Oxygen Therapeutics: Conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction, coronary blockage, organ preservation for transplantation, and malignant disease affect more than 4 million Americans each year. These indications for oxygen-carrying blood substitutes represent a multibillion dollar per year market.

ARDS: Current studies suggest that liquid ventilation may be a safe and effective treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that affects 250,000 people in the United States each year. Liquid ventilation may also be effective in case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which occurs in 10 million people in the U.S. In total, the overall market for liquid ventilation could easily be in the multibillion dollar range.

Diabetes: Diabetes and its related complications affect more than 120 million people throughout the world. Global sales of self-monitoring blood glucose products will exceed $3 billion in 2000. Demand for a less invasive, accurate glucose monitoring system will easily create a multibillion dollar market in the near future.

Blood Substitutes: Critical shortages of donor blood (estimated to be as much as 4 million units in the United States by 2030) combined with increased risk of disease transmission (most notably HIV and hepatitis C) has created a worldwide need for suitable blood replacement fluids. While as many as 90 million units of blood are collected annually throughout the world, the supply in less-developed countries is woefully inadequate. The global market for blood substitutes is estimated to reach $5 billion.