Real-time CT Imaging Boosts Ion Bronchoscopy Lung Biopsy Success to 90% at Hackensack University Medical Center

In-procedure imaging adjusts for body movement for greater accuracy during lesion biopsy

Hackensack Meridian Health recently began applying real-time computed tomography (CT) imaging with minimally invasive Ion bronchoscopy, which provides real-time CT scan imaging and improves yield from 30% to 90%.

This “portable CT” allows thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists to advance the needle, confirm location and adjust it in real time, for more successful biopsies via Ion bronchoscopy.

This offers patients greater comfort while achieving higher accuracy than standard biopsy techniques or Ion bronchoscopy biopsy without the additional in-procedure CT guidance. The imaging technology combined with Ion bronchoscopy also allows physicians to achieve multiple tasks in one session, such as biopsy and inking lesions in preparation for surgery or placing fiducial markers.

Based at Hackensack University Medical Center, the Ion advanced robotic bronchoscopy technology enables physicians to better visualize and maneuver deep within the lungs to obtain lung tissue samples, with lower risk of lung collapse than traditional trans thoracic biopsies. Hackensack University Medical Center was the first hospital in New Jersey to adopt this technology.

“We can do this more accurately with lower risk and more comfort for the patient, and in the same setting we can do other things so it streamlines care for patients,” Hackensack University Medical Center thoracic surgeon Nabil P. Rizk, M.D., said.

More than 70% of lung nodules that need to be biopsied (analyzed to see if they are cancer) reside far out in the periphery of the lung, making them very difficult to biopsy using conventional bronchoscopy (a tube with a camera on its tip inserted through a patient’s mouth into the lungs). The Ion system combines computed tomography (CT) data and robotic-assisted surgical technology to facilitate and expedite access to these nodules. The entire procedure is performed through bronchoscopy, without the need for any external surgical incisions.

The Ion bronchoscopy system is a robotic-assisted minimally invasive biopsy platform. It features an ultra-thin, highly maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the lung, reaching smaller airways and offering greater stability compared to manual techniques and the ability to diagnose lung cancer at the earliest stage when it is most treatable.

Using the Ion system, the physician manages a controller to move the bronchoscope with precision. While the physician controls the robotic system, a three-dimensional map of the patient’s lung is shown on a computer screen. This allows the physician to see exactly where the bronchoscope is in the person’s lung allowing biopsy of very small nodules, and guides the physician to get to the nodule, much like GPS in a car. Now, real-time CT imaging accommodates subtle lesion movement for even greater precision.

Learn more about innovative pulmonary and thoracic surgery care at Hackensack University Medical Center.