Editing 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (section)

===Time===
Although beaming is quick, it has its limits. A person cannot stay within the matter stream too long. If this happens, his or her molecular pattern would degrade and the transporter signal would be lost. 

This signal must stay above fifty percent to be able to re-materialize the person. A time-frame of around 90 seconds was about the maximum before that fifty percent signal loss was reached. (TNG|Realm of Fear)

The crew of USS|Voyager was able to extend this time by using pattern enhancers.  In an effort to transport refugee Telepathy|telepaths to another world, Captain Kathryn Janeway|Janeway was able to hide many telepaths, in addition to a few of her crew, in the pattern buffer|transporter buffers.  This process is referred to as transporter suspension.  

However, this process produced serious complications.  Because ''Voyager'''s guests and crew had to hide from Devorian authorities repeatedly over the course of several weeks, acute cellular degradation was found in many of the refugees and in Tuvok.  

Although The Doctor was able to treat them, the degradation is cumulative.  If the process is continued, the person may not survive the transport.  (VOY|Counterpoint)

The longest recorded instance of a person remaining in transporter suspension was that of Captain Montgomery Scott, who was also able to survive for a period of 75 years while suspended in an extensively modified transporter buffer. (TNG|Relics)