Abstract
Liquid breathing is a type of respiration in which a human breathes an oxygen-rich liquid such as a perjluorocarbon (PFC).1 PFCs were synthesized during the development of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project) when they were given the codename “Joe’s stuff”. PFCs are organic compounds in which all hydrogen atoms have been replaced by halogens, usually fluoride. In medical applications, the compounds are being evaluated as contrast agents for computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as sensitizing agents during radiotherapy, and as possible oxygen-carrying agents. Because PFCs are stable, inert compounds, they do not react with living tissues, which makes them an ideal candidate for all sorts of medical applications. Currently, the primary application of liquid breathing is the medical treatment of lung problems in babies born prematurely [1, 2].
“It will happen. Surgery will affix a set of artificial gills to man’s circulatory system – right here at the neck – which will permit him to breathe oxygen from the water like a fish. Then the lungs will be by-passed and he will be able to live and breathe in any depth for any amount of time without harm.”
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
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Seedhouse, E. (2011). Liquid Breathing and Artificial Gills. In: Ocean Outpost. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6357-4_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6357-4_9
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