SBIR Phase I: Wearable Technology to Prevent Decompression Sickness Underwater by Continuously Monitoring Bubble Presence in the Bloodstream and Tissues

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，通过实时监测潜水者在潜水时体内氮气气泡的形成，开发一种独特的可穿戴式潜水设备，消除减压病(DCS)的风险。在进行水下活动时发展成DC的风险发生在上升阶段，此时不断变化的压力可能会在组织和身体内形成氮气泡。气泡的存在会引发各种严重伤害，造成长期后果，甚至死亡。任何专业的和有执照的娱乐性潜水培训都会让学员意识到与DC相关的风险。潜水员被指示遵循根据经验数据的统计考虑建立的标准的上升率和安全停靠点。然而，在3%的浸泡过程中，遵守规则的潜水员会患上弥漫性潜水症，这需要昂贵而令人痛苦的疏散和高压舱治疗。这种可穿戴设备将在疾病发展之前提醒潜水员，降低患上唐氏综合症的风险，使水下活动变得更简单、更安全。拟议的项目计划展示一种从声室概念改编而来的创新超声波共振概念。声室是一种由压电体布置成带状的结构，当受到振荡的电压时，这些结构被设置为变形、膨胀和压缩。可以设置振荡频率以匹配进入共振的介质的振动模式。在这样的条件下，该装置对系统弹性性质的微小变化非常敏感，例如由可压缩气泡的存在引起的那些变化。该项目将执行一项计划，以生产可穿戴的压电阵列设计。将使用人工智能和传统方法来分析电气干扰，并将其与气泡大小实时关联。将确定计算、数据采集和电源要求。最终，这些结果将决定潜水员将所有必需组件集成到自主可穿戴式分布式控制系统风险检测设备中的可行性。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable the development of a unique wearable scuba-diving device that will eliminate the risk of Decompression Sickness (DCS), by monitoring in real time the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the body of the user while in the dive. The risk to develop DCS while conducting underwater activities occurs during the ascension phase, when the changing pressure may yield the formation of nitrogen bubbles in tissues and body. The presence of bubbles triggers a variety of serious injuries with long term consequences and even death. Any professional and licensed recreational scuba training makes trainees aware about the risks associated to DCS. Divers are instructed to follow ascent rates and safety stops according with criteria established from statistical considerations of empirical data. Nevertheless, DCS is suffered by rule-abiding divers during 3% of the immersions, requiring costly and distressing evacuation and treatment with hyperbaric chambers. The wearable device will alert the scuba-diver before the sickness develops, reducing the risk to suffer DCS, making underwater activities simpler and safer. The proposed project plans to demonstrate an innovative ultrasonic resonant concept adapted from the acoustic chamber notion. Acoustic chambers are structures which are belted by piezoelectric arrangements which are set to deform expanding and compressing when subjected to oscillating electric voltages. The frequency of oscillations can be set to match the modes of vibration of the media entering in resonance. Under such conditions the setup is extremely sensitive to minor changes in the elastic properties of the system, such as those induced by the presence of compressible bubbles. This project will execute a plan to produce a wearable design of the piezoelectric array. Artificial intelligence as well as conventional methods will be employed to analyze the electrical disturbances, and relate them to the bubbles sizes in real time. The computing, data acquisition and power requirements will be determined. Ultimately, these results will determine the feasibility to integrate all the required components in an autonomous wearable DCS risk detection device by a scuba diver.