X-Message-Number: 13131
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 14:34:27 -0800
From: "Tim Ventura" <>
Subject: Anti-Freeze Question

Dear Cryonics List:


Here's just a general idea that I had, hope it's not out of place (I'm a 
newbie)...

In theory, the reason that we want "anti-freeze" in the blood isn't so much to 
prevent freezing as to prevent the water in our blood from taking on the 
customary crystalline lattice structure of ice.


My idea for this week is that maybe adding an "anti-freeze" isn't really the 
solution--especially since nearly everything will be in some sort of solid form 
at the temperatures of liquid nitrogen.


I know that one possibility is flash-freezing (ala' Demolition Man), which 
hypothetically could super-cool the blood fast enough the prevent the lattice 
structure from forming--although at the rate of heat transfer there may not be a
cold enough substance to freeze a person that quickly.


What about using ultrasound (from a generator immersed in the tank) to ensure 
that ice-crystals don't form in the blood? You would only need the generator 
during the freezing process itself, and then you could just leave it in the tank
after that.

Tim Ventura

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