Radiologic agents

What are Radiologic agents?

Agents used in radiology, the branch of medicine that uses imaging technology to diagnose and treat disease.

Imaging Agents visualize the function of internal organs and perform clinical analysis and medical procedures. Diagnostic imaging produces visual information about the internal parts of the human body and helps diagnose disease. Radiology is the main user of radiopharmaceuticals, and several techniques are used to diagnose disease.

These medical imaging modalities include X-ray radiography, ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine involving positron emission tomography (PET) and single-emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Diagnostic imaging agents are referred to as contrast agents administered to the patient during the body’s imaging process. To diagnose disease, these radiopharmaceuticals emit energy through X-rays, gamma rays, sound waves, radio waves (MRI), and radioactive particles.

New contrasting agents are being developed based on microbubbles, which will be safe and effective in the clinical setting. These microbubble contrast agents will help to compete with the highest-selling diagnostic imaging agents:

The next generation of imaging agents should have greater selectivity for biochemical targets, an improved safety profile, a good ratio of specific to non-specific binding, and increased signal amplification for diagnostic imaging processing and radiology.

Radiological agents are any radioactive materials that, when released, could cause adverse health effects. Typically, radiological agents have been chosen for energetic emissions (strong, penetrating radiation), intended to cause harm or panic by exposing members of the public to radiation.

Omnipaque is a radiographic contrast medium for myelography and is used in computed tomography for myelography, cisternography and ventriculography; Visipaque (radiopaque contrast agent used in CT scanning for diagnosis of certain disorders of the brain, blood vessels, heart and kidneys); Iopamiron (used in angiography to evaluate the cardiovascular system); Ultravist (used in intravenous, brain computer tomography (CT) and CT pulmonary angiograms (CTPAs); Cardiolite (technetium-99m SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging agent used for coronary artery disease).