Pulmonary Function After Oxygen-Accelerated Decompressions from Repetitive Sub-Saturation Air Dives

摘要

The Submarine Rescue and Diving Recompression System (SRDRS), the future disabled submarine rescue capability for the U.S. Navy, will include a module capable of transporting up to 16 submariners and two operators, and a surface chamber able to accommodate up to 36 people. A total of 10 dives would be required to rescue a 155-man crew. Oxygen-accelerated decompression as part of a repeated-dive profile could permit 10 operators to rescue a fully-manned submarine. Even emergency-use decompression schedules must keep the overall incidence of DCS within acceptable limits without imposing unacceptably severe symptoms or signs of pulmonary or CNS oxygen toxicity. NEDU was tasked to develop and test oxygen-accelerated decompression schedules for repetitive sub- saturation air sorties.1 Eight oxygen-accelerated decompression profiles for tenders in a disabled submarine rescue vehicle were tested. Each profile involved two dives of the same duration to the same depth. NEDU Technical Report 05-04(2) describes the development and testing of the decompression profiles, while this report details the oxygen toxicity observed during testing of the profiles.