SMC Respiratory Team Completes Robotic Bronchoscopy

Springhill Medical Center’s (SMC) Respiratory Therapy Team, led by Dr. James A. Dean of Pulmonary Associates, recently completed its first robotic bronchoscopy featuring improved imaging for lung biopsy. Physicians utilizing the Ion Endoluminal System are able to biopsy nodules as small as 0.5 cm. This means early detection for lung cancer patients. Ion 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 the precision needed for biopsy compared to manual techniques. The Ion system is designed to fit easily into a bronchoscopy suite and integrate with existing technologies. Ion leverages existing imaging technologies with radial endobronchial ultrasound, fluoroscopic, virtual and live views of the lung unified in a single heads-up display. Ion is built on more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted technology by Intuitive, the maker of the da Vinci surgical system.