No, we have not forgotten about standby and transportation.   So where are we?

Let me give you where we are in point form so I don’t overload the blog with too many details.

• Have been working with the US and UK cryonics organizations to put together the equipment and procedures.
• Have recently purchased a battery driven chest compression system (Lucas 2) for about $9,000.  We have been searching for a while and found one in excellent condition at this very good price.  These electric models usually cost nearly twice this amount.
• Now working to put together the rest of the major equipment
  • Ice/cooling bath
  • Temperature monitors
  • Inhaler or similar
  • Device to administer stabilization etc. medications
  • Stabilization chemicals
  • A container to hold the Ziegler box at dry ice temperature for shipment to the US
  • Perfusion equipment
  • Other miscellaneous items, including, based on information obtained from Dutch Cryonics, commercial refrigeration to store the perfusion chemicals
• Regarding the perfusion chemicals there are essentially 2 broad categories:
  • The old style glycerine based chemicals, which have a longer shelf life (probably a few months), but are not so readily available any more.  This is not vitrification so destructive ice crystal formation is a real issue.
  • The new style vitrification chemicals, which have a maximum of a few weeks refrigerated shelf life*, but are more readily available from the US and allow proper vitrification before transport. Once vitrified the patient is however very temperature sensitive (temperature must remain at about dry ice temperature).  Obviously, for eventual local suspension storage this is not an issue, but it is a big issue for eventual suspension storage in the US because of the long transportation times involved.   See the next point.
• Have now developed a method (inspired by UK cryonics and endorsed by CI) to expedite this transportation to the US, which will allow vitrification from Australia to the US with almost no timing risk.  Hope to have it finalized before about mid next year.  This means that the latest vitrification technology can be safely applied to patients in Australia for transportation to the US facilities.
• Funeral director network for Australia-wide major city coverage has been identified, but need confirmation and training.
• The best and lowest cost way to handle the standby and transportation is via a new non profit, which we will be setting up next year.

* I had been thinking normal domestic refrigeration at about 2 to 5C.  On 26 November 2016, our friends in the Dutch Cryonics Organization have informed me that if refrigerated at about -20C, then the VM1 solutions from CI can be stored for years.  This probably applies to the older style glycerine based chemicals as well.  Many thanks to Jappie Hoekstra for picking this up and letting me know.  All the very best for all the good work they are doing in the Netherlands and in Europe.