Robotic Bronchoscopy at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Monarch platform CBMC

Used to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, the goal of robotic bronchoscopy is to enable earlier and more-accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is using the Monarch Platform, integrating 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).

Diagnosing Lung Cancer Early

  • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. More patients die every year from the disease than from prostate, breast, and colon cancer combined.
  • More than 90 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer do not survive. Early-stage lung cancer patients often have no symptoms, and when it is found, it is often at an advanced stage and has already spread beyond its primary location.
  • These limitations can lead to false positives, false negatives, or side effects such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and hemorrhage.
  • As lung cancer screening increases, nodules tend to be smaller and harder to reach, making early-stage diagnosis – and therefore treatment – difficult.

Transforming Endoscopy

  • The Monarch Platform received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance in March 2018 for diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures.
  • This technology leverages the power of flexible robotics to transform endoscopy, the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings.
  • The goal of the platform: dramatically improve patient outcomes and enhance physician capabilities.
  • The Monarch Platform allows physicians to diagnose, and eventually treat, hard-to-reach, small peripheral nodules with greater precision than ever before.
  • Earlier diagnosis with this least invasive approach increases chances of survival and reduces unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedures.

Technology Design and Innovation

  • The Monarch Platform offers:
    • 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.
    • Real-time video and patient-centric navigational capabilities.
    • A user-centric design for mobility and upgradeability to future clinical applications.
    • Views into the lung with computer-assisted navigation based on 3-D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy, giving physicians continuous bronchoscope vision throughout the entire procedure.

For more information, please contact the Lung Cancer Institute at 973-322-6644.