last time I checked (and that was a while back) that did not come close to getting you a turn-key chamber system, the cost of which would be well over $100K.

 

[DennisS]

One step up from portable is transportable. We had one of the chambers on a NOAA ship in Hawaii, while the scientists did tech dives.

http://www.cowanmfg.com.au/PDF/Transportable_Chamber_System_Cowan.pdf

 

[Thalassamania]

Just to be clear, scientists do not do "tech" dives.

Our normal diving limit is 190 FSW, that depth may be exceeded with permission of the Diving Control Board and the use of breathing gas, other than air, is based on "endorsement" to do so by the Diving Control Board.

 

[DennisS]

OK, they were scientific dives outside recreational limits with DIR equipment configuration, deco and trimix. The scientists were accompanied by local divers doing tech dives.

 

[Thalassamania]

How were "local divers" approved to dive off of a NOAA vessel? I am assuming that everyone involved would have had to have NOAA Working Diver credentials.

 

[DennisS]

It was an unusual dive trip. The dive crew consisted of Hawaii Aquarium divers, local tech diver, U of Hawaii divers, Terrence Tysall as dive supervisor, two navy divers/medics for running the chamber and NOAA Divers. They were mixing onboard for dive ops. It was all approved from above. Definitely not your average NOAA dive op.

It was the first time I ever saw a chamber of that design, really a compact little unit.

 

[Thalassamania]

They're nice little chambers, the big concern is the TUP collar, that can easily kill.

I can't imagine such a team lash-up. I'd never had permitted it. I'd have limited the team to UH and NOAA divers, end of story. Of course it may have been possible, with a little lead time, to qualify the Aquarium divers and even the local techies as UH divers, perhaps all they would need would be a physical, a written exam, a check-out dive and a log review.

 

[DiveTheGalapagos]

While clearly the Hyperlite, at any cost, is not going to be appropriate on a live-aboad due to the inability to carry properly trained medical personnel, it could an option for one remote island where they have at least one doctor for whom I would imagine training would be possible. In the Galapagos, the majority of DCS cases are fisherman diving from a compressor and line who know way too little about the physics of diving.

And while it may be more appropriate for a different thread than here, in the event of an emergency, how helpful would 95% oxygen be if it were 18 hours back to port? I had originally looked at a concentrator that only produced 65% oxygen which DAN informed me would be useless. No such thing as helicopter evacuation out here.

 

[John_Selby]

We would be the first to accept that in many circumstances a transportable chamber could offer more services but that is not what this thread is about, nor is it in the same price bracket. With a helicopter with winch (600 lb. lift, you can lift a Hyperlite and transfer in through the door, (no under-slinging) where a helicopter cannot land. Horses for courses. With regard to price, please remember that we used to sell the unit in £ sterling when the pound was STRONG. We now make a considerable part in the US, to even out the fluctuation, and even the top of the range is under $70,000 excluding air and oxygen cylinders or training. No more mention of six figure prices please! With regard to oxygen concentrators, they are not yet suitable for our application. Firstly we do not wish to rely on either compressors or electrics. Secondly, we would need a gang of concentrators to meet our requirements. One may be only breathing 0.3 cfm (8 lpm) at the surface, but at treatment pressure, that is three times as much, not providing 100% oxygen and still requiring power. The only power needs for the Hyperlite are two 9 volt batteries to power the comms. and one of those is for the standby duplex circuit. All other power requirements are in the stored energy in the cylinders!