Suicide pod death called off at last minute as first person was set to die in machine

The creator of a controversial 'suicide pod' which claims to painlessly end the life of the occupant at the push of a button called off its launch at the last minute.

Dr Philip Nitschke - who has been dubbed 'Dr Death' - announced that plans for the first ever patient, referred to as Person X, to climb inside of the Sarco pod have been 'permanently postponed'.

The woman, from the US and in her 50s, was scheduled to use the high-tech assisted dying system that has been described as the 'Telsa of euthanasia' on 17 July.

Prosecutors in Switzerland's Schaffhausen Canton warned Australian medic Dr Nitschke, 76, that going ahead with it could land him in severe legal trouble, saying that there would be 'serious consequences'.

However, it wasn't the fear of prosecution which has forced the team at pro-euthanasia group Exit International to pump the breaks on their plans - although the medic believes the subsequent 'media storm' it brought did impact the patient.

The debut of Dr Philip Nitschke's creation was called off (Exit International)

The group's founder and the Sarco pod's inventor Nitschke explained that Person X was suffering from 'deteriorating mental health', which is why her assisted suicide and the debut of his creation has been 'aborted'.

He said: "Given her situation, it is clear that this is a person who should now be receiving mental health care, rather than any suicide assistance."

According to the Daily Mail, the euthanasia advocate will be involved in the assessment and pre-screening of the next candidate who wishes to end their life with the Sarco pod.

Nitschke said: "Given the media scrutiny surrounding Person X, all future clients will need to be warned of the possibility that, despite our best efforts to keep their death private, any first use of Sarco will be the subject of intense media interest and reporting."

He explained that concerns had been raised regard Person X after she experienced 'multiple episodes of significant cognitive lapses bordering on pre-psychosis' as the date of her scheduled death loomed.

When 17 July finally rolled around, a euthanasia group named 'The Last Resort' announced that the Sarco pod would be instead used within the next year.

The Sarco pod has been the subject of fierce debates surrounding assited dying (Exit International)

Exit International claim that the 3D-printed capsule can provide people who want to end their lives with a 'painless death' within minutes.

It works by flooding the chamber with nitrogen, reducing oxygen levels rapidly so that individuals inside quickly feel woozy before falling unconscious after just one minute, and dying after 10.

Nitschke said that he came up with the death capsule in order to create a 'peaceful, reliable, drug-free' method of assisted dying which allowed the patient to have full control of their final moments.

Exit International have even made sure the Sarco pods can be activated via voice control and eye movement for those who have very severe illnesses and mobility issues, such as locked-in syndrome.

Nitschke was even toying with the idea of trying to bring them to the UK at one point.

He previously highlighted that the capsule went through thorough testing and said that he 'will probably use the Sarco' in his final days instead of being 'in a miserable state while seriously ill.'