X-Message-Number: 6379
From:  (David L Evens)
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Importance of Brain Cryopreservation
Date: 23 Jun 1996 23:21:50 GMT
Message-ID: <4qkjie$>
References: <> <4q9kjb$>

 wrote:
: Do I understand correctly that kidneys can now be preserved
: using vitrification?  If so are the organ banks currently
: making use of this technology?

The currently completed research only takes the kidneys down to about 
-40C, which isn't really cold enough for long-term storage, and the 
technology isn't well enough developed yet for implementation on a large 
scale.  I expect that shortly after the two scientists who own the 
patents on the various patented pieces of the technology are able to get 
the beuracracy sorted out and get working on this together, organ banking 
will be at the kind of level Niven wrote about withing a few years.  The 
real question is:  Will vitrification be a general enough procedure to 
allow whole organisms to be vitrified and rewarmed and revived?  If so, 
then it will also be possible to put waiting organ recipients into 
suspension to await organs when they become so ill that death is imminent 
without an immediate transplant that isn't available.

 ---------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 Ring around the neutron,   |  "OK, so he's not terribly fearsome.
 A pocket full of positrons,|   But he certainly took us by surprise!"
 A fission, a fusion,       +--------------------------------------------------
 We all fall down!          |  "Was anybody in the Maquis working for me?"
 ---------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 "I'd cut down ever Law in England to get at the Devil!"
 "And what man could stand up in the wind that would blow once you'd cut 
 down all the laws?"
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 This message may not be carried on any server which places restrictions 
 on content.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 e-mail will be posted as I see fit.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6379