Suicide pod inventor wants to install them in UK as first person 'set to use it this month'

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing

The inventor of a pod within which a person can take their own life would like to bring them to the UK, while a plan for it to be used for the first time in Switzerland has faced a legal challenge.

Dr Philip Nitschke, who has been given the nickname 'Dr Death' by some, developed the Sarco Pod with his company Exit International.

The pod works by having the occupant be able to fill the chamber with nitrogen gas, resulting in a rapid decrease in the levels of oxygen with the intention being that the person inside falls unconscious within about a minute and dies after about 10 minutes.

The device is sometimes referred to as a 'suicide pod' as the person inside who would die as a result of activating it is the one who must press the button, an action they would know would result in their death.

This is the Sarco Pod, a euthanasia device whose creator wants to bring it to the UK. (Exit International)

There is also an emergency escape button the occupant can press if they change their minds.

Exit International claims that their pod will allow for 'a peaceful, even euphoric death', but plans to use it for the first time have hit difficulties.

There had been plans to use the Sarco Pod for a euthanasia patient in Switzerland, with Dr Nitschke saying on 10 June that it would be done 'in the next few weeks'.

However, Swiss prosecutor Peter Sticher has warned that anyone assisting a person in using the pod could face up to five years in prison.

He warned there would be 'serious consequences' if the pod was used, saying it would constitute 'inducement and aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons'.

Under Swiss law, a person can assist in someone else's suicide as long as there is not a 'selfish' motive for doing so.

Dr Philip Nitschke could face jail time if he goes ahead with using his pod in Switzerland. (David Mariuz/Getty Images)

Sticher said that when it came to the Sarco Pods, 'there is no reliable information about the method of killing'.

He said it was 'completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process'.

Authorities in Switzerland are also concerned that the pod will not perform as advertised, and a review from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has said that if the pod malfunctions, it could lead to the patient suffering a painful death.

The inventor also previously expressed plans to bring the pod to the UK.

LADbible has contacted Exit International for comment.

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.