Recompression chamber - Definition and Overview

A recompression chamber is a pressure vessel used to treat divers suffering from certain diving disorders such as decompression sickness.

Often the terms recompression chamber, decompression chamber and hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber are used interchangeably. The names reflect the different purposes that the chambers are designed for, rather than their capability. Each is capable of operating in the others' role:

• a decompression chamber is used in surface supplied diving to allow the divers to complete their decompression stops at the end of a dive on the surface rather than underwater.
• a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber is used in a hospital or sporting context to treat patients whose condition might benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment, including divers.