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Abstract

A portable computer for underwater use to provide a diver with indicia alerting him of the need for decompression pauses during ascent and to further provide a decompression ascent schedule. A pressure transducer measures the diver's depth during the dive and continuously transfers this information to simulators which simulate absorption or desorption by body tissues of nitrogen in response to the instantaneous hydrostatic pressure. The values generated by the simulators are normalized so that the maximum value beyond which decompression is required for each tissue is the same. The largest normalized value is selected for display to the diver from which he determines whether the need for decompression pauses will be required during ascent. When decompression pauses are indicated, the present hydrostatic pressure to which the diver is exposed and the largest normalized tissue absorption value are arithmetically combined. From this arithmetic combination there is generated a value from which the diver may determine an appropriate ascent schedule comprising time durations for decompression pauses at depths selected by the diver during ascent. In the preferred embodiment, the decompression ascent computer comprises analog circuitry to perform the simulating function. Additional analog circuitry performs the normalizing, selecting, and combining functions. An alternate embodiment utilizes digital techniques to perform the functions required to generate the indicia provided the diver indicative of the need of a decompression ascent schedule as well as the schedule itself.

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First Claim