DEATH MACHINE

Australian euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke has launched the world's first 3D-printed machine for committing suicide.
The machine - named the Sarco - contains a capsule which can then be detached from the base and used as a coffin.
Dr Nitschke, nicknamed 'Dr Death', developed the Sarco with engineer Alexander Bannick in the Netherlands, with the aim of making it available worldwide.

Exit International has placed the free open-source design of the machine on the internet after unveiling it at a euthanasia conference in Canada in late October.
The Sarco has been designed so it can be 3D-printed and assembled anywhere in the world, and allows users to commit suicide with the press of a button.

Users need to complete an online mental questionnaire in order to get a 4-digit access code for the capsule.
Liquid nitrogen then fills the capsule after the user activates the machine, causing a peaceful death within minutes as oxygen drops.

Dr Nitschke said his ultimate goal is to help rational people around the globe end their lives peacefully and reliably at times of their choosing.
'Sarco does not use any restricted drugs, or require any special expertise such as the insertion of an intravenous needle,' he said.
'Anyone who can pass the entry test, can enter the machine and legally end their life.'
Dr Nitschke, director of Exit International, said the Sarco was developed in response to issues accessing euthanasia drugs, and a growing demand among the elderly.
The machine is made up of a reusable base, and a capsule which doubles as a coffin if the user desires.