Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Hypobaric body chamber
Patent
1991-07-26
1993-10-26
Millin, V.
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Hypobaric body chamber
600 21, 12820526, 405185, A62B 3100
Patent
active
052556735
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to pressure vessels, and particularly to decompression chambers used to protect divers suffering from decompression syndrome (bends). Fixed metal decompression chambers are usually located at permanent sites in hospitals and medical centres. However, since delay in treatment can worsen the condition and lead in some cases to death, portable decompression chambers have been developed.
In order to reduce the weight of portable chambers still further and make them stowable for ease of carrying in helicopters and small boats, collapsible chambers have been developed in which the chamber is a flexible bag which becomes inflated by the chamber pressure. One such chamber, also known as a hyperbaric chamber, is described in GB-A-2,164,984.
The present invention is concerned with the construction of a pressure vessel of the type having a flexible wall and also discloses a linking element for connecting two pressure vessels so that, for example, a diver temporarily under treatment in a portable decompression chamber can be transferred to a fixed decompression chamber without possible fatal loss of pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to this invention, an inflatable pressure vessel comprises an elongate casing having end members for closing the casing to form a vessel of which at least one of the end members is removable to provide access to the interior of the vessel, the casing comprising a flexible tubular wall of a silicone elastomer material incorporating windings of reinforcing filaments or yarns.
The inflatable pressure vessel may be a decompression chamber having a casing of a size when inflated to accommodate a recumbent person.
The tubular casing is preferably cylindrical or frusto-conical and is preferably of circular cross-section. The removable end member (or members) may be a rigid plate of a shape and size corresponding to the cross-section of the inflated casing and sealingly locatable from within the casing against an internal frame secured to the wall of the casing and defining the open end of the casing which the end member is to close. Thus, internal vessel pressure forces the rigid end plate against an inwardly-facing surface of the frame to seal the vessel.
With a casing of circular cross-section, the rigid end plate may be a disc which seats against the inside surface of a ring which is fixed to the wall of the casing around the open end or is moulded integrally with the wall. If the compression vessel has the tubular female part of a linking element formed as an extension of the wall of the casing, then the frame or ring against which the rigid end plate or disc is to seat may be located co-axially adjacent to that female part of the linking element between the linking element and the main body of the casing. Insertion of a rigid end member through the open end of the casing into its interior is facilitated if the female part of the linking element has a degree of flexibility.
The services for the pressure vessel such as pressurising gas feeds may be provided through one or more ports in the at least one end member or both end members.
The at least one end member or both end members may be a rigid plate or disc as mentioned and this is preferably of a domed shape to increase its strength against internal pressure in the vessel. For a decompression chamber where lightness of weight is important, a plastics material may be used for the end members and this is preferably transparent to allow illumination of the chamber and inspection of a person contained therein. A transparent acrylic plastics material is suitable in this regard.
The material used for the construction of the casing of the inflatable pressure vessel is important. Silicone elastomer materials provide the required combination of lightness in weight, flexibility and toughness in use as well as being essentially non-toxic to humans and having low flammability characteristics. All of these properties are important in relation to portable decompression chambers in particul
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Alaka Riyadh N. A.
Cardwell John F.
Martin Simon C.
Rowan James H. C.
Selby John S.
Courtaulds Plc & SOS Limited
Millin V.
Passaniti Sebastiano
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