Featured Image Credit: Exit International
Warning: This article mentions topics of suicide and euthanasia.
Dr Philip Nitschke - dubbed Dr. Death - is the creator of a controversial device known as the suicide pod.
The 3D-printed capsule, developed by his company Exit International, is designed to provide a painless death without medical supervision.
It works by flooding the chamber with nitrogen, reducing oxygen levels rapidly so that individuals inside quickly fall unconscious after just one minute, and pass away within 10 minutes.
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Though Dr. Nitschke plans to use the pod himself one day, it has never been tested on anyone.
Its first-ever patient, called Person X, who was to climb inside of the Sarco pod has had their plans 'permanently postponed'.
The woman in her 50s, from the US, was scheduled to use the 'Tesla of euthanasia' device on 17 July.
But prosecutors in Switzerland's Schaffhausen Canton warned the 76-year-old that going ahead with it could land him in 'serious consequences'.
Though the decision to cancel the process wasn't driven by the legal fear but more the subsequent 'media storm' surrounding the case impacted the patient.
Dr. Nitschke explained that Person X was suffering from 'deteriorating mental health', which led to 'aborting' the planned use of the Sarco pod.
He said: 'Given her situation, it is clear that this is a person who should now be receiving mental health care, rather than any suicide assistance.'
According to the Daily Mail, the euthanasia advocate will be involved in the assessment and pre-screening of the next candidate who wishes to end their life with the Sarco pod.
Moving forward, Dr. Nitschke has started the careful assessment and pre-screening of future candidates who wish to use the Sarco pod.
'Given the media scrutiny surrounding Person X, all future clients will need to be warned of the possibility that, despite our best efforts to keep their death private, any first use of Sarco will be the subject of intense media interest and reporting,' the doctor explained.
He said that concerns had been raised regarding Person X after she experienced 'multiple episodes of significant cognitive lapses bordering on pre-psychosis' as her scheduled death date approached.
The euthanasia group 'The Last Resort' later announced that the Sarco pod's debut would be postponed until next year, which means the device might still be used in the future.
