The charged particle accelerator RDS-111 cyclotron is dedicated to the production of the radioisotope fluorine-18.
	Radiopharmaceuticals are synthesized in shielded cells, appropriate for radioactive material handling.

Radiopharmaceuticals are radiation-emitting substances used in medicine for radiotherapy and imaging diagnosis. IEN’s radiopharmaceutical production reflects the Institute’s commitment to meeting society’s demands. This activity originated with the acquisition, in 1974, of the CV-28 cyclotron, a variable-energy charged particle accelerator, which started the development of methods of radionuclide production for different applications and the experimental production for medical use.

In 1998, the Institute started the large-scale production of the impurity-free iodine- 123 radionuclide. In the form of sodium iodate, it is used in the diagnosis of thyroid dysfunctions, replacing iodine-131, with 60 times lower patient radiation doses and 6 thousand times less environmental impact.

Another radiopharmaceutical synthesized with iodine-123, the meta-iodo-benzyl guanidine molecule (MIBG) is used in the diagnosis of cardiac diseases, meeting a great demand in the country. Today, IEN supplies sodium iodate and MIBG labelled with ultra-pure iodine-123 to clinics and hospitals in several states.

Revolution in diagnoses

In 2003, IEN’s second charged-particle accelerator, the RDS-111 cyclotron, was installed, in order to produce the fluorine-18 radionuclide. A positron emitter isotope, it is used at IEN in the synthesis of fluordesoxyglucose (FDG). This radiopharmaceutical, used with a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) or SPECT (Single Photon Tomography) imaging equipment, is responsible for a revolution in diagnosis exams in cardiology, oncology, neurology and neuropsychiatry.