The creator of a controversial 'suicide pod' has spoken out about the moment of no return for those who decide to use his creation.
The long awaited 'suicide pod' - called Sarco - was presented this morning (17 July) during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland by local euthanasia organisation The Last Resort.
Dr Philip Nitschke is responsible for developing the controversial device, short for sarcophagus, going on to pick up the nickname 'Dr Death' in the process.
How does the 'suicide pod' work?
The pod promises to offer people a quick, painless method of suicide that is cheaper than previous methods on offer in Switzerland, where euthanasia is currently legal.
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How it works is fairly straight forward.
When an occupant gets inside the pod, the chamber fills up with nitrogen gas, rapidly decreasing oxygen levels and causing them to fall unconscious within just one minute, meeting their demise after 10 minutes.
Backlash to Dr Nitschke's suicide pod
Swiss authorities have already issued bans on the device and threatened to prosecute those assisting someone to use the pods, with jail time a possible outcome.
Dr Nitschke highlighted that the capsule went through thorough testing, as lawyer Fiona Stewart stated that the device is not prohibited under Swiss law, despite individuals seemingly issuing bans.
The German scientist admitted that he 'will probably use the Sarco' in his final days instead of being 'in a miserable state while seriously ill.'
Dr Nitschke's warning
Dr Nitschke made a chilling warning to those who may want to die quickly and painlessly using his device, saying: "Once the button is pressed, there is no way back."
That's right, any last second or millisecond regret would be in vain, as long as the button has been pushed.
Swiss Public Prosecutor Peter Sticher warned Nitschke of possible 'serious consequences' if he went ahead with the Sarco pod, citing 'inducement and aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons'.
Sticher said in a letter to the Swiss media: "There is no reliable information about the method of killing.
"[It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process."
Under section 115 of the canton's penal code, it would not be possible to determine who was responsible for the killing itself, which resulted in prosecutors in Schaffhausen to block its introduction.
First person already set to use the suicide pod
But Dr Death revealed in June that the machine could be towed anywhere for usage, revealing that someone is already set to be the first patient to use the Sarco pod.
Last year, Dr Nitschke further explained how the pod works in an interview with MailOnline: "The person will climb into the machine, they will be asked three questions and they will answer verbally - 'Who are you?', 'Where are you?' and 'Do you know what happens if you press the button?'
"And if they answer those questions verbally, the software then switches the power on so that the button can then be pressed.
"And if they press the button they will die very quickly.
"When you climb into Sarco the oxygen level is 21 per cent but after you press the button it takes 30 seconds for the oxygen to drop to less than one percent," he revealed.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Science, Health, Technology, World News
Joshua Nair