Scuba Inventor of 93 Dies

Christian Lambertsen
From the NY Times¹, "Dr. Lambertsen, an expert in respiratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, died on Feb. 11 at his home in Newtown Square, Pa., his son David said." A picture of Lambertsen is shown below.

Source: The Telegraph²

Lambertsen is the man to invent the term "scuba," since he created the acronym Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus in 1952. He invented scuba gear, as The Atlantic³ explains:

His first underwater creation was known as the Lambertsen Underwater Respiratory Unit or LARU (Lah-roo). It was used in World War II and spawned many imitators.

LARU
With this device, the diver inhales pure oxygen. The NY Times¹ explains that

...carbon dioxide in exhaled breath is then scrubbed out through a chemical filter and returned to the diver as purified oxygen.

 “It means that it doesn’t emit bubbles, so if you are swimming under a ship there are no telltale bubbles,” said Tom Hawkins, a historian for the Naval Special Warfare Foundation in Virginia Beach.

Conclusion
Christian Lambertsen contributed immensely to the progression of diving. Lambertsen, his LARU, and his many other inventions will not be forgotten.


Footnotes

[1] Dennis Hevesi. (2011, February 25). Christian Lambertsen, Inventor of Scuba Precursor, Dies at 93. Retrieved March 4, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/us/26lambertsen.html?_r=1

[2] Christian Lambertsen. (2011, February 23). The Telegraph. Retrieved March 4, 2011, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/technology-obituaries/8343789/Christian-Lambertsen.html