HEALTH

Biopure Gets Patent for Blood Component Substitute: The Boston company announced a patent for a substitute for human hemoglobin made from cattle blood. It said it hopes to test the product in people this year. Hemoglobin is the protein substance in blood that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. The company said it could be used in accidents and surgeries to reduce the need for transfusions of human blood products. It also could reduce the risk of disease from AIDS and other microbes that cannot be eliminated from human blood, Biopure said.