X-Message-Number: 5174
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 10:45:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: vitrification proposal

 The following article may be reprinted in any cryonics oriented
 newsletter or magasine, whose editor wishes to do so: 

                     A VITRIFICATION PROPOSAL
                        By Doug Skrecky

      Any attempt to vitrify with relatively low and non-toxic
 concentrations of cryoprotectant would require cooling rates in excess of
 that acheivable by immersing the entire body in any coolant. I would like
 to here outline a possible way out of this impass. The cardiovascular
 system has an internal area over 300 times that of the external bodily
 surfaces. Using the cardiovascular system as a heat exchanger would allow
 cooling rates considerably in excess of that achievable by whole body
 immersion. 
      Coolant circulating through veins, arteries and capillaries would
 have to have a freezing point lower than the annealed glass transition of
 glycerol (-100 C) if glycerol is selected for the cryoprotectant, as well
 as a boiling point of at least 0 C. The coolant must also be nontoxic -
 which seemingly eliminates simple solvents such as ethanol (freezes -130
 C) from consideration. 
     At atmospheric pressure propane freezes at -187.7 C and boils at -42
 C. At 5 atmospheres propane boils at +1.4 C and at 10 atmospheres at
 +.9 C. By keeping the body mildly pressurized perfusion with liquid
 propane at 0 C would be possible. After this has been accomplished
 propane cooled to -100 C or possibly even lower could be rapidly
 injected, thereby achieving very high cooling rates and hopefully
 vitrifying the body.


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