James R Locke

US Patent:

63217465, Nov 27, 2001

Filed:

May 17, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/574758

Inventors:

William C Schneider - Houston TX
James P. Locke - Houston TX
Horacio M De La Fuente - Friendswood TX

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration - Washington DC

International Classification:

A61G 1000

US Classification:

12820212

Abstract:

A portable, collapsible hyperbaric chamber. A toroidal inflatable skeleton provides initial structural support for the chamber, allowing the attendant and/or patient to enter the chamber. Oval hatches mate against bulkhead rings, and the hyperbaric chamber is pressurized. The hatches seal against an o-ring, and the internal pressure of the chamber provides the required pressure against the hatch to maintain an airtight seal. In the preferred embodiment, the hyperbaric chamber has an airlock to allow the attendant to enter and exit the patient chamber during treatment. Visual communication is provided through portholes in the patient and/or airlock chamber. Life monitoring and support systems are in communication with the interior of the hyperbaric chamber and/or airlock chamber through conduits and/or sealed feed-through connectors into the hyperbaric chamber.