Synthetic blood

Synthetic blood is a product made to act as a substitute for red blood cells. However, unlike real blood cells that serve many functions, synthetic blood is designed to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. There are a few types of synthetic blood, which can be produced in different ways using synthetic production, chemical isolation, or recombinant biochemical technology.

Blood does many things besides carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. The other functions of blood, including coagulation and immune defense, are harder to develop in artificial substitutes. Efforts to create synthetic blood can be traced back to 1616, when William Harvey described the circulation of blood and experiments into the replacement of blood with other chemicals were tried. Modern efforts for synthetic blood were tested and experimented with during both World Wars and more recently.

Potential uses for synthetic blood include stopping patients from bleeding to death and blood transfusions. Other advantages could include the development of a universal blood type, which would offer a chance to provide patients with blood regardless of their blood type.

As well, synthetic blood could be manufactured to destroy bacteria and viruses and eliminate the risk of infectious disease in blood infusions. These infections are an issue in various parts of the world where antiseptic can be harder to come by or where the environment increases the chance for infection. Synthetic blood could also be stored for longer periods of time without refrigeration.

While Oxyglobin is not necessarily a synthetic blood, it is a blood substitute approved for use in veterinary medicine in the United States and Europe. However, it has not been used or approved for use as a blood substitute in humans. There are two main types of synthetic blood products being tested for human use. These are hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) and perflourocarbons (PFC).