Rich, I would like to defer this to people like Doolette and Lowrie. I know a little about a lot, but not a lot about each thing. My job is to keep me and my boys alive and well. I defer to others for the specifics. However, my general understanding is that the effect is similar to surface tension on a liquid, or at at interface. The high pressures of nitrogen seem to cause the RBC's to become rigid, and therefor either jam in the small capillaries, or scrape theri way through. I have seen this on film under the microscope, and know it to be true. There is some question as to why the presence of helium greatly diminishges this effect - that is the part that is less well understood. Remember, calling nitrogen an "inert" gas is not the same as calling helium inert, and then we are talking about effects under pressure, which again are a whole other ballgame. There is no telling what kind of polymerization is taking place that we can not see or measure... Let it suffice to say that I know it exists, that is why I don't dive deep on air, I even hate the deep air deco, and this may be the reson we feel so tired after a good deep air exposure. - George .
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