Soft Shell Hyperbaric Chamber: What It Is and How It Works

What kind of product is a soft shell cabin

Soft shell hyperbaric chamber, also known as soft shell hyperbaric chamber, refers to a type of chamber in which the chamber body is compressed by flexible materials rather than rigid metal structures. Its outer shell is made of flexible fabric or soft materials such as TPU, which is inflated and pressurized into the cabin to form an air pressure environment higher than the ambient pressure. Because the shell is soft and can be folded and stored, it is both a soft cabin and is often classified as a portable, inflatable low-pressure cabin. The soft shell in the name emphasizes that the shell is not compressed by the hard structure, which is the most fundamental difference between it and the hard body cabin.

There are many English names for soft shell cabins

The English name of this type of product is very scattered, and people who come into contact with it the first time are easily confused. Called by shell, in addition to soft shell hyperbaric chamber, there is also soft sided hyperbaric chamber, as well as linked softshell hyperbaric chamber and hyphenated soft-sided hyperbaric chamber. According to the form, because the shell can be folded and folded like a bag, it is called a hyperbaric chamber bag; because to inflate, inflatable hyperbaric chamber and inflatable hyperbaric oxygen chamber appear. If you reverse the word order, you will see writing styles such as soft chamber hyperbaric and hyperbaric soft chamber; adding soft before the cabin is soft hyperbaric chamber. These names actually refer to the same type of low-pressure flexible cabin.

What is the difference between soft shell and hard shell

To understand the soft shell cabin, you must first look at it together with the hard body cabin. The body of the hard shell cabin is compressed with rigid materials such as stainless steel, while the soft shell cabin is compressed with flexible materials. This difference falls directly on pressure: the most common pressure settings for low-pressure soft pods are 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 ATA, and most of them are directly pressurized with ambient air, so that the user is not exposed to an environment close to pure oxygen. The hard body compartment corresponds to a higher pressure threshold.

This determines their positioning. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the clinical sense requires the user to be in a hard body cabin and breathe medical-grade oxygen at a pressure of not less than 2.0 ATA. The commonly used range is roughly 2.0 to 3.0 ATA. The pressure of the soft-shell chamber is significantly lower than this threshold, so a soft-shell hyperbaric chamber will not automatically become a clinical treatment chamber just because it has hyperbaric in its name.

Oxygen in pressure numbers and names

The most frequently occurring pressure gears in soft-shell compartments are 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 ATA. ATA is the abbreviation of atmospheres absolute, which refers to the absolute pressure measured at zero point in absolute vacuum. 1 ATA is equal to one standard atmosphere of pressure. When looking at the specifications, you should distinguish between absolute pressure and gauge pressure. The difference between the two is a full atmosphere of pressure. If you read the same number in a different caliber, the meaning will be completely different.

There are also many ways to write “oxygen” in a name, such as soft shell hyperbaric oxygen chamber, soft shell oxygen chamber, as well as hyperbaric oxygen soft chamber, soft hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The oxygen in these names emphasizes the oxygen supply layer and does not change the pressure specifications of the cabin itself. Low-pressure soft-shell tanks are mostly directly pressurized with ambient air. A tank marked 1.4 ATA has a pressure caliber of 1.4 ATA, regardless of whether it has oxygen in its name or not.

Common forms and materials

There are many options for the form of soft shell cabins. There are single-person portable recumbent cabins, models that are widened to accommodate one adult and one child at the same time, and sitting cabins that are compatible with the seats. Common cabin materials are TPUs, with transparent viewing windows, entrance zippers and folding structures. The size, weight and portability of different models under the same brand vary greatly. When choosing a model, you need to go back to the specific model to check and not just focus on the pressure numbers.

What to check when purchasing and using

If you really want to buy a soft shell cabin, there are a few things worth confirming item by item. The pressure parameter cannot be replaced by just one ATA value, but should also indicate the normal working pressure, the maximum allowable working pressure and the set pressure of the pressure relief device. The air supply method should be clear, whether it is using ambient air or an external oxygen source, which will directly affect the usage and precautions. In terms of compliance status, the US market can check the 510(k) records of specific devices by product code and note that 510(k) cleared and FDA approved are two different things.

The level of use is equally bounded. The low-pressure soft-shell cabin must be operated according to the instructions of the specific model, continuously monitored by personnel who meet the requirements, and fire protection and grounding measures must be taken in an environment with high oxygen concentration. It is more suitable for understanding in low-pressure, auxiliary scenarios, which is different from the type of clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy that requires a hardware compartment of more than 2.0 ATA and medical-grade oxygen.