Detection of Intravascular Bubbles in Decompression Sickness and Associated Physiological Issues

Gas emboli have long been recognized as being involved in the mechanism of decompression sickness. A brief review of past observations and methods to detect gas bubbles in biological systems under decompression stresses is presented.

The main body of the presentation focuses on current human data associated with gas bubbles preceding bends, and the bubble dynamics before, during and after episodes of subjective pain.

Emphasis will be placed on ultrasonic methodology associated with monitoring humans in spacecraft/altitude research environments.