Bubble production in agarose gels subjected to different decompression schedules

The relative effectiveness of seven different (military, commercial, and experimental) decompression schedules in reducing bubble formation within aqueous gels has been evaluated quantitatively under rigorously controlled conditions. Specifically, visual counts have been conducted of the bubbles formed in highly purified agarose gels subjected to the different decompression schedules. The order of effectiveness among these schedules in reducing bubble formation in the agarose gel samples was as follows: Model 1 greater than Royal Naval Physiological Laboratory approximately French Ministry of Labor greater than Yount et al. greater than Japanese Department of Labor greater than United States Navy greater than French Navy. It was concluded that the depth at which slow decompression commences is a major factor, along with the total decompression time, in determining the extent of bubble formation.