Table 1.
Viscosity and osmolality of the 3 generations of radiocontrast materials (RCM). The iodine/molecule ratio is 1.5 : 1 in high-osmolality contrast media (HOCM), 3 : 1 in LOCM (tri-iodinated molecules), and 6 : 1 in IOCM dimers [61].
| Osmol. group | Name | Chem struct | Viscosity (mPa) | Osmolality (m) | Year intro. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (intro.) | Chemical | Brand | (20°C) | (37°C) | mOsm/kg H2O | ||
| Isoosmotic (IOCM) (1990s) | Iodixanol | Visipaque | Nonionic dimer | 26.6 | 11.1 | 290 | 1996 |
| Iotrolan | Iovist | 6.8 | 9.5 | 320 | 1989 | ||
| Low (LOCM) (1980s) | Ioxaglate | Hexabrix | Ionic dimer | 15.7 | 7.5 | 600 | 1985 |
| Ioxilan | Oxilan | Nonionic monomer | 16.3 | 7.8 | 695 | 1995 | |
| Iomeprol | Imeron | 15.6 | 8.1 | 726 | 1994 | ||
| Iopromide | Ultravist | 22 | 9.5 | 770 | 1995 | ||
| Iohexol | Omnipaque | 20.4 | 11.2 | 780 | 1985 | ||
| Ioversol | Optiray | 18 | 8.5 | 792 | 1988 | ||
| Iopamidol | Isovue | 20.9 | 9.8 | 796 | 1997 | ||
| Iobitridol | Xenetix | 21 | 10 | 915 | 1994 | ||
| High (HOCM) (1950s) | Diatrizoate | Crystographin Hypaque | Ionic monomer | 18.5 | 8.4 | 2000, 1550 | 1955 |
| Metrizoate | Isopaque | NA | 3.4 | 2100 | 1959 | ||
| Iothalamate | Conray | NA | 9 | 2400 | 1962 | ||