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Is anyone feeling innovative? From DoD 2003.2 SBIR SOLICITATION
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir032/index.htm
N03-221 TITLE: Bubble Detection Using Pulse-Echo Ultrasound
TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Biomedical
ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Deep Submergence Biomedical Development Program
OBJECTIVE: Enable researchers in decompression for divers and rescued submarine crew members to determine decompression stress in both animals and eventually human subjects, to produce more accurate decompression schedules with fewer subjects.
DESCRIPTION: Decompression researchers have used Doppler bubble detection for over three decades. Doppler ultrasound devices are interpreted subjectively by listing through headphones and giving a score of one through four. Variability is high, with poor repeatability, among researchers and even for the same researcher. Newer technology using pulse-echo ultrasound can detect, count, and classify emboli in the vascular system. Adaptation of this technology to diving research would add a great measure of reliability to the research. Once this technology became generally available it would enhance safety and reduce decompression sickness risk of commercial divers, and even sport divers who are diving long and deep schedules.
PHASE I: Determine feasibility to detect bubble emboli both in medium-sized animals often used in diving research and in humans (also, analyze existing pulse-echo ultrasound apparatus and detector algorithms). Test the system at normal atmospheric pressure.
PHASE II: Test the system in hyperbaric chambers using various pressures with medium sized animals such as small pigs, followed by testing in hyperbaric chambers during animal decompression research. Adapt the apparatus to human use and use the system during human experimental diving studies.
PHASE III: Support the development of the product into a commercially available apparatus usable with limited training by diving and medical professionals. Introduce its use at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command, as a standard procedure to be used to monitor safety and efficacy for all decompression studies.
PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: Most decompression studies are done by the Navy, or supported by Navy funds. There are limited studies done by several universities that could clearly benefit from this technology. In addition there are many commercial diving operations, such as the petroleum industry, which require divers to use deep, long schedules with a significant risk of decompression sickness, and which would benefit by the greatly increased precision of the proposed system.
REFERENCES:
1. Spencer MP and MT Smith. Determining optimum saturation decompression schedules using Doppler ultrasound and a calibrated venous gas embolism scale. Undersea Biomedical Res 1979 6(1): 16
2. Nishi RY. Doppler and ultrasonic bubble detection. The Physiology and Medicine of Diving, 4th Ed., 1993, Bennett P and Elliott D eds., Chap 15, pp 433-453.
KEYWORDS: decompression, Doppler, ultrasound, embolism, venous, pulse-echo
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir032/index.htm
N03-221 TITLE: Bubble Detection Using Pulse-Echo Ultrasound
TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Biomedical
ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Deep Submergence Biomedical Development Program
OBJECTIVE: Enable researchers in decompression for divers and rescued submarine crew members to determine decompression stress in both animals and eventually human subjects, to produce more accurate decompression schedules with fewer subjects.
DESCRIPTION: Decompression researchers have used Doppler bubble detection for over three decades. Doppler ultrasound devices are interpreted subjectively by listing through headphones and giving a score of one through four. Variability is high, with poor repeatability, among researchers and even for the same researcher. Newer technology using pulse-echo ultrasound can detect, count, and classify emboli in the vascular system. Adaptation of this technology to diving research would add a great measure of reliability to the research. Once this technology became generally available it would enhance safety and reduce decompression sickness risk of commercial divers, and even sport divers who are diving long and deep schedules.
PHASE I: Determine feasibility to detect bubble emboli both in medium-sized animals often used in diving research and in humans (also, analyze existing pulse-echo ultrasound apparatus and detector algorithms). Test the system at normal atmospheric pressure.
PHASE II: Test the system in hyperbaric chambers using various pressures with medium sized animals such as small pigs, followed by testing in hyperbaric chambers during animal decompression research. Adapt the apparatus to human use and use the system during human experimental diving studies.
PHASE III: Support the development of the product into a commercially available apparatus usable with limited training by diving and medical professionals. Introduce its use at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command, as a standard procedure to be used to monitor safety and efficacy for all decompression studies.
PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: Most decompression studies are done by the Navy, or supported by Navy funds. There are limited studies done by several universities that could clearly benefit from this technology. In addition there are many commercial diving operations, such as the petroleum industry, which require divers to use deep, long schedules with a significant risk of decompression sickness, and which would benefit by the greatly increased precision of the proposed system.
REFERENCES:
1. Spencer MP and MT Smith. Determining optimum saturation decompression schedules using Doppler ultrasound and a calibrated venous gas embolism scale. Undersea Biomedical Res 1979 6(1): 16
2. Nishi RY. Doppler and ultrasonic bubble detection. The Physiology and Medicine of Diving, 4th Ed., 1993, Bennett P and Elliott D eds., Chap 15, pp 433-453.
KEYWORDS: decompression, Doppler, ultrasound, embolism, venous, pulse-echo
