A 3D-printed capsule, known as "Sarco" and intended for use in assisted suicide, is now legal in Switzerland.
About 1,300 people died from assisted suicide in Switzerland in 2020 using the services of the two largest suicide-assisted organizations in the country, Exit and Dignitas. The method used is ingestion of liquid sodium pentobarbital. After taking the drug, the person falls asleep within 2 to 5 minutes before falling into a deep coma, followed immediately afterwards by death.
While Sarco offers a different approach to a peaceful death, without the need for controlled substances. Dr Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International registered in Australia, for his innovation, the Sarco capsule, said:
"It is a 3-D printed capsule, activated from the inside by the person who intends to die. The car can be towed anywhere. The person is inserted into the capsule and stretched. It is very comfortable. They will be asked a series of questions and when they are answered, they can press the button inside the capsule by activating the mechanism in their time.
The capsule is placed on a device that will inject nitrogen into the interior, rapidly lowering the oxygen level to 1 percent from 21 percent in about 30 seconds. The person will feel a little disoriented and may feel a little euphoric before losing consciousness. Death occurs through hypoxia and hypocapnia, deprivation of oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. "There is no panic, no suffocation."
In an environment where oxygen is less than 1 percent, after loss of consciousness, death occurs after approximately 5-10 minutes.
