Decompression / Hyperbaric Chambers

Acrylic Viewports manufactured to ASME PVHO Rules used in Decompression / Hyperbaric Chambers.

Acrylic Viewports are used as a pressure window in order for the chamber operator to view the patients in the chamber.  Acrylic is used for this purpose in order to give the patient and the operator clear vision and also, unlike glass, Acrylic showing signs of deterioration can easily be assessed for suitability for it’s application.

A decompression chamber, also known as a recompression or hyperbaric chamber, is a sealed compartment that is pressurized to mimic different levels of atmospheric pressure.  Small chambers fit just one person but larger versions can comfortably accommodate up to ten individuals.  They are perhaps most commonly used in scuba diving, as a way for divers to re-pressurize and enable their bodies to adjust to normal atmospheric conditions after being underwater for long periods of time.  There are also a number of medical uses for the chambers; they often play an important part in carbon monoxide poisoning treatments and can also be used to help people heal from certain bacterial and radiation-related illnesses.

The main goal of decompression chambers is to manipulate the outside air pressure around a person in order to influence his or her blood chemistry and oxygen intake. People don’t usually need this sort of device unless they have spent a lot of time in an environment that has forced their bodies to acclimate in extreme ways.  Deep-sea divers are one of the most common examples.  If divers are not very careful during their ascent to sea level they can suffer from “decompression sickness,” which is essentially an increase in nitrogen in the blood.  Deep time in a chamber is often the only way to help people in these situations recalibrate. 

Extreme cases of carbon monoxide poisoning and radiation exposure can sometimes also be reversed with pressure therapy since the chambers can help force peoples’ blood chemistry to raise or reduce oxygen levels, as needed, to get back to normal levels.