Oxygen transport via physical dissolution in perfluorocarbon phase

Oxygen transport via physical dissolution in perfluorocarbon phase refers to the artificial delivery of oxygen using perfluorocarbon emulsions (PFCs), which are inert, highly fluorinated organic compounds capable of dissolving large amounts of oxygen due to their chemical structure and Van der Waals interactions. PFC-based oxygen delivery functions fundamentally differently than hemoglobin-mediated oxygen transport: oxygen is carried only in a physically dissolved state (not bound), resulting in a linear relationship between oxygen partial pressure and content. Upon intravenous administration, oxygen-enriched PFCs can pass through microcirculation even where red blood cells are absent or flow is compromised, delivering oxygen to hypoxic tissues by direct diffusion down a concentration gradient. These emulsions have been researched as blood substitutes and artificial oxygen carriers for indications such as emergency resuscitation, stroke, and severe anemia, but not as molecular targets (receptors, enzymes), and thus are not considered therapeutic targets in the standard sense. Key challenges include short vascular half-life, reticuloendothelial clearance, product stability, and issues with clinical translation such as immune response to emulsifying agents and reproducibility. PFCs are not metabolized in vivo and are ultimately exhaled via the lungs.

Other names

Perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carrierArtificial oxygen carrier (AOC) via perfluorocarbonPFC oxygen carrierPFC-based oxygen transportPerfluorocarbon emulsion oxygen delivery

Physical dissolution and diffusion of oxygen; Facilitated diffusion of oxygen into tissues from perfluorocarbon droplets