How To Size A Hyperbaric Chamber For Your Users

Measure the user, not the chamber

The number that matters is not the chamber's external size. It is whether the largest person who will use it can get in, lie or sit comfortably, and get out again. Start from the tallest and broadest intended user and work backwards.

Lying chambers: diameter first

For a lie-flat chamber, diameter decides shoulder room and length decides height clearance. The OTL15 is offered in three diameters for exactly this reason:

• Ø800 x 2000 mm (31.5 x 78.7 in) - the compact option, suited to average build
• Ø850 x 2100 mm (33.5 x 82.6 in) - the middle size, more shoulder room
• Ø900 x 2200 mm (35.4 x 86.6 in) - the most interior space in the soft lying range

The OTL19 is Ø800 x 2250 mm - narrower but longer, which suits tall users of average build. The rigid OHL Series is 230 x 90 cm.

Sitting chambers: height and entry

For an upright chamber, interior height and entry format decide comfort. The OTB gives 200 cm of interior height and a 190 cm diameter with walk-in access, the largest usable interior in the soft-shell range. The OHC20 is 1900 mm tall. The OTSE15 at 195 x 115 x 130 cm is the most compact of the spacious sitting models.

Multi-person capacity

Mobility matters more than height

A user who cannot get down to floor level will not use a lying chamber, whatever its diameter. Walk-in models - the OTB, the OHC20 and the OHS Series - exist because that is a common constraint in clinics and in residential installations for older users.

Then check the room

Once the chamber fits the user, confirm it fits the building. That is a separate exercise covered in the room checklist article, and it is the one that catches people out.