Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy

The earlier that lung cancer is diagnosed, the better. But early-stage lung cancer can be challenging to diagnose because the tissue samples need to come from hard-to-reach areas deep within the lung. As an answer, our hospital is offering a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure to reach smaller, earlier-stage nodules. 

Called the Ion Endoluminal System, it is a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung. The system, manufactured by Intuitive, features a thin, moveable catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung, reaching smaller nodules and allowing for more precise biopsies. Because of its precision, Ion may also help patients avoid subsequent biopsies.

During bronchoscopy with Ion, the physician uses a controller to navigate a camera-equipped catheter to the target along a computer-generated path. The catheter can move 180° in any direction to pass through small, difficult-to-navigate airways and around tight bends to reach all 18 segments of the lung.

Once the catheter reaches the lung nodule, a flexible biopsy needle and other biopsy instruments pass through it, even when positioned in twisted airways. Then, the biopsy instruments deploy into the target location on a straight path.

The technology allows our physicians to locate, biopsy, and mark nodules for surgical resection in one procedure and with greater accuracy.

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is an outpatient procedure that typically takes about two hours and patients get results within a few days.