X-Message-Number: 4946
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 13:55:22 -0800
From:  (American Cryonics Society)
Subject: THE $10,000 BRAIN

The $10,000 Brain and the "Straight Freeze"

In the time-honored tradition of getting into a discussion after it is over
(that's one way to have the last word!) the following opinions and
observations are offered for consideration:

As a lot of you know, a little over a month ago ACS froze its second brain
of the year.  Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) was our required funding
(our recommended minimum funding).

Even though, theoretically, funding of less than this amount, $10,000 for
example, should be adequate, we are very reluctant to accept such
marginally funded cases for the following reasons:

1.  There is nowhere to go if funding proves inadequate.  Whole body
patients can be converted to neuros (head only); heads can be trimmed to
reduce volume and repackaged.  So far, we are not talking about peeling the
cerebral cortex or choosing between hemispheres.  A brain is as low as you
go.

2.  Current estimated costs are based upon relatively sparse experience and
estimates of only a few service providers.  Should future costs go up
(because, for example, there develops a  stricter regulatory climate), or
present estimates prove too optimistic, the brain is in trouble with (see
1.) nowhere to go.

Of course, all of us are in the brain freezing business, like it or not,
because of the dread "A" word.  We may as well be as comfortable as we can
with our need to offer this service, but NOT underestimate its cost.

Necessity has also required that we all be in the "straight freeze"
business.  The American Cryonics Society makes a commitment to its members
to follow their wishes on such questions as: "Under what conditions of
delay, destruction, and deterioration, do you want to be suspended?"  With
many circumstances of death the circulatory system can't be used.  I expect
that as many as half of the patients now in suspension were suspended
without cryoprotective perfusion.  If that is the reality, perhaps research
should center more on methods of reducing damage in such cases and less on
"ideal case" scenarios.

On the question of costs: our own experience is that there often is
(depending upon circumstances) significantly lower costs for "straight
freeze" cases.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
American Cryonics Society                 (408)734-4200
                   FAX (408)734-4441
P.O. Box 1509
Cupertino, CA 95015
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4946