LIKE A FISH – REVOLUTIONARY UNDERWATER BREATHING

[emad]

LIKE A FISH – SYSTEM

REVOLUTIONARY UNDERWATER BREATHING
- Iddo Genuth for IsraCast -


An Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of compressed air tanks. This new invention will use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and submarines. The invention has already captured the interest of most major diving manufacturers as well as the Israeli Navy.

The idea of breathing underwater without cumbersome compressed air tanks has been the dream of science fiction writers for many years. In George Lucas’ movie "The Phantom Menace", Obi-Wan whips out a little Jedi underwater breathing apparatus and dives in. As things tend to happen in our world, yesterday’s science fiction has turned into today's science fact due to one Israeli inventor with a dream.

There are a number of limitations to the existing compressed air tank underwater breathing method. The first is the amount of time a diver can stay underwater, which is the result of the compressed air tank capacity. Another limitation is the dependence on compressed air refueling facilities near the diving site which are costly to operate and are used to compress the gas into the tanks which might be dangerous if not handled properly. The final problem has to do with the actual use of compressed air tanks underwater. When these tanks are in use they empty out and change the balance of the diver in the water.

http://www.isracast.com/tech_news/310505_tech.htm

[SnohoDem]

1. That's cool.

I can't wait for this to go commercial.

[Hugin]

2. Well now!

Can't believe it hasn't been thought of before now!

[Hugin]

4. A few years ago...

There was a big deal about "Flying Underwater"...

Some guy was making a submersible which uses hydrodynamics in
a way similar to aerodynamics in aircraft.

I wonder how that turned out.

[Blue-Jay]

3. I hope this really works!

I'll start diving again.

[Patiod]

5. Years ago, they were talking about "fluid breathing"

folks at Temple University were developing a what was esssentially an oxygenated liquid that could be put into the lungs to save the lungs of preemies and people with lung damage. There were also some thoughts that it might work for divers, because there wouldn't be the need for decompressing. They wanted to test it on adult volunteers, so they came to our dive club (one of the researchers dove with us). Not surprisingly, there were no takers...

Sadly, I had to quit diving because one of my ear tubes (?) is way smaller than the other, which makes it hard to equalize. I saw a doctor once who was also a diver, and he said "oh, we can ream that right out for you and get you back in the ocean again".

Well, no, I won't use the word "ream" and "ear" in the same sentence unless my hearing is at risk or something. No way do those two words go together for a hobby, however enjoyable.

[DS1]

6. Both my tubes are relatively undeveloped

I can get an ear infection from simply jumping in water. Diving is out of the question.

[Igel]

7. I recall some practical joke in which a flywheel was mounted in

a suitcase, set to spinning, and carried straight down a hall. The physicist then handed it off to the intended victim, shortly before he was required to execute a sharp turn around a corner. If forget if the case lurched out of his hands, or merely lurched.

"The system developed by Bodner uses a well known physical law called the "Henry Law" which describes gas absorption in liquids. This law states that the amount of gas that can be dissolved in a liquid body is proportional to the pressure on the liquid body. The law works in both directions – lowering the pressure will release more gas out of the liquid. This is done by a centrifuge which rotates rapidly thus creating under pressure inside a small sealed chamber containing sea water."

The centrifuge had better be low mass, otherwise it'll be an damned annoyance. It probably won't be revolving fast enough, or be massive enough, to be much more than an annoyance. But annoying, nonetheless.

[oneighty]

8. Been around for years

There was a working model described in Skin Diver Magazine long ago. It has many very serious problems.

Liquid breathing in mice was done in the middle of the last century by Doctor Kylstra. Dr. Kylstra went on with the assistance of Dr. Ed Lanphier at the State University Of N.Y. Buffalo to successfully 'Liquid breathe" dogs in a decompression chamber.

Due to the density of the oxygen saturated saline water an elaborate mechanical pumping system was necessary to properly ventilate the dogs lungs. Removing carbon dioxide from the dogs system was a serious draw back, one which could not be overcome.

Some years later Dr. Kylstra at Duke University liquid breathed a human (friend of mine)one lung at a time. A movie was made of the procedure. We called it 'The Gagging Movie.'

180
Search; Kylstra liquid breathing