Who is in Charge of the Patient?

Cryonics is very much a waiting game. Once the patient is delivered to a long-term cryogenic storage facility, and has body temperature reduced to at or near that of liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees Centigrade), nothing else much happens for a long time. Of course, the folks at the long-term storage facility must be diligent in their routine of adding liquid nitrogen to the cryostats on a regular basis. Also, it is vitally important that adequate funds are available to support the patient in his icy sleep.

Regardless of where the patient rests during his suspension, and regardless of what company is handling daily storage operations, the American Cryonics Society is still in charge. That means the American Cryonics Society has effective “ownership” of the patient during his time in ice, and through any attempt at reanimation. That means that should the American Cryonics Society believe it to be in the patient’s best interest to use an alternate long-term storage facility, then ACS would direct that the patient be sent to the new place.

When a Relative Remains In Charge

In most cases, it is a very good idea for the American Cryonics Society to be the entity in charge of directing all operations for a particular patient. We are experts in cryonics and the patient’s relatives are not. In some circumstances, however, relatives may have particularly ardent desires to maintain control over their loved one.

ACS is willing to cooperate in such an arrangement, but only if we believe that the relatives are highly informed concerning cryonics, and there is a plan in place to address the mortality of any relatives now exercising authority. Once such plan is for particular named relatives to exercise control during their lifetimes, but upon their demise control then vests with the American Cryonics Society.

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