Accelerated tissue lysis

Abstract

A method for chemically dissolving human and other corpses, such as pets, is described using ethanolic potassium hydroxide (KOH) or an aqueous solution of KOH in ethanol at atmospheric pressure. After neutralization with acid to a neutral pH range, the resulting solution can be applied to soil for disposal as fertilizer or further processed using hydrogen peroxide. The use of ethanol has been found to reduce the dissolution time of corpses to approximately 2 hours at high concentrations of KOH.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 931,050, “Accelerated Tissue Digestion,” filed Nov. 5, 2019, by Richard y. Hyslop et al. The entire content of that application is specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all that it discloses and teaches.

Background Art

[0002] As an alternative to cremation for disposing of tissue, protein, animal carcasses, and human cadavers, tissue lysis has been increasingly used. The lysis of tissue using strong alkaline solutions is known as alkaline hydrolysis. The resulting effluent is sent to a sanitary sewer or dried and transported to a landfill. After the lysis process, approximately 6% of the original weight of the carcass remains as bone and teeth. The final bone is sterile and can be easily processed into a form suitable for use as a soil additive or placed in an urn at the family's instruction.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In accordance with the objects of the present invention, embodiments of the method herein for the chemical lysis of tissue from a cadaver, as embodied and broadly described herein, include preparing an alkaline solution having a selected amount of potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide, or a mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, in ethanol, or a mixture of potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide, or a mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide in water and ethanol; contacting the tissue with the alkaline solution; heating the tissue and the alkaline solution to a desired temperature; determining when the lysis of the tissue is complete; and reacting the resulting solution to a selected pH with nitric acid, or carbonic acid, or a mixture of nitric acid and carbonic acid, or another acid.

[0004] The benefits and advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing a method for chemically dissolving a corpse using a strong alkali dissolved in ethanol or in an ethanol / water mixture. This process proceeds for about two hours at atmospheric pressure and a selected temperature.

[0005] The accompanying figures incorporated herein and forming part thereof illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, are useful in illustrating the principles of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This figure shows graphs of the dissolution time (hours) in mice for KOH solutions in 100% ethanol, 50% ethanol, 50% water, and 100% water, at 10% KOH (curve (a)); 25% KOH (curve (b)); and 40% KOH (curve (c)). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] In short, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for the chemical dissolution of tissue from human and other carcasses, such as pets, using ethanolic potassium hydroxide (KOH) and an ethanol aqueous solution of KOH heated to a desired temperature at atmospheric pressure. After neutralization to a neutral pH range, the resulting solution can be applied to soil for disposal. Furthermore, this solution can be treated with an oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide, for further decomposition of lipids, for example, eliminating the need for waste treatment facilities to address the biological oxygen demand of lipids. The use of an acid, such as nitric acid, to lower the pH of the heated solution to a level suitable for application to soil yields crystalline substances, which can be easily separated from the solution upon cooling, thereby reducing the biological oxygen demand of waste treatment facilities. It has been found that crystalline substances are formed when nitric acid is added to a warm solution (approximately 100°F (37.8°C) to 165°F (73.9°C)), causing the pH of the solution to drop to above approximately 6, and when the temperature of the resulting solution is approximately 80°F (26.7°C) to 100°F (37.8°C).

[0008] In the following, the term "organization" includes medical waste from humans and animals, as well as from parts and wholes thereof.

[0009] Carbon dioxide as a carbonate can also be used to lower the pH for disposal in sewage facilities and wastewater treatment plants, as is the current practice of alkaline hydrolysis. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 9,233,405, “Methods And Apparatuses For Digesting Tissue,” filed January 12, 2016, by Joseph H. Wilson et al. The use of ethanol has been found to reduce the corpse dissolution time to about 2 hours with high concentrations of KOH compared to 18–24 hours in systems using only water and alkali.

[0010] At room temperature, approximately 40 g of KOH dissolves in 100 ml of ethanol, while approximately 121 g of KOH dissolves in 100 ml of water. Potassium hydroxide also dissolves in other low molecular weight alcohols such as methanol and propanol, but has lower solubility in isopropanol than in ethanol and methanol. Alcohols can participate in acid-base equilibrium. In the case of ethanol, potassium ethoxide (ethylate) is formed as follows: KOH + CH3CH2OH → CH3CH2OK + H2O. Furthermore, as a nucleophile in organic chemistry, KOH functions as a source of OH in both inorganic and organic materials. Aqueous KOH also saponifies esters: KOH + RCOOR' → RCOOK + R'OH. Amides are another example of saponification in which aqueous KOH is used in hydrolysis reactions.

[0011] Alternatively, KOH is used in an anhydrous form, such as ethanolic KOH (KOH dissolved in ethanol), when the reaction is water-sensitive or when an elimination reaction such as dehydration is being carried out.

[0012] In embodiments of the present invention, ethanol was initially thought to promote a more homogeneous solution for more efficient base hydrolysis of triglyceride esters. Furthermore, since alcoholic KOH can react via an elimination reaction mechanism, in contrast to the substitution mechanism of aqueous KOH, the inventors predict that the microenvironment of alcoholic KOH in cadaver tissue will result in further lipid degradation via hydrogen removal by ethoxides.

[0013] When methanol is oxidized, it forms formaldehyde and formic acid, both of which are less desirable for disposal than acetaldehyde and acetic acid, which are formed as oxidation products of ethanol. Acetone is highly flammable and can be formed from the oxidation of isopropanol.

[0014] Bases such as Ca(OH)2 or Ba(OH)2 do not solubility in water and alcohol is insufficient. NaOH and mixtures of NaOH and KOH can be used, but when using NaOH, the presence of sodium in the dissolved product is not considered a good fertilizer. However, if the neutralized solution is intended to be disposed of, for example, in the ocean, NaOH alone or in mixture with KOH is an excellent substitute for KOH. Furthermore, if such disposal is anticipated, solutions containing KOH solutions, NaOH solutions, and mixtures of NaOH and KOH may be prepared for the dissolution process using saltwater (containing NaOH) and / or clean seawater.

[0015] Dissolution is considered complete when all tissues have been digested, leaving only bone and / or teeth. This can be determined visually by observing the complete absence of tissue in the bone, or by reaction time based on previous experience with the dissolution or digestion of tissue from similar cadavers. Dissolution time depends on the initial body weight, the amount and concentration of chemicals used, and the temperature of the cadaver and chemicals during the dissolution process. Bones may be further dissolved by reacting with KOH.

[0016] Upon request from the deceased's family, the bones can be separated from the dissolution solution and provided to the family for burial. Other arrangements can be made to return the bones, crystalline material, and / or liquid exudates from the deceased. After the dissolution of the corpse tissue was complete, the bones were observed to be softer.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be given in detail, and examples thereof are shown in the accompanying figures. It will be understood that the figures are presented for the purpose of illustrating specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention thereto. Referring hereto to the figures, the corrected dissolution times (hours) for mice are shown in graphs; 10% by weight KOH (curve (a)), 25% by weight KOH (curve (b)), and 40% by weight KOH (curve (c)) for KOH solutions in 100% by weight ethanol, 50% by weight ethanol and 50% by weight water, and 100% by weight water.

[0018] The table presents the data used in the figures for the dissolution time in mice using KOH. The temperature for all experiments was between 155°F (68.3°C) and 170°F (76.7°C). [Table 1]

[0019] As can be observed from the figures and tables, the dissolution time of mouse carcasses depends on the concentration of KOH in solutions of water, ethanol, and a mixture of water and ethanol, and the amount of ethanol in the KOH solution. For example, when no ethanol is present in the KOH / aqueous solution, the dissolution time of a 40 wt% KOH solution is 1.37 times faster than that of a 10 wt% KOH solution, while with 100% ethanol, the dissolution time of a 10 wt% KOH solution is 2.23 times faster than that of a 10 wt% KOH solution without ethanol. The items in the column containing corrected time (hours) are not adjusted for the various body weights of mice, but in both the tables and figures, they are adjusted for the resulting various amounts of KOH (grams) used. For example, multiplying the 2.68 hours of dissolution in Experiment 9 by 4.59 / 4.19 gives 2.94 hours.

[0020] The shortest measured dissolution time of 1.63 hours was achieved with a 40% KOH solution in 100% ethanol.

[0021] Solutions were prepared with 100% H2O, 50% H2O, and 50% ethanol, as well as 10% by weight, 25% by weight, and 40% by weight of KOH in 100% ethanol, with a solvent weight equal to the solvent weight (g) of the carcass (mouse). All experiments were carried out in wide-mouthed glass bottles. Gentle stirring (shaking or agitating the bottle or container) or agitation was used. Sonication or sonication combined with agitation of the solution may also be used. The temperature was raised from room temperature to the desired temperature over approximately one hour using at least one heating element outside the container. However, the temperature could be raised more rapidly if desired. The temperature was maintained below 200°F (93.3°C). The corpse may be left in contact with a completely mixed alkaline solution, or with a desired amount of H2O, followed by the addition of ethanol (or ethanol, then H2O) to which an appropriate weight of KOH is added, i.e., in contact with the alkaline solution being prepared. The corpse was not necessarily covered by these solutions. The dissolution process was carried out under ambient conditions and, as described above, the reaction was terminated when it was determined by visual observation that only bone remained in the solution. Covering the bottle containing the heated solution with the glass container used, without actually sealing it, was deemed useful because it at least partially prevents the evaporation of the alcohol.

[0022] After dissolution was complete, the solution was dark in color, non-viscous, and had an ammonia odor. After the tissue has reacted, the bone may be collected in a filter basket either before or after neutralization. Implants can also be collected in the same way as teeth.

[0023] After dissolution, the solution was neutralized with a 67% HNO3 solution while heating (pH approximately 7). The pH was measured using a pH meter. Other mineral acids such as HCl and H2SO4 were not used because these acids are not good fertilizers, but they may be used. Phosphoric acid was found to neutralize the dissolved mixture very slowly. If the solution undergoes further treatment in a wastewater treatment facility, carbon dioxide can be used to neutralize the solution to an acceptable level, typically up to pH 10.5.

[0024] As described above, the neutralization was carried out while the solution was still warm. If the solution was neutralized after cooling, a highly viscous solution with a lipid surface layer was obtained. However, when the warm solution was neutralized and the pH was maintained above about 6, a water-containing solution from which the crystalline substance could then be filtered was produced.

[0025] Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 (30%)) was added to the dissolution solution after the reaction was completed, and the solution was neutralized (in terms of pH). The amount of H2O2 added was about 70 - 100% of the dead weight to bleach the long-chain fatty acid. The resulting solution can be used directly as a soil fertilizer. Hydrogen peroxide may be added to the dissolution solution before neutralization.

[0026] The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention with various embodiments and various modifications suitable for the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method for the chemical dissolution of a corpse, To prepare an ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution containing 10 to 40% by weight of potassium hydroxide in ethanol or in a mixture of potassium hydroxide, water, and ethanol; The corpse is brought into contact with the ethanol potassium hydroxide solution; The process involves heating the corpse and the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution to a desired temperature, and determining when the dissolution of the corpse is complete and a solution with a pH of 5 to 11 is formed. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reacting the dissolving solution with nitric acid to form a solution having a pH lower than that of the dissolving solution.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the pH of the solution is 5 to 11.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of separating a crystalline material from the solution.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of applying the aforementioned solution to soil.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of contacting the solution with a reduced pH with hydrogen peroxide.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of adjusting the pH of the dissolution to 7 and applying the obtained solution to the soil as fertilizer.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reacting the dissolving solution with carbonic acid to form a solution having a pH lower than the pH of the dissolving solution.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the pH of the solution is 5 to 11.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of contacting the pH-reduced solution with hydrogen peroxide.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of adjusting the pH of the dissolution to 7 and applying the obtained solution to the soil as fertilizer.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of contacting the aforementioned dissolving solution with hydrogen peroxide.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of ultrasonically treating the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution to improve contact between the corpse and the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of placing the corpse and the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution into a container, and shaking the container to improve contact between the corpse and the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of ultrasonically treating the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution in the container to improve contact between the corpse and the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of heating the container.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of heating the container is achieved using at least one heating element located outside the container.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time when the dissolution of the corpse is completed is determined by visual observation.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of dissolving bones present in the corpse by a further reaction beyond the time when the dissolution of the corpse is completed, using the ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution having 10 to 40% by weight of potassium hydroxide in ethanol or in an ethanol / water mixture.

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