German Startup Offers Chance at Future Revival
A German startup, Tomorrow Bio, is offering clients the opportunity to be cryogenically preserved upon death, with the promise of a future resurrection when technology advances enough. The company, founded in 2020, has already cryopreserved six human bodies and five pets, with 650 paying members waiting their turn.
A Costly Procedure with a Promise of Revival
The first cryonics lab in Europe comes at a hefty price tag of $216,000 for full-body preservation or $80,000 for brain-only preservation. Despite the cost, demand is high, according to the Mail. Fernando Azevedo Pinheiro, co-founder of Tomorrow Bio, believes he will witness the safe preservation and eventual revival of complex organisms in his lifetime.
The Process Explained
Cryopreservation involves freezing a recently deceased person. By lowering body temperature to -198°C (-324°F), cryopreservation aims to preserve the body in a state as close to death as possible. This, theoretically, would allow the deceased patient to be revived in the future and potentially cured of the ailment that led to their demise.
Rapid Response and Specialized Techniques
Tomorrow Bio distinguishes itself by offering rapid response after death. "We are the first and only cryonics company to provide on-site cold protection. This means we start the cryopreservation process immediately after the patient is declared dead, using a modified ambulance that functions as a mobile operating room," explained Pinheiro.
To ensure rapid response, Tomorrow Bio has established a network of standby, stabilize and transport (SST) teams in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Zurich. When a client dies, these teams arrive to retrieve the body after receiving medical authorization. They place the body in a cold bath while administering cardiac massage and oxygen to slow the effects of decomposition.
Before transporting the body to the long-term storage facility, Tomorrow Bio's team lowers the body temperature to -80°C (-112°F). This process requires special techniques to prevent the formation of ice crystals in the body's cells, which could damage tissues.
Long-Term Storage and Future Assurance
The preserved body is then transported to a long-term storage facility in Switzerland, owned by the company's affiliate, the European Biostasis Technology Association. Here, the body is slowly cooled to -196°C (-320°F) over ten days before being transferred to a 3.2-meter (10.5-foot) high, vacuum-insulated steel tank filled with liquid nitrogen.
These tanks do not require electricity to maintain the cold temperature, making them suitable for long-term preservation as long as liquid nitrogen is replenished regularly. In theory, clients can wait for centuries in this state until technology catches up. If Tomorrow Bio ceases to exist, the bodies will be entrusted to another affiliated organization, the Tomorrow Patient Care Foundation.
Expanding Reach and Growing Membership
Currently, around 650 people have signed up for the SST service, including 149 in Germany, 30 in France, and 30 in the UK, according to the company's 2023 data. Tomorrow Bio plans to expand into the US market in 2025.
Summary:
Tomorrow Bio, a German startup, offers cryopreservation services for individuals seeking a chance at future resurrection. The company provides rapid response, utilizing specialized techniques to preserve bodies in a near-death state. While the cost is significant, the promise of potential revival and the guarantee of long-term storage attract a growing number of clients, with the company planning to expand its reach to the US market. Despite the controversial nature of cryopreservation, Tomorrow Bio offers a unique and potentially revolutionary path for individuals seeking to extend their lives beyond the limits of death.