Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining useful consciousness and reducing the risk of injury for a subject exposed to high levels of acceleration with substantial components in the +G.sub.Z or -G.sub.Z direction while in a vehicle. It comprises a buoyancy force suit for supporting the subject with a buoyancy force, the force suit including at least two layers of flexible material, each layer being relatively impermeable to a substantially incompressible fluid having a specific gravity approximating blood being locatable in a space between the layers. A pressure helmet supports the subject's head with a gas pressure force. A Pressure Transfer System (PTS) provides pressure transfer and equalization between the suit and the pressure helmet. The PTS comprises a fluid reservoir segment and a gas reservoir segment. The fluid segment is in fluid communication with the space between the layers of the buoyancy force suit for maintaining a substantially constant fluid level within the suit at all times. The gas segment is in gas communication with space internal to the pressure helmet for maintaining gas pressure force in the helmet substantially equivalent to fluid pressure within the fluid segment of the PTS. A breathing assist mechanism (BAM) senses the pressure of the fluid within the force suit at the subject's chest level, and provides breathing gas to the subject at pressures substantially equal to the chest level fluid pressure and independent of pressure within the pressure helmet.

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First Claim