A successful cryonic suspension relies on efforts to preserve vulnerable tissues in the brain through prompt SST procedures that minimise ischaemic damage there. However, the timeframe now required to document a deceased patient for overseas transportation precludes prompt SST.
Preparing a non-embalmed cryonics patient destined for a USA facility normally takes about 7-10 days from legal death to departure from Sydney on dry ice. (Perfusion with cryoprotectant is not classed as embalming). Here are the required steps, assuming no inquiry into the cause of death:
- The death certificate must be obtained.
- As per the NSW Public Health Regulation 2012, the body must stay in a licensed mortuary refrigerator at +1 to +5 °C, leaving the cold room for no more than eight hours in any 24-hour period until export documents are finalised. This temperature is not suitable for cryonics purposes.
- While the patient remains refrigerated, the funeral/logistics team must secure the following papers, which must all be stamped before the coffin can be sealed:
- DFAT (Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade) apostille for the death certificate and importer statement (1-3 business days)
- U.S. Consular Mortuary Certificate in Sydney (another 1-2 days)
- Importer Certification Statement from the USA funeral home confirming no infectious-disease risk under CDC regulation 42 CFR 71.55(c)(1)(ii).
- Dry ice will be required for the trip. As this material is treated as Class 9 dangerous goods under IATA/airline rules, it requires a UN 1845 dry-ice declaration.
- Only then can the coffin be loaded with approx. 200 kg of dry ice. This is too late for the body to be brought to a temperature suitable for cryonics.
Even if the patient could be stabilised on dry ice after death, without an extended documentation period under unacceptable temperature conditions, there is already potential for temperature variation. This is because of (1) the long trip overseas which tests the limited life of the dry ice used for packing; and (2) possible further delays during customs clearance when the temperature of the body is already compromised. In this situation, the revised documentation process adds significantly to the period of unacceptable temperature conditions and raises the risk of overseas transportation to a level that would likely defeat the purpose of cryonics.
Therefore, CryoPath advises its clients to carefully consider local versus overseas suspension.