The present invention provides a method for the synthesis of 18F-labelled biomolecules, which is amenable to automation. By cyclizing the acid halide derivative of Formula in the presence of a catalyst, an indanonecarboxylic acid ester represented by Formula : wherein X and R are as defined above, is produced. If it is determined that the transmission rate is a first rate, the method includes processing the first signal as having a first transmission format and the first rate.