[WATCH] University of Malta project revolutionises diving with personalised decompression monitor

Divers returning to the surface do so gradually in a timed schedule to avoid getting 'the bends' but this important exercise is in for a revolution following research by University of Malta scientists.

The research undertaken by Jonathan Farrugia is developing a Personal Decompression Monitor (PerDeMon) to provide divers with accurate real-time readings on their decompression schedule as they surface after a dive. 

The €200,000 project under the auspices of Dr Joseph Caruana from the physics department will look to revolutionise the industry.

“It is something which the diving industry has always sought. The diver is not swimming blindly, but they have no insurance on what is happening inside his body,” he said. “You are lowering risks when you provide accurate readings on their body.” 

Divers currently keep track of the time spent at given depths via a dive computer, which employs an algorithm to compute an ascent schedule, prescribing stops at given depths to allow the inert gasses to come out of the solution slowly. 

The specific schedule depends on the particular dive profile, and the process is modelled within a generalised theoretical framework that is not diver-specific. Sometimes, decompression sickness occurs even when the followed dive profile is not expected to lead to such an outcome.

The PerDeMon will move away from a one size fits all model. “Right now, diver surfacing is based on theory, and this does not always work because body types are different.” 

It is a state-of-the-art device carrying a specialised sensor attached to the diver that will yield real-time data that can be used to tailor the decompression schedule to the individual diver to maximise safety.

Asked what the future holds for the project, Caruana said the next research phase would look to test the device within a hyperbaric chamber to provide controlled conditions for the testing to be carried out.

After that phase of the project is completed, the device would be tested in actual dives, and should it pass all the requirements; it would be the final validation of the project.

The funds for the project came from the Malta Council for Science and Technology.

During a visit to the UOM labs, Innovation Minister Owen Bonnici said government is committed to keep sustaining such projects. "We are committed to investing in the future and the creation of new solutions that can eventually be commercialised. Such collaborations are crucial for local research and innovation and need to be encouraged and incentivised."

Update: This article has been updated to include the name of the key researcher of the project, Jonathan Farrugia.