ARTIFICIAL BLOOD: A TOOL FOR SURVIVAL OF HUMANS

Abstract

Blood is a specialized body fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body cells such as nutrients and oxygen and transports waste products away from those cells. Artificial blood is supposed to fulfil some functions of biological blood, especially in humans. The initial goal of oxygen carrying blood substitutes is merely to mimic blood’s oxygen transport capacity. There is additional longer range research on true artificial RBCs and WBCs which could theoretically compose a blood substitute with higher fidelity to human blood. Unfortunately, oxygen transport has been very difficult to reproduce. There are two basic approaches to construct oxygen therapeutic: perflurocarbons (PFCs), a chemical compound which can carry and release oxygen. The specific PFC usually used is perfluorodecalin. Perfluorochemicals will not mix with blood; therefore emulsions must be made by dispersing small drops of PFC in water. This liquid is then mixed with antibiotics, vitamins, nutrients and salts, producing a mixture that contains about 80 different components, and performs many of the vital functions of natural blood. This can benefit damaged, blood-starved tissue, which conventional RBC cannot reach. Therefore the artificial blood is a good tool for the survival of patients at the time of surgery when blood loss is higher. By providing a PFC solution we can maintain the circulating blood volume as well as the need of the patients. PFC solutions can carry oxygen so well that mammals and humans can survive breathing liquid PFC solution, called liquid breathing.