X-Message-Number: 5336
Subject: Re: avoiding devitrification
From: Edgar Swank <>
Date: Mon, 04 Dec 95 19:09:02 PST

I'd like to make a brief comment on Doug Skrecky's Cryomsg #5313.
I agree that using the cardiovascular system as a heat exchanger
seems like a good idea, but the devil is in the details, ...

    However freon 11 or trichlorofluoromethane freezes at -111 C,
    boils at +23.7 C, is chemically fairly inert, nonflamable and
    insoluable in water.  ...
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think that's a problem right there.  Perfusion with anything
insoluble (immiscible) in water won't work, especially in the
capillaries. Rather "emboli" will be created in some places, which the
chemical will happily bypass through alternate paths.

Perhaps an intermediate solution of "homogeonized" freon and water at
the right temperature/pressure might work.

My own suggestion, some time ago, was to try using partial vacuum at
around zero C to vaporize the water-based cardiovascular contents,
which could then be replaced with cold Helium, which could be used to
cool all the way to liquid N2. This would also leave the CV system
clear for the benefit of the technicians of the future for revival
attempts. Current methods leave the CV sysem clogged with frozen crap;
it seems obvious this is going to make things more difficult for
reversal.

-- 
 (Edgar Swank)
The Land of Garg BBS -- +1 408 378-5108


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