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Oxygen, and AMS Profile: Igor Gamow - The man inside the Bag Part II of III - From Bag to Bed 
Rolling off the heels of the Gamow Bag, Igor came up with the idea for the Altitude bed after attending a conference in Canada. He learned from a fellow scientist presenting a paper that the body is affected by an increase in altitude and starts to generate new red blood cells relatively quickly. By reversing the Gamow bag he had a device that simulated high-altitude and could enable an athlete at sea level to, “sleep high,” without traveling to Colorado every night. Why it works Igor calls the, “sleep high,” process, “holistic blood-doping,” as it is completely legal. Real blood doping involves increasing red-blood cell count by drugs or drawing blood from an athlete, waiting for the body to produce more red blood cells, and then putting the original blood back. Whatever means are used, the name of the game is increasing red blood cell counts to boost performance. Professional bicycling has been marred by blood doping scandals for the past several years. The Altitude Bed, however, increases red blood cell counts in a legal and safe manner. Besides being very effective for cyclists and athletes, high red blood cell count is needed for the body to deal with the lower oxygen levels at altitude. How it works The Bed works by sucking air out of a hard cylinder simulating altitudes up to around 15,000 ft. To give an idea of the pressures involved even at 15,000 ft - the door at the end of the chamber is held by over 3 tons of force. By sleeping in this Bed a body is able to acclimatize to a little under Everest base camp before even setting foot on a plane to Nepal. This pre-acclimatization tool can not only effectively reduce the time spent on the mountain, but can also prepare the body for altitude in the confines of home vs. the sometimes stormy slopes of Everest or any other high-altitude peak. Next up – Inspiration from an unlikely source, Calvin and Hobbes – Igor’s thoughts on the inventive process and the roadblocks to innovation |