During the past several years, great advances have been made toward the goal of producing an oxygen-carrying resuscitative fluid, commonly called artificial blood substitute. From the preliminary studies in this laboratory, it appears feasible to synthesize a suitable substance in freeze-dried form. The artificial blood proposed in this investigation can be produced from a stablized tetrameric hemoglobin and a modified hydroxyethyl starch. The compound in this study has the following advantages: 1) made from readily available and inexpensive materials; 2) the composition is known and can be varied to meet specific needs; 3) blood typing is unncessary; 4) no danger of contracting hepatitis or transfusion-transmitted diseases such as aids; 5) large volume usage is practical; 6) the freeze-dried product makes storage easy; 7) the long shelf-life of the product makes it viable for extended periods of time, up to five years
