The Value Of A Decompression Chamber Service

By Janine Hughes


During the mid-20th century free-divers reached depths previously out of reach, and in doing so encountered a related safety hazard. A too-rapid ascent caused dissolved gases in the blood to expand quickly as pressure was reduced. The bubbles that resulted could cause extreme pain, paralysis, and even death. The solution still in use is a slow equalization of internal pressure inside a special room. A decompression chamber service is designed to keep those facilities runs smoothly.

Also called hyperbaric chambers, the original designs used large steel boilers common in the power plants of ships. They were already operated under high pressure, and could be transformed into airtight vessels holding several people at a time. This solution was successful, and the basic idea has been improved and modified since then by adding safety features and using different building materials.

Although metal is still used in certain models, most current chambers today are made of acrylics, and generally resemble a modern treatment room. In order to reduce boredom during long sessions spent inside, many are equipped with electronic entertainment centers. All employ the most advanced methods of preventing accidental fire, and most are computer controlled. Patient comfort is emphasized.

Those designed for one person at a time are called monoplace chambers, and can be pressurized and the air inside replaced with pure oxygen. These models are featured by most manufacturers, and cost slightly more than those made of metal. The safety records associated with this design show a high level of reliability, and allow patients to be closely observed and medically monitored.

Multiplace chambers are intended for use by several people, and also contain advanced monitoring systems. There may be more than one airlock used to maintain room integrity, and individual oxygen is supplied by a mask or hood, or sometimes through an endotracheal tube. This makes it unnecessary to completely fill the room with pure oxygen, and reduces the possibility of fire. People with different degrees of distress can be treated simultaneously .

The same type of pressurized chamber is widely used by many hospitals today to help those having problems healing normally. Hyperbaric chambers are used to aid those suffering from diabetic open wounds, people with severe burns requiring skin grafts or who have been accidentally crushed, or patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy. Breathing oxygen under pressure increases levels more efficiently.

Because these installations may be needed at any hour, any unscheduled down-time is not acceptable. Specialized services exist that present and install these chambers, as well as monitoring and maintaining them once in place. There is a strong emphasis on deploying repair technicians as quickly as possible when problems do emerge, and remote maintenance software that recognizes and corrects problems from a distance has become essential.

Not only do they maintain and service those products, but some also provide ongoing training for the people who operate them, using replicated environments that can demonstrate new innovations and techniques. The primary goal of these services is the reduction of time spent upgrading and maintaining a chamber, and to allow decompression centers to be ready to provide high-quality treatment when required.




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