The SOS HYPERLITE Emergency Evacuation
Hyperbaric Stretcher and Treatment System

SOS Hyperlite Milestones

1990   

• The SOS Hyperlite demonstrated on the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World

1991   

• SOS Ltd receives the Silk Cut Nautical Award for Technical Innovation and Design Achievement for the Hyperlite. 

• The US FDA 510[k] completes their review of the SOS Hyperlite.   

• The first SOS Hyperlites built and certified by Lloyd’s Register 

1992   

• Amoco UK produce a 25 min. long video entitled ‘Offshore Rescue Exercise’ showing a transfer from an offshore platform chamber in the Southern North Sea to the onshore chamber in Great Yarmouth using the SOS Hyperlite

1993   

• ASME PVHO-1 Code Case 6 approved allowing the SOS Hyperlite to be built to the US National Standard.  The SOS Hyperlite is the first non-metallic vessel to be approved for human occupancy, albeit for ‘Emergency Use’ only. 

• Defence Research Agency finds SOS Hyperlite fit for purpose for use in submarine escape and rescue.

1997   

• The US DoD determines that they have an Operational Requirement for an Emergency Evacuation Hyperbaric Stretcher and selects suitable units for full evaluation under their Foreign Comparative Test Program.

1998    

• The US DoD determines that the SOS Hyperlite was found to be the only unit suited to the mission outlined.

1999   

• US Coast Guard equip their Ice Breaker and Buoy Tender Diving Crews with SOS Hyperlites, A total of eight units are supplied. 

• Six further units, to make a total of eight units, tested to destruction by the US Navy. All units achieve a pressure in excess of six times their working pressure before non-catastrophic failure.

• The Naval Experimental Diving Unit publishes report 5/99 entitled  ‘Evaluation of Emergency Evacuation Hyperbaric Stretchers (EEHS)’.

2000   

• NASA engineers take delivery of an SOS Hyperlite at the Johnson Space Center to conduct feasibility studies for having a flexible hyperbaric chamber on the International Space Station.

• SOS receives ‘Millennium Product Status’ from the Design Council.

2001   

• Royal Navy takes SOS Hyperlites to the Kursk submarine disaster site in the Barents Sea for transfer under pressure of any survivors that may be brought to the surface.

2002   

• The Russian Navy takes delivery of five SOS Hyperlite EEHS’s to enhance their Submarine Rescue Capability in the future.

2003   

• Following the extensive testing by the US DoD of vessels built under ASME PVHO-1 and Case 6, the ‘Emergency Use Only’ clause is removed from the wording of the Case, to allow the SOS Hyperlites to be used unrestricted for any approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy condition under medical supervision.

• SOS Hyperlite receives full US DoD Certification.

2004   

• SOS issue a Cd containing comprehensive information about the SOS Hyperlite including the US Navy, US Air Force and SOS Operations Manuals and other relevant information and presentations on the equipment.  Copies available on request.

2005

• US Naval Sea Systems Command issue a 26 min Operating Procedures Video on the Hyperlite EEHS.  Copies available on request.

2006

• SOS meets the requirements of ISO 13485:2003 Quality Standard for the Design and Manufacture of the Hyperlite Hyperbaric Stretcher and is approved as a Medical Device (CE marked) under the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC and as a Class 3 Medical Device by Health Canada