The controversial ‘suicide pod’ of Switzerland is back in the news as the country will “soon” use the first such pod to allow a person to die without any medical supervision, The Independent reported citing an assisted dying group.

Also dubbed as the ‘Tesla of euthanasia’’, Sarco, the pod, allows a person to die in 10 minutes. It was first unveiled in 2019 and was invented by Philip Nitschke, the founder of Exit International, who is often referred to as ‘Dr. Death.’

Since the 1940s, Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide, if carried out by a person who has no direct interest in the death of the other.

Florian Willet of The Last Resort, a newly formed organisation that provides assisted dying services for individuals with “serious physical illness,” announced that the first use of Sarco will “take place pretty soon”.

In Pictures: Suicide Pod

The futuristic-looking pods are dubbed as ‘Tesla of euthanasia’ (Image: Exit International)
The Sarco suicide capsule is a 3D-printed machine. (Image: Exit International)
Fiona Stewart, a member of the advisory board and COO of the Last Resort, Switzerland’s human rights nonprofit association focused on assisted suicide, presents the Sarco suicide capsule in Zurich July 17. (Image: Getty)
An oxygen meter inside a Sarco-assisted suicide capsule. (Image: Getty)
A view of the release button inside a Sarco assisted-suicide capsule. (Image: Getty)
It has been claimed that the pod can help a person die within 10 minutes. (Image: Getty)

Suicide Pod: How does it work?

Sarco allows a person to die within minutes. This futuristic, 3D-printed capsule has faced several calls for a ban, with opponents citing Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which states that assisting suicide is a crime if done for “selfish” reasons.

The pod operates by filling its chamber with nitrogen and rapidly reducing oxygen levels once a button is activated from inside.

This process causes the person to lose consciousness and die within approximately 10 minutes.

While it has been said the first use of the pod will take place soon, there has been no decision on the time, date and place of the first case. Additionally, it is not known yet who would be the first user.

Philip Nitschke says that once a person is inside the pod, a voice says, “If you want to die press this button”. Nitschke, 76, has been accused of attempting to “glamourise” suicides. He added that once the button has been pressed, there is no way of going back.

The pods can be activated by a button, gesture, voice control, or eye movement. Individuals who cannot vocalise or physically communicate due to severe illness or mobility issues can use eye movement to activate the pod. The whole process inside the pod will be filmed and handed over to the coroner.

Suicide pod: What could go wrong?

In 2022, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a review of the device and found out that if it experiences a malfunction and fails to put the individual inside in an unconscious state, it will cause a painful death.