Breathing substance used in Abyss

[ScubaCollin]

Hey guys . . .I didnt know where I would post this so feel free to move this mods.

This question has always been on my mind. Remember the liquid breathing substance used in the movie Abyss. Is that stuff real?

Correct me if Im wrong but I remember hearing on the news that they have actually done tests with this stuff on mice. . .is this true or was I dreaming. Its always interested me.

 

[dilligaf368]

There has been tests on mice. The problem (really lots of them) the water needs to be highly enriched with O2 and another big problem is that water must be in the divers Sinuses and through out the inner ear. Infection problems ect. Water temperature effects the sinuses and middle ear as well as the problem transfering the Liquid to have enough o2 to transfer through the avoi in the lungs. Problems also incur when trying to move water instead of air through the lungs. I don't know if any Person has done the whole thing though. Bill

 

[molksmith]

It's funny because I wondered the same thing with a friend I spoke recently to.
I rented the Directors Edition of the Abyss and it has that great bonus disc with the "The Making of" on it. They basically just took water and dropped some dye in it.
And Ed Harris had to hold his breath for as long as he could and then they collapsed his face mask and stuck a reg in his mouth as soon as possible. As far as the mouse is concerned they just drowned him and resuscitated him.
Although the Priniciple seems sound I don't think that it's real, although by now who Knows...

 

[ScubaCollin]

There has been tests on mice. The problem (really lots of them) the water needs to be highly enriched with O2 and another big problem is that water must be in the divers Sinuses and through out the inner ear. Infection problems ect. Water temperature effects the sinuses and middle ear as well as the problem transfering the Liquid to have enough o2 to transfer through the avoi in the lungs. Problems also incur when trying to move water instead of air through the lungs. I don't know if any Person has done the whole thing though. Bill

Aha I knew I wasnt crazy

 

[molksmith]

I did some searching and correct you are not crazy
although it may be awhile

great link on the subject

http://www.scienceweb.org/movies/abyss.html

 

[Sideband]

It's funny because I wondered the same thing with a friend I spoke recently to.
I rented the Directors Edition of the Abyss and it has that great bonus disc with the "The Making of" on it. They basically just took water and dropped some dye in it.
And Ed Harris had to hold his breath for as long as he could and then they collapsed his face mask and stuck a reg in his mouth as soon as possible. As far as the mouse is concerned they just drowned him and resuscitated him.
Although the Priniciple seems sound I don't think that it's real, although by now who Knows...

I think you might want to rewatch that part as they explain it pretty well. The rat, actually rats, used in the movie DID breath the liquid as it is real and has been around in different forms since the 60's. They did not drown and resuscitate them. They did fake Ed's scenes but the liquid does exist. Oxygenated fluorocarbon currently has uses in patients with acute respiratory failure.
Here is a link that gives a bit of history on the stuff. http://www.scienceweb.org/movies/abyss.html

Joe

edit:Ah. I see you found that link as well.

 

[babar]

The side effect is that the rats get pulmonary edema. They are also using substances called perflourocarbons intravenously to do the same thing. They're involved in clinical trials now.

http://www.sybd.com/pages/sybdproduct.html

Pretty cool stuff. There are some centers who are using this stuff for DCI, it seems that it is very effective at absorbing gas bebbles

Babar

 

[molksmith]

It sounds great...
If only we had that and Aqua Gum we would be set...

 

[Gary D.]

It's called "Liquivent". It exists but is not suitable for human diving. It is used on humans with lung and other problems and is absorbed by the body. It's been around from around the early 60's in one form or another.

Gary D.

 

[Daryl Morse]

There has been tests on mice. The problem (really lots of them) the water needs to be highly enriched with O2 and another big problem is that water must be in the divers Sinuses and through out the inner ear. Infection problems ect. Water temperature effects the sinuses and middle ear as well as the problem transfering the Liquid to have enough o2 to transfer through the avoi in the lungs. Problems also incur when trying to move water instead of air through the lungs. I don't know if any Person has done the whole thing though. Bill

Not to be picky, but that would be the middle ear, not the inner ear.

That is definitely a complication. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to evacuate air out of the middle ear pre-dive and to evacuate the fluid out post-dive without tubes. The procedure to put them in is pretty straight-forward (myringotomy), but with tubes, you wouldn't be able to dive conventionally.