Formerly developed resuscitation fluids solely imitated the main function of the 
blood -oxygen transport. A research driven by the army requested an oxygen 
carrier that does not need cross typing and cooled storage. Artificial oxygen 
carriers (AOC) use either the molecular oxygen bondage to hemoglobin: HBOC- 
"hemoglobin based oxygen carriers" or the physical dissolution of oxygen in the 
blood plasma compartment by hyperbaric pressure in perfluorocarbon emulsions 
(PFC). Decades of preclinical and clinical research did pass but the results 
were disappointing- in Russia, a not well designed PFC is available locally and 
the only approved HBOC in South Africa is not being used much. Other products, 
just prior to filing for FDA approval, did not achieve convincing study results 
and research and production was stopped. Some trials have been stopped by the 
FDA for safety reasons, half of trials with the primary endpoint reduction of 
allogeneic transfusion requirement were unsuccessful or offset by an increased 
blood requirement later. However, some ventures currently are trying to use the 
knowledge gained so far and are investigating third and fourth generation 
products of artificial blood components. These imitate the cellular structure of 
red cells as micells, nanocapsules, (ABC- artificial blood cells) or gas bubbles 
(microbubbles), admixture of volume substitutes such as starches, gelatin or 
albumin or use hyperbaric oxygenation [38]. Artificial platelets are in clinical 
phase IIa, recombinant albumin in phase III. In this article, a short overview 
about the current situation on artificial blood products is given. The critical 
point for the break through for artificial blood products did not come yet but 
could be ahead-