Robotic Bronchoscopy Enables Earlier and More-Accurate Diagnosis of Lung Nodules
A new innovation used to fight lung cancer is now in use at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) in Livingston. Used to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, the goal of Monarch Platform is to enable earlier and more-accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung.
The technology integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science, and endoscopy (the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings). CBMC is among the first hospitals in the United States to utilize the platform, which was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. Because the Monarch Platform provides improved reach, vision and control for bronchoscopic procedures, it will help us to make a diagnosis earlier,” says Killol Patel, MD, Director of Interventional Pulmonology, CBMC. “We are excited to be able to offer this technology to our patients.”
More than 90 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer do not survive the disease, in part because it is often found at an advanced stage. There are a variety of diagnostic options currently available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety, or invasiveness. These limitations can lead to false positives, false negatives, or side effects such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and hemorrhage, which may increase health care costs and extend hospital stays.
The Monarch Platform utilizes a familiar controller-like interface that physicians use to navigate the flexible robotic endoscope to the periphery of the lung with improved reach, vision, and control. Combining traditional endoscopic views into the lung with computer-assisted navigation based on 3-D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy, the Monarch Platform provides physicians with continuous bronchoscope vision throughout the entire procedure.
Additionally, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center has introduced the Incidental Lung Nodule Program, which can catch lung cancer early even in patients who aren’t known to be at risk. This program is set up to alert the team if a lung nodule has been detected incidentally, during a scan ordered by a cardiologist or other specialist looking for something else.
Learn more about Robotic Bronchoscopy at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.