Summary
The physical facts of submergence determine the physiological problems which limit man's ability to dive successfully to great depths. Chief among these is the hydrostatic pressure to which the deep diver is exposed, and which must be compensated by the pressure of the diving gas mixture which he is breathing. Since oxygen exerts toxic effects even at relatively low pressures, it becomes necessary to employ inert diluents such as nitrogen or helium to achieve this pressure compensation. This requirement in turn, creates additional problems which are caused by (1) the biological activity of all so-called “inert” gases (2), effects of the physical properties of compressed gas mixtures, and (3) the uptake of inert gases by the tissues of the body. These problems are closely interrelated; for example, increased gas density leads to carbon dioxide retention which in turn enhances simultaneously the narcotic effect of inert gases and their uptake by the tissues of the body.
The physiological limitations of useful human existence under water are being explored by determining the mental and work performance of divers exposed to elevated environmental pressures for extended periods of time. Since 1962 more than 90 such saturation exposures (exposures lasting at least 24 hours) have been carried out in laboratory chambers and in undersea habitats at pressures ranging up to 27 ata (1 ata = 735.6 mm Hg). Under these conditions no serious detriments to human performance have been determined to date as long as environmental parameters such as temperature, composition of breathing gas mixture, etc., remained carefully optimized.
The decompression of divers from working dives short of saturation is still associated with significant risks of decompression sickness. However, this risk is steadily being reduced by the application of increasingly sophisticated mathematical models of inert gas transport. These models provide basic guidelines for the safe decompression of deep divers. They do require, however, further verification and refinement by applied physiological investigations into the mechanism of inert gas transport and decompression sickness. The eventual goal of such studies is to give the deep diver the capability to carry out safely, and with maximum efficiency, all mental and physical tasks required of him.
The decompression of divers from working dives short of saturation is still associated with significant risks of decompression sickness. However, this risk is steadily being reduced by the application of increasingly sophisticated mathematical models of inert gas transport. These models provide basic guidelines for the safe decompression of deep divers. They do require, however, further verification and refinement by applied physiological investigations into the mechanism of inert gas transport and decompression sickness. The eventual goal of such studies is to give the deep diver the capability to carry out safely, and with maximum efficiency, all mental and physical tasks required of him.
Zusammenfassung
Physikalische Paktoren beim Tauchen bestimmen die physiologischen Probleme, die das Tauchen in großen Wassertiefen begrenzen. Wesentlich ist der hydrostatische Druck, dem der Taucher ausgesetzt ist und der ausgeglichen werden muß durch den Druck des Tauchgasgemisches, das er einatmet. Da Sauerstoff schon bei verhältnismäßig niedrigem Druck toxische Erscheinungen hervorruft, wurde es notwendig, Inertgase zu verwenden, wie z. B. Stickstoff oder Helium, um diesen Druckausgleich zu erreichen. Diese Bedingung bringt jedoch zusätzliche Probleme, die hervorgerufen werden
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1.
durch die biologische Aktivität von allen sogenannten „Inert”-Gasen,
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2.
durch Effekte der physikalischen Eigenschaften von Gasdruckgemischen und
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3.
durch das Aufnehmen von Inertgasen, durch das Körpergewebe.
Die Probleme sind untereinander verwoben, z. B. erhöhte Gasdichte führt zu Kohlendioxyd-Retention, diese aber steigert gleichzeitig den narkotischen Effekt der Inertgase und ihre Aufnahme durch das Körpergewebe. Die physiologischen Grenzen für eine menschliche Tätigkeit unter Wasser wurden zunächst durch die Arbeitsleistung von Tauchern, die für ausgedehnte Zeitabschnitte erhöhten Umgebungsdrücken ausgesetzt waren, bestimmt.
Seit 1962 wurden mehr als 90 solcher Sättigungsversuche (Versuchsdauer zuletzt 24 Std) in Laboratoriumskammern und in Unterwasserhäusern bei einem Druck bis zu 27 ata durchgeführt. Unter diesen Bedingungen konnten keine ernsthaften Schäden und keine ernsthafte Minderung der menschlichen Leistungsfähigkeit festgestellt werden, solange die Umgebungsparameter — Temperatur, Zusammensetzung des Atemgasgemisches etc. — sorgfältig optimal abgestimmt wurden.
Die Dekompression von Tauchern kurz vor Sättigung ist noch mit bedenklichen Risiken der Druckfallkrankheit verbunden. Dieses Risiko wird jedoch immer mehr reduziert durch Verwendung immer hochentwickelterer mathematischer Modelle des Inertgas-Transportes im Organismus. Diese Modelle versprechen richtliniengebende Werte für die sichere Dekompression von Tieftauchern.
Das Endziel solcher Studien ist es, dem Tieftaucher die Möglichkeit zu geben, alle ihm gestellten psychischen und physischen Aufgaben sicher und mit einem Maximum an Leistungsfähigkeit auszuführen.
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Nach einem Vortrag auf dem 2. Marinemedizmisch-wissenschaftlichen Symposium in Kiel am 4. 5. 1968.
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Schreiner, H.R. Ein kritischer Überblick über den gegenwärtigen Stand der angewandten Tieftauchphysiologie. Int. Z. Angew. Physiol. Einschl. Arbeitsphysiol. 27, 76–98 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00695019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00695019