X-Message-Number: 24273
From: "G. Urban" <>
Subject: NOVA
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 15:15:27 +0200

NOVA

Non-Vascular Approach

At last, a name for my idea. :) Thank you, Thomas Donaldson for answering my 
mail.
I think, you misinterpreted the main benefit of NOVA, because this is not 
the transfer of cryoprotectants into the brain, this can be done through the 
blood vessels, although these can already be severely damaged, if the 
patient had a cerebrovascular disease, or there was a delay after 
deanimation.

The point: Swift cooling _and_ swift rewarming, when it comes to 
resuscitation (without any complicated microwave methods), and more 
importantly: equalized cooling, that doesn't necessarily lead to cracks when 
the aim is to reach the temperature of liquid nitrogen (-195,81 C, if 
someone wouldn't know yet).

Another great benefit: controlled pace of cooling (and rewarming), for 
example, quicker cooling at those temperatures, that offer a chance of 
vitrification (vitrification is not only a factor of temperature, and 
cryoprotectants, but - more importantly - a factor of the speed of cooling), 
and slower cooling, when there is a danger of harmful biological shock 
(around +4 C, if I'm right), or a danger of cracks (at cryogenic 
temperatures).

Quicker and more controlled cooling rate means lesser expectations from the 
side of the cryoprotective chemicals, therefore lesser toxicity. If we take 
in account, that the needles _can_ help in dividing the cryoprotectants 
around the brain, this means _much lesser_ toxicity. Together with the fact, 
that refreezing while rewarming is avoidable with NOVA (due to the above 
mentioned reasons), the achievement of a fully reversible suspended 
animation of the human brain could become a real goal within some years, and 
the same goal with a small mammalian brain could be reached in months! That 
would be a sensation!

And don't forget that the needles don't just divide the cryoprotectants 
around the brain, but every second of them could be used to drive away 
water, that is literally pumped out from the tissues by the pressure of the 
injected cryoprotectants. That is much more effective, than the washout of 
water, because this really allows to get rid of it quickly. The same method 
can be used to rehydrate the brain and remove the cryoprotectants quickly, 
when it comes to resuscitation.

The only big problem is the question of a useful surgical glue, but surgical 
glues today are capable of miracles, and a living tissue can heal itself 
with incredible efficiency. Of course, to be careful, major arteries, veins 
and the most sensitive microstructures of the brain should be avoided, but 
the know-how for this is already well understood in the field of endoscopic 
brain surgery.

I would be happy to know that Dr. Fahy, Dr. Pichugin, Dr. Darwin, and 
everyone who is working in the field of cryonics-related biology and 
medicine, is aware of NOVA. I bet, even a very low cost experiment with a 
rat brain would show very good results, at least in terms of biological 
viability, if a proper surgical glue is found.

Thank you, and best wishes to all.

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