Injectable Liquid Oxygen?

[wes]

Does anyone remember or have a copy or link to a story maybe 5 years ago about a researcher who invented an injectable liquid that replenished ones oxygen. Kind of like an artificial hemoglobin. What I remember from the story was that the special liquid could be injected directly into the blood and would give like 5 or 10 minutes of oxygen. There was a limit to how much one could inject. They were thinking to use it for Emergency Injuries or for operations where they needed to stop the breathing etc.

Thanks and Cheers - Wes Lapp

 

[Julian Chapman]

Wes, The only artificial oxygen carrier with which I am familiar (for human blood augmentation) is Perfluorocarbon (PFC) fluids which were once tested by US Navy (SEAL) and other experimental diving units as a breathable liquid. While it proved possible to breath these liquids, it proved impracticable and risky but they are still used for rapid transfusions in extreme trauma cases which require rapid reperfusion and re-oxygenation. Since the PFCs are smaller than red blood cells, it occurred to me that PFC treatment might be useful for treating decompression sickness where the PFCs might be able to enter tissues with restricted blood flow. HOWEVER...more research is needed to determine the behaviour of PFCs under pressure. It may prove very dangeros to inject a PFC under elevated or changing pressures.
Some athletes in other sports (notably cycling) have re-injected preserved volumes of their own blood in order to increase their oxygen-carrying capacity. Again though, I think this would be most inadvisable for diving due to the changing pressures.