Manned Hyperbaric Demonstration of Incipient Bubble Detection Using Nonlinear Ultrasonic Propagation

摘要

A series of hyperbaric chamber dives were planned and executed which had potential for producing bubbles within the human system and yet allowed recompression therapy prior to overt decompression sickness. The test subjects were instrumented with Westinghouse designed ultrasonic transducers and signal processing set-up. Continuous recordings of transducer response before, during and after the dives were made. These tests further demonstrated that the Westinghouse Nonlinear Ultrasonic Propagation Technique can detect bubbles both within the venous and the capillary system, that it can count and otherwise characterize these bubbles, that it can do so at a power level well below the recommended 'safe level, and that it can do so well before diver awareness of symptoms. (Author)