Tyler, Texas (October 21, 2024) — October is Healthy Lung Month so it seems especially fitting to share that UT Health East Texas recently celebrated a meaningful milestone of 500 patient lives impacted by Ion endoluminal system, which makes it easier for patients to know with certainty whether a suspicious lung nodule or lung mass is benign or cancerous. Lung biopsies performed with the Ion are less invasive and more precise.
Ion is the shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform made by Intuitive, the pioneer in robotic-assisted surgery with da Vinci systems. This novel technology allows doctors to biopsy suspicious peripheral nodules and masses. This system can reach all 18 segments of the lungs to obtain a biopsy. The Ion system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter and integrated vision probe that allows direct vision with navigation far into the peripheral lung, and with stability and precision needed for biopsy compared to traditional navigational techniques. Ion allows our pulmonary physicians to perform needle aspiration in a non-invasive procedure rather than having to puncture the chest wall.