Ir-191 is used instead of natural iridium to optimize the production of the radioactive Ir-192.
Iridium-192 (Ir-192)
Ir-192 is used in industrial applications for the Non Destructive Testing (NDT) of constructions.
The Ir-192 is used as a source of gamma radiation to detect irregularities in the material.
Ir-192 has also many medical applications such as ‘afterloading’ (brachytherapy) for the treatment of prostate, lung, breast and gynaecological cancers.
Iridium-193 (Ir-193)
The use of Ir-193 has been proposed for the production of the therapeutic radioisotope platinum-195m.