If you and your doctor decide that robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is right
for you, here is what may happen.
During robotic-assisted bronchoscopy with Ion, your physician guides an
ultra-thin catheter through your airway to the area of your lung for biopsy.
The small, flexible catheter can reach all segments of the lung—even
far into the outer lung.
Once the nodule for the biopsy is located, the catheter locks in place.
Your physician will insert biopsy tools through the catheter to take a
sample of your lung tissue.
What is Ion?
Ion is used to perform
robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. This system can reach all 18 segments of the lungs and be placed to obtain
a biopsy. Ion is made by Intuitive, the pioneer in robotic-assisted surgery
with da Vinci systems. It features:
Reach
The ultra-thin catheter and integrated vision probe provide the physician
direct vision to reach all parts of the lungs.
Precision
The shape-sensing technology provides precise location and shape information
throughout the whole biopsy process. The system holds the catheter in
place for precise placement for biopsy tools.
Flexibility
The catheter can move 180° in all directions and the Flexision™
biopsy needle, a flexible biopsy needle compatible with Ion, help enable biopsy.
What does it enable?
Be sure to talk with your physician about the outcomes he or she delivers
using Ion, as every physician’s experience is different. For example,
ask about:
Complication rate
Success of reaching small nodules in difficult-to-reach locations
How often they get a diagnosis based on the biopsy sample
