eprintid: 249
rev_number: 12
eprint_status: archive
userid: 7
dir: disk0/00/00/02/49
datestamp: 2009-10-20 11:29:08
lastmod: 2015-05-29 19:51:43
status_changed: 2009-10-20 11:29:08
type: report
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Hazelwood, Vera
creators_name: Byatt Smith, John
creators_name: Fiedler, Juliusz
creators_name: Lacey, Andrew
creators_name: Leppinen, David
creators_name: Morones-Escobar, Rafael
creators_name: Pachon, Ricardo
creators_name: Please, Colin
corp_creators: Nick Bushell
title: Human Decompression Modelling
ispublished: pub
subjects: medicine
studygroups: esgi68
companyname: VR Technology Limited
full_text_status: public
abstract: At present, no decompression algorithm is able to predict safe decompression for all dive scenarios. In practice, empirical adjustments are made by experienced organisations or divers in order to improve decompression profiles for the range of depths and durations needed on any particular dive. Bubble formation and growth in the human body are the fundamental causes of decompression sickness, and it is believed that there is significant scope for incorporating better modelling of these processes into the design of decompression algorithms.

VR Technology is a leading supplier of technical dive computers. The company is interested in expanding upon an existing algorithm (the Variable Gradient Model - VGM), which is used to design ascent profiles/decompression schedules and thereby mitigate the risk of decompression sickness in divers.

The Study Group took the approach of trying to extend the existing Haldane model to account more explicitly for the formation of bubbles. By extending the model to include bubble dynamics it was expected that some physical understanding could be gained for the existing modifications to some of the parameters. The modelling that occurred consisted of first looking at the Haldane model and then considering a single small isolated bubble in each of the compartments and interpreting the predictions of the model in terms of decompression profiles.
date: 2009
related_url_url: http://www.smithinst.ac.uk/Projects/ESGI68/ESGI68-VRTechnology/Report
citation:   Hazelwood, Vera and Byatt Smith, John and Fiedler, Juliusz and Lacey, Andrew and Leppinen, David and Morones-Escobar, Rafael and Pachon, Ricardo and Please, Colin  (2009) Human Decompression Modelling.  [Study Group Report]     
document_url: http://miis.maths.ox.ac.uk/miis/249/1/VRTechnology-Human.pdf