DCS BubbleSpec Tissue-Penetrating OCT Bubble Measurement System for DCS Etiology

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes a powerful new enabling technology for DCS etiology using deeply penetrating far-red optical coherence tomography (OCT) with automated bubble identification and characterization software. The key parameters for OCT measurement of DCS-related bubbles are tissue penetration depth, bubble size resolution, imaging speed, and resistance to movement artifacts. A program plan is proposed in which the OCT at Case Western Reserve University Biomedical Engineering Department is used as a test-bed to establish the applicability of OCT for DCS studies and then redesigned specifically for that application. Adapting the existing OCT system to more penetrating far-red (rather than infrared) wavelengths and adapting particle sizing and counting techniques developed at PSI for industrial fluid monitoring applications will result in a DCS-optimized device with unique in-vivo bubble characterization capabilities. Additionally, PSI will investigate miniaturization of the technology for on-diver DCS studies. With near-real time continuous read-out of bubble size distribution, total bubble count, and gas volume fraction, ground-breaking insight into DCS dose/response relationships will be made possible.