What does Sarco stand for?

"Sarco" is short for "sarcophagus". [2] [3] It is used in conjunction with an inert gas ( nitrogen) which decreases oxygen levels rapidly which prevents panic, sense of suffocation and struggling before unconsciousness, known as the hypercapnic alarm response [4] : 45 caused by the presence of high carbon dioxide concentrations in the blood. [4]

What is a Sarco pod?

The Sarco pod (also known as Pegasos and has been referred to as a "suicide pod" [1]) is a euthanasia device or machine consisting of a 3D-printed detachable capsule mounted on a stand that contains a canister of liquid nitrogen to die by suicide through inert gas asphyxiation. "Sarco" is short for "sarcophagus".

How does Sarco work?

The capsule of Sarco provides for a rapid decrease in oxygen level while maintaining a low level of carbon dioxide. On activation, 4 litres (1.1 US gal) of liquid nitrogen causes the oxygen level to drop silently to less than 5% in less than one minute. According to Nitschke, 'The occupant presses the button and the capsule is filled with nitrogen.

What is a Sarco capsule?

The concept of a capsule that could produce a rapid decrease in oxygen level, while maintaining a low CO2 level, (the conditions for a peaceful, even euphoric death) was the brief behind the Sarco. When Exit was approached in 2012 for a technological solution for a UK man with Locked-in Syndrome, it was the Sarco that emerged.