Capitolo 5: Fare il salto di qualità

People who look into cryonics, usually spend a lot of time thinking about one question: which provider should I trust with something this important? It's a big decision. You're planning for a point when you can't speak for yourself anymore, and you want the team, the process, and the long-term care to be as solid as possible. No one has the perfect process, but you can compare real factors like response teams, procedures, storage, and day-to-day operations. That's what this article is about, giving you a clear way to think through the choices. Providers like Alcor, the Cryonics Institute, and Tomorrow.bio each bring their own approach, built over years in the field. Looking at specifics helps you see what fits your needs, from location to budget.

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The basics of cryopreservation

First, let's remember what happens in a cryopreservation case. As soon as legal death is pronounced, every minute counts. The body starts to warm and break down on its own. A good provider has people ready to step in right away, cool the body, keep blood moving for a while, and get protective solutions into the tissues before ice can form and cause damage. Those solutions, called cryoprotectants, act like a medical antifreeze. They let the tissues turn glass-like instead of freezing solid, a process called vitrification. After that, the patient goes into liquid nitrogen at around -196°C, where all biological activity stops completely.

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Standby and quick response

One thing that matters a lot is standby. Do you have trained teams close enough to reach you quickly, no matter where you live? Some providers only operate in one country or some regions. Others have built networks across continents, with ambulances, equipment, and medical staff on call 24 hours a day. Tomorrow.bio includes full standby in the membership cost, both in Europe (where we started) and now in parts of the United States, with plans to cover the whole country soon. When a member needs us, the team moves fast, sometimes crossing borders, to start stabilization right after legal death.

Standby means more than just a phone number. It covers a dedicated ambulance stocked like a mobile operating room. The crew includes medical people trained in cryonics protocols, plus coolers, ice, and tools. In Europe, our teams cover major cities and can reach most members within hours. In the US, coverage starts in key states like New York, California, and Florida, with expansion underway. Alcor includes standby and stabilization in its membership, with only a US focus but global options that might add response time or fees for international cases. The Cryonics Institute offers optional remote standby through partners like Suspended Animation, Inc., at a lower cost than some alternatives, but it's not standard and relies on local resources for distant members. If you travel or move often, look for a service with broad reach to avoid gaps, Tomorrow.bio's setup keeps things seamless across regions without extra charges.

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Field cryoprotection

Another point is where and how the actual cryoprotectant perfusion happens. Doing it right in the field, close to the place of death, gives the best shot at even distribution and less damage.

Tomorrow.bio stands out here with whole-body field cryoprotection. Our ambulances carry the equipment to perfuse cryoprotectants directly where the patient is, before any transport. This cuts down on ischemia, the lack of oxygen that damages cells. Perfusion pushes the solutions through the vascular system under controlled pressure, aiming for full saturation. We focus on whole-body cases and brain-only. Alcor also provides whole-body field cryoprotection as part of its services and The Cryonics Institute uses vitrification formulas for whole-body preservation but handles perfusion after transport to their Michigan facility, which works for US members close to the facility but adds more time for others. The key is matching the procedure to what science knows works best today: even vitrification across as much tissue as possible. Tomorrow.bio's mobile approach minimizes delays, giving tissues the shortest window without protection.

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Quality checks after preservation

Then there are checks to confirm the job went well. Is there a way to verify preservation quality after the fact, like CT scans that show how well the cryoprotectant reached every part of the brain? Tomorrow.bio performs CT scans on every case and shares the results with members every year. These scans map density changes to spot any unfilled areas or fractures. We review them with medical experts to log what worked and improve for next time.

Not many providers do this routinely. Alcor offers quality assurance but doesn't mandate CT scans for all cases, reviews happen based on procedure logs. The Cryonics Institute focuses on vitrification success through internal checks, without routine external scans like CTs. CT-based quality assurance adds a layer of certainty, it's like a final exam for the procedure. Members appreciate the transparency of Tomorrow.bio, it builds trust that the preservation met high standards. Over time, these reports help the whole field advance, as patterns emerge from real cases. Tomorrow.bio's consistent use of scans sets a benchmark for accountability.

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Storage options and security

Storage is the part that lasts centuries, maybe longer. Liquid nitrogen works well because it keeps everything stable without electricity, the containers just need topping up now and then. Location matters too. A facility in a politically stable country with strong legal protections feels safer than one tied to a single organization that could face problems down the road.

Tomorrow.bio stores patients in a dedicated building in Switzerland, run by a non-profit foundation set up specifically for long-term care. The foundation invests membership money so it grows over time and always covers liquid nitrogen costs.

Alcor stores in Arizona dewars, with solid US-based security. The Cryonics Institute uses cryostats in Michigan, including perpetual storage in the base fee, but lacks Swiss-level neutrality. Our facility has seismic reinforcements, backup generators, and 24/7 monitoring. Members can visit to see the setup firsthand, something Tomorrow.bio encourages for peace of mind, once a year, when we organise our annual conference called Biostasis.

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Preservation choices: Whole-body, brain, or pets

Providers vary in what they preserve. Whole-body cryopreservation keeps the entire person intact, organs and all. Tomorrow.bio offers this as standard, along with brain-only. Alcor provides both whole-body and neuro (brain-only) options. The Cryonics Institute sticks to whole-body only, based on their view that full preservation gives the best revival shot, no brain-only service.

Pet cryopreservation comes up for people who see their animals as family. Tomorrow.bio includes this option, preserving companions alongside human members. Alcor only offers it for active members with advance arrangements. The Cryonics Institute provides pet suspension and tissue storage as a member benefit. Choosing depends on your views, whole body gives the most options for revival, brain-only prioritizes the mind, pets add emotional continuity.

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Ease of signing up

Can you sign up completely online, or do you have to print forms and mail checks? Tomorrow.bio allows full online sign-up, from membership to funding setup. It takes minutes: enter details, choose coverage, link insurance or payment. No notary trips or waiting for mail.

Alcor requires some paperwork, like contracts and beneficiary forms, often handled by mail or in person. The Cryonics Institute uses a mix, with online elements but full contracts needing signatures. Digital processes save time and let you update info anytime. In a field where members span countries, this matters, sign up from your phone, anywhere. Tomorrow.bio's fully online flow keeps it simple and modern.

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Understanding the costs

Tomorrow.bio members pay a monthly fee of about 50 euros in Europe or 55 dollars in the US. The cryopreservation cost, as a member, is 200,000 euros for whole body or 75,000 euros for brain-only in Europe. Everything's included: standby, field perfusion, CT scans, transport to Switzerland, and long-term storage. Non-members pay more for last-minute arrangements without the coordination benefits.

Alcor charges 220,000 dollars for whole-body cryopreservation or 80,000 dollars for neuro. Annual membership dues start at 200 dollars (or age-based up to several hundred), which covers standby and stabilization. Additional costs might apply for international transport or pets.

The Cryonics Institute keeps it very simple at 28,000 dollars for whole-body cryopreservation, no brain-only option. This covers the procedure and perpetual storage, but transport and optional standby add extras (standby through partners costs less than some competitors). No ongoing dues beyond that, and they encourage life insurance funding.

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Making your decision

In the end, no provider can promise revival, that depends on medicine years from now. What they can control is how straight the path is from today to that future. Rapid response, modern procedures, secure storage, and honest operations remove as many risks as possible along the way.

Take your time when you compare. Talk to the teams. Ask about their last few cases, what went well, and what they learned. Read the contracts carefully. Think about where you live now and where you might be later in life. A lot of members tell us the decision felt lighter once they saw the details side by side, costs, inclusions, and all.