ABSTRACT
A. Background During the last 15 years there has been a rapid development in the number of materials with the ability to transport and deliver oxygen and other gases. While many of them were conceived as substitutes for red blood cells (RBC),* it is becoming apparent that their unique characteristics suit them for new applications beyond the scope of RBC. In this chapter, the different approaches that are being taken to develop non-RBC oxygen carriers will be discussed and the status of the clinical trials in progress as of June 2000 will be reviewed.
