DEEPLIFE in International Maritime Health (2023)

Under The Pole has developed a compact and innovative underwater habitat, called CAPSULE. Deployed at a depth of 20 meters, divers spend three days inside before ascending to the surface. By ascending only at the end of their stay, divers save valuable underwater working time (only a single decompression) and can thus conduct continuous research on marine life.

The objective of this work was twofold for Under The Pole and the team of researchers and hyperbaric medicine specialists collaborating on this program. First, they aimed to create a specific decompression procedure after a stay in the CAPSULE. Second, they sought to evaluate the health status of divers staying in this habitat. The decompression procedure was set at 4 hours of ascent in open water after 3 days in the CAPSULE. Medical evaluations were conducted before the dive, then one hour and 24 hours after surfacing. This article describes the medical management of this atypical project and the clinical monitoring, focusing on the cardiovascular system, fatigue, and psychological tolerance of the divers.

In total, 17 dives, each lasting three days in the CAPSULE, were monitored by the team of physicians and dive physiology experts. The study results show that divers tolerated their stay in the CAPSULE and the decompression procedure well. No serious illness or decompression accidents were observed. The divers’ bubble levels after decompression were low, and no signs of anxiety were reported. Upon returning to land, a decrease in blood pressure was observed in divers while standing. This moderate and transient effect likely resulted from returning to gravity after three days in the CAPSULE (sitting or lying in the habitat, or in weightlessness during dives).

These results are promising for the development of the CAPSULE program, which will require further experiments to confirm these decompression procedures and to expand the range of exploration offered by this new type of scientific diving concept.

Summary from the article "Scientific shallow saturation dive expedition using diving rebreathers and a specific dry habitat: medical management and physiological challenges of Capsule program."

Read the full article via the link below. 

Authors - Gouin E, Blatteau JE, Dugrenot E, Under The Pole consortium, Guerrero F, Gardette B.