UACE2025: Acoustic methods of monitoring respiratory system of scuba divers during and after underwater missions

• Session:
  Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Ecosystem
• Paper:
  Acoustic methods of monitoring respiratory system of scuba divers during and after underwater missions
• Author(s):
  Vladimir Korenbaum, Anatoly Kostiv, Sergei Gorovoy, Veronika Malaeva, Irina Pochekutova, Anton Shiryaev, Andrei Fershalov
• Abstract:
  Monitoring of diver’s respiratory system status remains an urgent problem. The study of respiratory noises revealed new acoustic approaches to its solution. An application of wearable hydrophone as well as external one is founded for monitoring the status of divers under water. The respiration rate and its dynamics, the ratio of inhalation and exhalation times, evaluated in the characteristic frequency bands, are supposed as monitored parameters for wearable hydrophone. For example, for the diver in normal status the ratio of inhalation and exhalation times was 1:2.5, and the respiratory rhythm was 10.3 breaths per minute. However for the diver who had problems with equipment and demanded finishing his mission the breathing rhythm was 18 breaths per minute, and the ratio of inhalation and exhalation times was 1:1.3 (before evacuation from water). These values are significantly different from parameters of the diver in normal status. Usage of external hydrophone provided an ability to evaluate a breathing rate of diver at the distances up to 50 m by exhalation noises. After underwater missions it is supposed to monitor dynamics of tracheal forced expiratory noise time (FETa) measured in the frequency band of 200-2000 Hz, which increase is connected to enlarging bronchial resistance. For group of 6 divers, performed wet submersions in modern closed type breathing apparatus, statistically significant increase of FETa was found in relation to background status before dive. This response may be treated as an adverse influence of even a short hyperbaric hyperoxia on bronchial resistance. Evaluation of an individual response of the acoustic parameter FETa to dive in comparison with natural variability allowed monitoring individual features of divers lung function undetectable by spirometry. Developed methods are promising to monitor respiratory system of scuba divers during and after underwater missions.
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Contact details

• Contact person:
  Prof Vladimir Korenbaum
• e-mail:
  
• Affiliation:
  Pacific Oceanologic Institute of Russian academy of sciences
• Country:
  Russian Federation