Lighting Up "The Bends" - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

7/7/08

Lighting Up "The Bends"

Posted:

Researchers in Houston are working on a laser that could light up decompression sickness, also known as the bends. That's a painful condition that strikes scuba divers and pilots.

At the University of Houston, researchers are using a laser that works by locating tiny bubbles of nitrogen gas that block the blood vessels. The laser light bounces back when it encounters the blockage, producing a high resolution image.

That means shining the laser on a person would provide an image in a matter of seconds, so treatment could start even before the symptoms show up.

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