Contents, Introduction...1 Chapter 1- Historical Perspective...7, Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691)...7, Rediscovery...8, Caissons Disease...9, Paul Bert (1833-1886)...11, John Scott Haldane (1860-1936)...12, US Navy...15, Robert Workman...16, Professor Albert Buhlmann (1923 - 1994)...17 Chapter 2- Decompression Principles...19, Overview...19, The Air we Breathe...20, The Effects of Pressure...21, Dalton's Law...22, The Lungs...23, Henry's Law...26, Diffusion...26, Gas Transport...28, Perfusion...28, Saturation...29, Tissue Compartments...30, Half Times...30, Supersaturation...32, Critical Supersaturation...34, Controlling Ratio M-Values...34, Ascent Rates...36, No-Stop Dives...39, Bubble Formation...40, Silent Bubbles...40, Safety Stops...41, Decompression Stops...43, Oxygen Window...48 Chapter 3- Decompression Illness...51, Burst Lung...51, Arterial Gas Embolism (AGE )...52, Interstitial Emphysema...52, Pneumothorax...52, Decompression Sickness...52, Decompression Classification...53, Type I...53, Type II...54, Type III...54, Type IV ...55, Reclassification of DCS and AGE ...57, Symptoms of the Bends by Frequency ...59, Time of Onset of Symptoms ...59, Predisposing Factors...60, Dehydration...60, Dive Profiles...61, Repetitive Diving...62, Temperature...62, Obesity...63, Exercise...63, Smoking...65, Age...66, Flying after Diving...66, Reverse Profile...67, Previous Injury...69, PFO...69, Lung Shunts...72, Doppler Bubble Detection...73, Medical implications of DCI...75, First Aid...76, Oxygen...77, 5 Minute Neurological Exam...79, Recompression...81, In-Water Recompression...85, Omitted Decompression...87 Chapter 4- Saturation Diving...89, Development Of Saturation Diving...90, Commercial Saturation Diving...93, Saturation Decompression...93 Chapter 5- Nitrox...95, Using Nitrox...97, Using Nitrox as a Decompression Gas...100, The Oxygen Window Revisited...104 Chapter 6- Deep Stops and Bubble Models...109, Deep Stops...111, Pyle Deep Stops - an Example...113, Gradient Factors...116, Dual Phase (Bubble) Models...118, Individual Bubble Behaviour...120, Multiple Bubble Behaviour...124, Gas Switches and Bubble Models...126, Specific Bubble Models: Thermodynamic Model...127, Varying Permeability Model...129, Critical Volume Algorithm...131, Development of VPM...132, Reduced Gradient Bubble Model...133 Chapter 7- Mixed Gas...135, Choice of Gas...136, Argon...136, Neon...136, Hydrogen...136, Helium...137, Trimix...140, Trimix Decompression...143, Helium in Decompression Gases...147, Isobaric Counter Diffusion...148 Chapter 8- Other Decompression Models...157, RNPL - Slab Diffusion...158, BSAC -'88...160, US Navy Exponential Linear Model...162, Probabilistic Models...163, DCIEM...165, Ratio Deco...168 Chapter 9- Decompression Calculations...171, Compartments, Half Times and Surfacing Ratios...171, Workman M-Values (1965)...172, Buhlmann ...173, ZH-L16A Set of M-Values for Nitrogen (1990)...174, ZH-L16A Half-times, "A" and "B" Values for Nitrogen and Helium...175, Conversion from Workman M-Values to Buhlmann Coefficients...175, The DCAP MM11F6 Model (1988) for Nitrogen...176, Variable Permeability Model (VPM)...177, Alveolar Partial Pressure...177, No Decompression Limits (NDL)...178, Saturation Level...178, Buhlmann...178, Schreiner...178, Ascent Ceiling...178, Decompression Stops...179, Calculating a Decompression Profile...179, Gradient Factors...180, Saturation Diving...180, DCIEM...180, Ratio Deco...181, GUE Ratio Deco Calculations...181, Ratio Set Points...181, First Deep Stop...181, Generic Ratio Deco Calculations...181, Ratio Set Points...181, First Deep Stop...181, Acknowledgements...182, References and Further Reading...183, Index...190