Case Report for Cryonics Institute Patient Number 174

(Version written by Cryonics Germany)

Cryonics Institute Patient #174 is a 96 old male, retired Engineer, who lived in a hospice in Germany. Before his deanimation, he became a CI member and Cryonics Germany was instructed to perform the on-site treatment and subsequent transportation to CI.

On February 16, a Saturday evening, the patient deanimated in a hospital in Hannover, Germany, in the course of an aspiration pneumonia. He was quickly put on cold storage at about 6 °C and the hospital staff informed the Cryonics Germany emergency team. In the morning of Sunday, February 17, three members of Cryonics Germany started perfusion via the common carotid artery approximately 11 hours after death.

The patient was perfused with ca. 32 liters VM1, applying a moderate perfusion pressure between 50 mbar and 100 mbar. The implemented concentration levels of ethylene glycol (EG) were as follows: First 10% EG (ca. 9 liters), then 30% EG (ca. 9 liters) and finally 70% EG (ca. 14 liters). The perfusion progressed well and no edema or blood clots were noted during the first part. While going on for several hours increased swelling, especially of the head, was observed towards the end of perfusion, suggesting the formation of edema.

By monitoring the backflow via the jugular veins and the left femoral vein, the perfusion of the head as well as of the body could be confirmed. Overall, approximately 15 liters of blood and initial VM1 were washed out. The final concentration of EG in the backflow through jugular veins was measured to be 56.9% using a digital refractometer.

With progressing perfusion, the patient was further cooled with water ice and dry ice. Subsequently, the whole body was covered with dry ice. Then the flight to Cryonics Institute was organized. The patient was transferred to the USA in an insulated transportation box 6 days later, on February 23. The patient was permanently kept on dry ice at -78 °C (-108 °F) until the transfer by plane. Overall, about 250 kg of dry ice were used for the intermediate storage in Germany. About 30 kg of dry ice blocks wrapped in paper were utilized for the flight itself. Approximately half of it was left after arrival, confirming appropriate cooling during flight.

At the Cryonics Institute, the patient was put in the computer controlled cooling unit and cooled down to liquid nitrogen temperature over five and a half days. In the morning of March 1, he was moved from the cooling unit to his cryostat for permanent storage in liquid nitrogen.

This was the first whole body cryonics case with a perfusion performed by Cryonics Germany.