Alcor Says It Has Begun Training Local European Cryopreservation Response Teams
Alcor Says It Has Begun Training Local European Cryopreservation Response Teams
On July 21, Alcor reported that the training covers both brain and whole-body cryopreservation. The organization did not disclose the countries involved, the number of trainees, the date of the first independent deployments, or measured response times.
After circulation stops, the brain no longer receives blood, oxygen, or glucose, and neuronal damage increases within minutes. DART is Alcor’s response team. When death is expected, the team can remain at the bedside. When death occurs unexpectedly, it must reach the patient as soon as possible. After legal death has been pronounced, the team performs initial stabilization and arranges transport to the storage facility.
In its July newsletter, Alcor reported that its DART already responds to members worldwide and that it had begun training local teams in Europe. In an unexpected case, a team traveling from the United States must cross the Atlantic. Alcor expects locally trained specialists to reduce this delay.
In April, Alcor brought together more than thirty specialists from the United States, Canada, and Europe in Arizona for four days of instruction, practical training, and drills. Under Alcor’s internal rules, every active DART member must recertify annually by completing the minimum number of actual deployments and passing an examination. According to Alcor, the European teams will be trained to the same standards and objectives.
In its May newsletter, Alcor described James Arrowood’s trip across Europe and his meetings with potential partners. By July, the organization was reporting that it had begun training local teams.
On the Alcor Europe page, the legal entity, headquarters, and long-term storage facility are described as future projects that depend on securing funding. Training local DART teams addresses the earliest stage of the procedure, specifically the interval between legal death and initial stabilization.