Overlook Medical Center and Morristown Medical Center, both part of Atlantic Health System, recently introduced a new tool in the fight against lung cancer, the Ion endoluminal system, a robotic bronchoscopy platform for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsy.
Using a shape-sensing catheter system, pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons at both campuses will be able to reach inside the lungs with more precision and stability for early diagnosis of cancer.
“The lungs are a complex system of small blood vessels and airways that continuously move, making the task of searching for problems such as early-stage lung cancer quite difficult,” Dr. Christopher DeCotiis, co-director of interventional pulmonology for Atlantic Health System and section chief of pulmonary disease at Overlook Medical Center, one of the pioneers of the use of Ion at Atlantic Health System, said.
“The robotic platform’s shape sensing ability, along with camera assistance, enhances our ability to maneuver within the patient’s airways to reach the nodule that is being evaluated” Dr. Bhavi Patel, co-director of interventional pulmonology at Atlantic Health System and section head of interventional pulmonology at Morristown Medical Center, said.
Ion, made by Intuitive, is designed to address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung. The Ion system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung and unprecedented stability enables increased biopsy precision compared to manual techniques.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. However, when diagnosed at the earliest stage, known as stage IA-1, the average 5-year survival rate is 92%. Early-stage diagnosis can be difficult, but the Ion endoluminal system can help obtain tissue samples that facilitate a diagnosis.
“Being able to probe further into the lungs with greater precision will drastically improve our ability to locate and identify early-stage lung cancer which will give patients a better chance at early treatment and improved long-term survival,” Dr. Mark Widmann, a thoracic surgical oncologist, chief of thoracic surgery at Morristown Medical Center and director of the Lung Cancer Program at Atlantic Health System, said. “At Atlantic Health System we have been on the forefront of applying new technologies for early lung cancer diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment.”
How it works
During bronchoscopy with Ion, the physician uses the controller to navigate to the target along a planned path. The catheter can articulate 180° in any direction to pass through small, difficult-to-navigate airways and around tight bends to reach all 18 segments of the lung. Ion’s peripheral vision probe provides direct vision during navigation. Once the pulmonary nodule is reached, the catheter locks in place. The Flexision™ biopsy needle, a flexible biopsy needle compatible with Ion, then passes through the catheter, even when positioned in tortuous airways. After advancing around tight-radius bends of the catheter, the needle deploys into the target location on a straight path.
