Sparks Brain Preservation
A Non-profit Organization
Some members may choose to have a local
funeral director or other qualified person handle the first steps and then transport the body to us. This option may be less expensive in some cases. It may also have other benefits, such as a more rapid preservation if aldehyde-based arterial embalming is employed by the local funeral director. We support this option and will do our best to coordinate with your funeral director and others to make the procedure as effective as possible.
To use the body transport option, begin by completing our standard preservation paperwork, available on our Services page. That page also lists our current fee for receiving a body from the Portland airport and performing the preservation procedure. Please note that the Portland airport is in Oregon and located within 75 miles of our Salem facility.
If you instead prefer to participate in our Free Local Preservation Research Program, you may complete the research program forms instead. This option also includes a consent for two small tissue samples to be biopsied for imaging.
Air shipment works well when the body can leave the place of legal death and reach our facility quickly, ideally within 24 hours. Your funeral director should be able to advise which airports they use and the cut-off times for shipping bodies. If a longer delay is expected, another option is to perform arterial embalming with aldehyde-containing solutions targeted to the brain before shipment is performed. After the flight arrives in Portland, our team will arrange pickup from the airline cargo office and transport to our Salem facility. We are available to discuss the relevant tradeoffs at any time. We recognize that each person’s preferences and circumstances are different.
If the place of legal death is within around a day’s drive of Salem and it is possible to depart immediately, ground transport may be comparable or faster than air in total time. It is important for the head of the body to be covered in water ice during transport in order to cool the brain.
We complete the preservation procedure, remove the brain, cremate the rest of the body, file the required paperwork on our end, and place the brain in long-term storage for an indefinite period of time. If requested, it is also possible for the partial cremated remains to be returned to the family at no additional charge.
A funeral director is needed to arrange transport from the place of legal death, perform refrigeration during any waiting periods, and complete any required paperwork. Airlines generally require legally deceased human bodies to be shipped by a funeral home or mortuary that is an approved cargo shipper. Usually, your funeral director will obtain the transit or disposition permit and manage the air shipping bill. They will then bill you directly for their services and the airline charges.
If you are interested in brain preservation, we will do our best to help coordinate this process with a local funeral director, which we may be able to help you find. Please Contact Us to discuss this further.
From a structural preservation perspective, every step should be carried out as quickly as possible. The head should be cooled within hours using refrigeration. Wet ice in sealed plastic bags placed around the head is considered the most effective method, with cold packs as a less ideal alternative. Dry ice should be avoided, as freezing will damage the brain’s microscopic structure.
The funeral home will usually provide a leak-resistant container approved for human bodies. This is typically a sealed heavy-duty pouch inside an air tray. Many airports have refrigerated areas that can be used to maintain cool temperature at the airport during any delays.
Once the body arrives at our facility, preservation begins immediately. In most cases, we will attempt vascular perfusion through the cerebrovascular system to distribute aldehyde preservatives. Even partially successful perfusion is generally beneficial in our experience. If perfusion is contraindicated due to the risk of severe edema, we proceed directly to immersion fixation. After the initial preservation, the brain is transferred to long-term storage. If requested, the family will receive confirmation that the procedure has been completed, along with information about the return of partial cremated remains.
This is a complicated process. Please Contact Us and we will do our best to help. We will confirm our readiness, coordinate with the sending funeral home, and do our best to keep you updated until the patient is in our care. If you do not yet have a funeral director, we may be able to help suggest options in many cities.
What are the costs?
The costs on our end are covered on our Services page, or on our Free Local Preservation page if this option is chosen. The costs for the funeral home services need to be discussed and paid directly to them. We do not receive any payment from the funeral home and do not require any payments for any help we provide in the coordination of these services. The services of the funeral home may be expensive. Individuals and families should expect to budget up to approximately $4000-10,000 for these services.
Can families ship a body directly?
No. Airlines require licensed funeral homes or mortuaries to ship human bodies. A funeral director must handle the paperwork and logistics.
Is embalming required for shipment?
It depends on the jurisdiction from which the shipment originates, but usually not. In most cases, refrigeration and proper containment meet airline and state requirements.
What are the benefits of embalming before shipment?
If shipment will be delayed for more than 24 hours, arterial embalming with aldehyde-containing solutions through the carotid arteries towards the brain can help slow tissue breakdown. In some cases, it may allow chemicals to reach the brain’s blood vessels and begin stabilizing tissue before transport.
Do you have any information about how brain perfusion could be performed through the carotid arteries by an external professional?
Yes. Please see Guidelines for Brain Perfusion by External Professionals.
What are the drawbacks of embalming?
Standard embalming is used for cosmetic purposes, not structural brain preservation. Some embalming fluids often contain dyes and humectants that could distort tissue.
If possible, fluids containing formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde are all that should be used for the purposes of structural brain preservation. These still may contain other additives, whose effects on the ultrastructure of the brain are poorly studied and uncertain. However, compared to the known damaging effects of prolonged ischemia, it is our current opinion that aldehyde-based embalming fluids are most likely the superior option for structural preservation.
What does Sparks Brain Preservation handle after arrival?
We complete the brain preservation procedure, cremate the rest of the body, file required paperwork on our end, and place the brain into indefinite long-term storage. If this is desired, the partial cremated remains can be returned to the family at no cost.
Will my family be notified when the preservation has been performed?
If this is requested, yes. We will confirm immediately once the preservation procedure has been performed. However, some members may not desire this, and it is certainly not required.
If I use the body transport option, can I still be in the Free Local Preservation Program?
Yes. If you sign up for the Free Local Preservation Program, you still receive preservation and long-term storage at no cost. However, you or your family are responsible for the cost of the local funeral home services and shipment to the Portland airport.