U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Developing Artificial Gills for Divers and Soldiers

The U.S. government awarded Case Western Reserve University (Case Western) and Infoscitex Corp. with a joint contract to develop and to manufacture a 'Microfabricated Biomimetic Artificial Gill System' (MBAGS) for use by U.S. divers and soldiers during underwater exercises and tactical missions. MBAGS provides a battery-powered artificial gill system to extract small amounts of dissolved air from water for providing oxygen to the divers and soldiers while underwater. A high-speed centrifuge within MBAGS lowers pressure of seawater trapped in a small sealed chamber to release the dissolved air into a gaseous state which is transferred to an airbag.

MBAGS is based on an invention created by Israeli inventor Alon Bodner which pulls oxygen from sea water to extract the oxygen from the sea water enabling divers and soldiers to remain underwater without depending upon oxygen provided from a tank. A European patent application is currently pending before the European Patent Office for the invention entitled 'self-contained open-circuit breathing apparatus.' Mr. Bodner states that a one-kilo watt rechargeable battery may provide a diver or soldier with oxygen for a one hour dive which may be adapted for a longer dive by incorporating a larger battery. Case Western and Infoscitex Corp. are developing a re-breathing unit to be incorporated with MBAGS to provide a bubble-free operation for military missions. A bubble-free operation may provide U.S. Navy Seals and U.S. Navy Marine Corps divers with added stealth for executing military operations to reduce detection by enemies and to maximize their element of surprise. MBAGS may also be adapted for use on submarines and other underwater habitats to provide a renewable and rechargeable air supply for the crews from the surrounding sea water.