Evening star., 1951-06-11
Freeze Keeps Pieces
OF Tissue Indefinitely,
DC. Doctors Report
By Thomas R. Henry
Star S.cff Correspondent,

Sfur SfofS (orFespondenf
ATLANTIC CITY, June IA
new technique by which human
tissue can be preserved almost
Indefinitely by super freezing was
described by two Georgetown Uni
versity doctors in an exhibit be-
fore the American Medical Asso-
cistion whose annual sessions
opened here today
It involved freezing the tissue
specifically fragments of arteries
ano blood vessels for the univer-
sity's blood vessel bank-to q tenn
perature of 10 centigrade In about
is seconds.
Presumably the method de-
seribed by Drs. Charles A. HUI
nagel and John F. Gillespie would
be applicable to almost any type
OF human or animal tissues II
suf1ciently small fragments were
used Veins and arteries are par
ticularly good material. However,
because of the thinness of the
walls which the super-cold pene-
trates almost instantly, the result
Is a sort of ice-box immortality.
In the past it has been pos
sible to preserve very thin leaves
and minute organisms in this way
The failure with tissue of higher
organisms has been due to the
fact that crystallization takes
place, as in freezing water to ice.l
and the crystals rupture the walls
of the cells. This occurs, however. j
only in an interval from 0 to 80.
Once past this danger zone, crys-|
tallization no longer takes place.
Instead the tissue essentially turns
to a form like glass.
If a bath of liquid nitrogen at a
temperature Of -195 c. is used,
small bits of artery can be brought
to the glass state in about Is
seconds. Larger ones, intended to
be used as gratis. require as much
as rs seconds. II the vitrifying
period were much longer, the
method probably would not work.
The fatal crystals would have
time to form in the danger zone
At first the specimens were
cooled to the maximum of -195
c but it was found that fine
cracks occurred. A two-phase
freezing technique now has been
devised by which they are not
allowed to sink below 10. They
then are preserved in a carbon
dioxide refrigerator especially de-
signed for the purpose.
Complications Small
Storage apparently can be in
definite. The specimens certainly
remain in good condition for more
than six months. They must be
brought back to normal tempera-
ture about as rapidly as they are
frozen. The results to date, the
Georgetown doctors say. have
been excellent. The overall Incl
dence of complications has been
very small.
This method has vital signifi-
canoe in some of the new tech
niques of heart and blood vessel
surgery now being developed at
Georgetown especially as result
of the work of Drs. Hufnagle and
Gillespie, according to the fore
word of report by DR. Robert j.
Coffey, professor Of surgery. For
the first time surgeons are meet
ing with considerable success in
heart operations.
The university's blood vessel
bank is of particular value, it was
pointed out, in cases of aneurisms
of the aorta, one of the major
blood vessels of the heart, usually
due to hardening of the arteries.
They now are considered a major
cause of death. Until very recent
ly there was practically nothing
that could be done for victims of
this condition. Now, by means of
techniques shown at the exhibit
today, it is possible to bridge the
weakened area either with crafts
or with artificial vessels made
from a plastic. In other cases
windows actually are cut in the
heart itself to repair internal
damage.
Ear Drum Photographed.
First successful photographs of
the ear drum were shown by an
other Georgetown doctor, DR..
Irwin Mantman. In the past, he
said, there has been some develop
ment in this line in Europe with
very complicated. technique and
not very satisfactory results. The
method developed by DR.. Hartman
utilizes a special light focusing
device on a clinical camera.
The results, he said, are of great
Importance not only in teaching
the mechanics of the ear, but also
in diagnosis of ear ailments. The
photographs he exhibited today
dealt particularly with ear malady
which seems to be on the increase