Ion Navigation Bronchoscopy
Robot-assisted Technology for Improved Outcomes
Our latest addition in the fight against cancer is a new robotic-assisted platform, Ion by Intuitive, that enables doctors to perform minimally invasive lung biopsies - navigational bronchoscopy. This new technology, in addition to the new CyberKnife® S7™ System and minimally invasive thoracic surgery with the Davicini robot provides a full continuum of state-of-the-art care for lung cancer patients.
How it Works
Prior to the procedure, your pulmonologist utilizes PlanPoint software, which uses a CT scan of the lungs to generate 3D airway images to create a pre-planned path to the pulmonary nodule. The plan is loaded directly into the Ion’s controller to guide during the procedure.
During the bronchoscopy, physicians use Ion’s controller to navigate to the nodule, utilizing the pre-planned path. The Ion’s ultra-thin robotic catheter can move 180 degrees in all directions and can navigate through the lung to reach nodules in any airway segment
With the Ion’s vision probe, the physician gains real-time vision of the airway. A fiber optic shape sensor measures the full shape of the catheter hundreds of times per second, providing real-time precise location and shape information throughout entire process.
Once the pulmonary nodule is reached, the catheter is locked in place. Real-time three-dimensional imaging is used to verify the correct position of the catheter. Ion’s Flexision biopsy needle was custom designed to pass through the catheter, even when positioned around very tight bends. After advancing through the airways, the needle is utilized to collect tissue from the mass or nodule.
How Ion benefits patients:
Prior to Ion, one common method to biopsy peripheral lung lesions was to use a live CT scan imaging and a needle, entering the chest wall and lung from outside the body. However, this method of biopsy is associated with significant risk of collapsing the lung, which can require hospitalization for some patients. Bronchoscopy with Ion robotic assistance allows the specialist to use natural openings in the body, like the mouth, and substantially decreases risk of collapsing the lung. Compared to previous navigational bronchoscopy platforms, the flexibility and shape-sensing capabilities of the Ion catheter increase diagnostic capabilities, enabling a more precise biopsy. When used with lung cancer screening, Ion supports early diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, often with just one minimally invasive procedure.
Ion benefits:
- Minimally invasive method for lung biopsies
- Ability to biopsy nodules previously inaccessible with real-time three-dimensional imaging
- Earlier diagnosis leading to improved outcome and cure rates
