A TETRONIC POLYOL AND HEMOGLOBIN COMPLEX: A POTENTIAL RESUSCITATIVE FLUID

BLOOD IS A BIOLOGICAL LIQUID THAT IS CONSTANTLY IN USE FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING HEART SURGERY, RESUSCITATION OF HYPOVOLEMIC TRAUMA, HEMORRHAGE, ACUTE AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY TEN (10) MILLION UNITS OF BLOOD COLLECTED EACH YEAR FROM THREE MILLION INDIVIDUALS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ABOUT ONE HUNDRED (100) MILLION PATENTIAL DONORS. AS A CONSEQUENCE THERE IS AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE SUPPLY AND THE GROWING DEMAND. ALTHOUGH ONE METHOD OF CHANGING THIS PATTERN WOULD BE BY INCREASING THE LEVEL OF DONATING, THIS APPROACH HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL RECENTLY BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF AIDS. THEREFORE, NEWER, SAFER AND LESS EXPENSIVE METHODS OF PRESERVING OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF BLOOD RESOURCES MUST BE SOUGHT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH PROPOSAL IS TO SYNTHESIZE A BLOOD SUBSTITUTE. THESE COMPOUNDS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES: 1) MADE FROM AVAILABLE AND INEXPENSIVE STARTING MATERIALS, 2) THE COMPOSITION IS KNOWN AND CAN BE VARIED TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS; 3) BLOOD TYPING IS NOT NEEDED; 4) NO DANGER OF HEPATITIS OR OTHER TRANSFUSION-TRANSMITTED DISEASES LIKE AIDS; 5) LARGE VOLUME USAGE IS PRACTICAL; 6) CAN BE STORED AS A POWDER IN FREEZE-DRIED FORM; 7) EXTENDED SHELF-LIFE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, PERHAPS UP TO 5 YEARS. ULTIMATE GOAL: A SAFE, STABLE AND STERILE PERSONALIZED BLOOD SERAVAILABLE TO ALL IN NEED.