X-Message-Number: 22781
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2003 19:23:11 -0500
From: Paul Antonik Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #22774 - Relationship of Xenon to Cryonics
References: <>

In message #22774, Kennita Watson reported:

In a related editorial, Thomas Marx, MD, from the University of Ulm in 
Germany, wrote that xenon's neuroprotective effects may reduce the 
length of ICU stay, which might offset its high price. "Prolonged ICU 
stay due to neuronal damage after cardiac bypass surgery alone is 
regarded to cost $2-4 billion in the United States annually," he notes.

He adds, "It is an important milestone for xenon's future to 
demonstrate how xenon could be administered during ICU therapy. I 
regret that the authors did not measure the real xenon usage to give a 
rough estimation of the expected costs."



While anything which is neuroprotective (although such an effect for 
non-ischemic people has yet to be shown) should be of interest to all life 
extensionists, this use of Xenon has another aspect which may be of particular 
importance to cryonicists.


The reason that Dr Marx was concerned about the cost was because xenon is a rare
noble gas (which is also why it is unlikely to have major side effects) which 
is produced by the fractional liquefaction of air. For the same reason that the 
price of bulk liquid nitrogen (LN2) is artificially low because it is a 
byproduct of the production of liquid oxygen, neon, and argon for industrial 
purposes, if this use and demand for xenon becomes high enough this may further 
reduce the price of the liquid nitrogen byproduct of the liquefaction process. 
At the least, this development should exert pressures against price increases in
that product. Note also that this below cost byproduct pricing of LN2 is a 
major part of the reason why it has never been really cost effective for any 
cryogenic user of LN2 to do in-house production. In fact, such small LN2 
production plants are only justifiable for cryonics purposes as back-up in case 
of extended failure of the bulk delivery infrastructure. 


--Paul Wakfer

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