Tomorrow.bio outlined the responsibilities assumed by five cryonics providers
Tomorrow.bio outlined the responsibilities assumed by five cryonics providers
On August 18, Tomorrow.bio released a video and a table covering five providers. The comparison examines their legal structures, field procedures, storage arrangements, and funding for patients’ long-term care.
A cryonics contract connects the first hours after a person is legally declared dead with decades of storage. In Max More’s analysis, cryonics facilities were assessed according to how they operate during the first hours and whether they can store a patient for decades. Before the patient is placed in liquid nitrogen, a field team stabilizes the patient, administers cryoprotectants, which are solutions that prepare tissues for cooling, and arranges transportation. An organization must then maintain the storage facility and manage the funds allocated for care.
On August 18, Tomorrow.bio released a video about five providers and published a table on its website covering their legal structures, storage arrangements, field procedures, and funding. Tomorrow.bio, which is itself one of the providers included in the comparison, compiled the table. In the video, the company asks viewers to report any errors in the data.
Tomorrow.bio divides its functions among three organizations. The company keeps medical teams ready for deployment, performs the procedure, and administers contracts. Patient Care Foundation, a private Swiss foundation, manages each patient’s funds and serves as the legal guardian of the patient’s body and money. European Biostasis Foundation is a separate Swiss nonprofit foundation. It owns the storage facility and is responsible for the care provided there.
Company cofounder Emil Kendziorra explains this structure in terms of the organizations’ different operating timelines. A storage facility requires stability over decades, while an operating company must update its technologies and procedures. A provider’s contract can be evaluated through four specific questions: who will reach the patient, where the patient will be stored, who will manage the funds allocated for care, and what will happen if one of the organizations ceases operations. The contract distributes responsibility among organizations. Some must act during the first hours, while others must preserve the patient and the patient’s funds for decades.