Gas Bubble Dynamics in the Human Body

Gas Bubble Dynamics in the Human Body provides a broad range of professionals, from physicians working in a clinic, hospital or hyperbaric facility, to physical scientists trying to understand and predict the dynamics of gas bubble behavior in the body, with an interdisciplinary perspective on gas-bubble disease. Both iatrogenic and decompression-induced gas bubbles are considered. The basic medical and physiological aspects are described first, in plain language, with numerous illustrations that facilitate an intuitive grasp of the basic underlying medicine and physiology. Current issues in the field, particularly microbubbles and microparticles, and their possible role in gas-bubble disease are included. The physical and mathematical material is given at several levels of sophistication, with the "hard-core" math separated out in sections labelled "For the Math Mavens", so that the basic concepts can be grasped at a descriptive level. The field is large and multi-disciplinary, so that some of the discussion that is at a greater depth is given separately in sections labelled "In Greater Detail". Skipping these sections for whatever reason, shouldn't materially hamper acquiring an overall appreciation of the field.

Autorentext

Saul Goldman is a Professor Emeritus in the Chemistry Department at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Goldman is a highly cited researcher in statistical mechanics, transport theory, and simulations applied to atoms and molecules in fluid phases and to ions in ion channels. The purpose of much of his work is to predict and understand the thermodynamic, structural, spectroscopic and transport properties of molecules, atoms and ions, particularly under conditions that are relevant to molecular biology and engineering. Recent interests include the dynamics of gas bubbles in the body, and developing improved biophysical models for reducing the risk of decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism in scuba diving.

Klappentext

Gas Bubble Dynamics in the Human Body provides a broad range of professionals, from physicians working in a clinic, hospital or hyperbaric facility, to physical scientists trying to understand and predict the dynamics of gas bubble behavior in the body, with an interdisciplinary perspective on gas-bubble disease. Both iatrogenic and decompression-induced gas bubbles are considered. The basic medical and physiological aspects are described first, in plain language, with numerous illustrations that facilitate an intuitive grasp of the basic underlying medicine and physiology. Current issues in the field, particularly microbubbles and microparticles, and their possible role in gas-bubble disease are included. The physical and mathematical material is given at several levels of sophistication, with the "hard-core" math separated out in sections labelled "For the Math Mavens", so that the basic concepts can be grasped at a descriptive level. The field is large and multi-disciplinary, so that some of the discussion that is at a greater depth is given separately in sections labelled "In Greater Detail". Skipping these sections for whatever reason, shouldn't materially hamper acquiring an overall appreciation of the field.

Inhalt

1. Bubbles in the body: The not so good, the bad and the ugly2. Driving force for gas bubble growth and dissolution3. Rates of gas bubble growth and dissolution in simple liquids4. Estimating the radii and lifetimes of small gas bubbles suspended in simple liquids5. AGEs in scuba diving and in DCS-like problems in breath-hold diving6. Gas bubbles in soft tissue-like solids7. The evils that bubbles do8. Compartmental decompression models and DCS risk estimation9. Treating teh evils that bubbles do10. Merging medicine and Mmath: Gas bubble dynamics in the treatment of gas-bubble disease