A recent study, led by Dr. Corrinne Leach of the State University of New York at Buffalo, tested 13 infants on ventilators who were born prematurely with respiratory distress syndrome. At risk of dying because they were unable to produce surfactant, a substance that prevents the lungs from collapsing, the infants had their lungs filled with perflubron which would allow the air sacs of the lung to open up and permit breathing. At risk of severe and permanent lung damage from the force of the ventilators that were inflating their lungs, the perflubron would, it was hoped, allow the lungs to inflate with less pressure and permit oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass through the lungs and into the blood stream more efficiently and with less stress. If we can decrease the amount of lung injury, we can greatly improve the patient's outcome and perhaps prevent chronic lung disease. Six of the infants eventually died, but of causes apparently unrelated to the liquid ventilation.
Clinical trials are with premature infants, children and adults are ongoing.
The decompression chamber used in the movie, taken during a tour of the set.