Effect of intravascular bubbles on perfusate flow and gas elimination rates following simulated decompression of a model tissue.

This study deals with the monitoring of the elimination rates of gases from a porous cylindrical model of the human tissue during simulated single-stop decompression schedules. The data suggest the presence of an optimal decompression stop for each dive at which the gas elimination rate is maximum. The effect of varying the flow rate and the viscosity of the liquid perfusing the tissue model on the elimination rate is determined for different diving conditions. Although this study has been carried out on a single tissue model, it provides means for explaining some of the physiological phenomena observed in human tissues.