MRI-Compatible Hyper/Hypobaric Chamber

Hyperbaric and hypobaric environments are known to have profound effects on the physiology of animals and humans.ĀThese effects can limit mission capabilities or, in some cases, even be life threatening.ĀIn other cases, these environments can induce very beneficial, sometimes life-saving health effects.ĀEven though the health effects of hypo/hyperbaric exposure have been observed for many decades, the underlying physiology is often poorly understood due to a lack of instrumentation available to directly observe the phenomena of interest under hypo/hyperbaric conditions. In this program, we propose to develop a human-rated, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible hypo/hyperbaric chamber that will provide a novel, powerful imaging capability for medical research.ĀThe chamber will be designed for ease of use and flexibility to accommodate a broad range of future experiments.ĀPreviously, we developed a designed and fabricated a prototype chamber expected to pass testing required for human use.ĀWe demonstrated the chamber in an unpressurized state in an MRI.ĀUnder the current project we will begin operating the chamber under pressure and perform initial MRI demonstrations under hyperbaric conditions.ĀWe will also deliver the chamber to the Navy for future use.