Research and Development

Emergency Response Vehicle
Regarding the planned renovations to Alcor’s emergency response vehicle, we have completed an intensive design and development phase. This consisted of several meetings between Steve Graber and the technical staff, with discussion of parts, vendors and viewing of product samples. Great care has been taken to select modular, off-the-shelf parts, although some custom-designed pieces will be required. Demolition began on the vehicle’s interior this past week and the approved design pieces are being acquired.

Remote Perfusion
Alcor is currently striving to further develop its remote perfusion capability. Before launching an initiative to train its emergency response staff, however, the appropriate equipment needs to be selected.

There has been constructive debate on the R&D list regarding this topic, and a side-by-side comparison of the available equipment options seems warranted. One of the options, Alcor’s redesigned ATP, requires some modification before it will be ready for such a comparison. It was recently tested to assess its durability during airline shipping. Hugh Hixon reports that the shipping test demonstrated the internal partitions would not adequately support the weight of the perfusate. Separation of the perfusate to a second case seems warranted. A quick-replacement carrier plate for the sterile parts of the system, and the modified system will be ready for a field test shortly.