Key Takeaways
A robot-assisted bronchoscope can reach small tumors growing in the deepest parts of the lung
The device was able to reach and biopsy more than 84% of abnormal growths at the outer edges of the lungs
It also got to nearly 93% of tumors unreachable by traditional bronchoscopy
kAm%&t$sp*[ $6AE] b_[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — p 4FEE:?8\6586 C@3@E\2DD:DE65 3C@?49@D4@A6 42? C6249 G6CJ D>2== EF>@CD 8C@H:?8 :? E96 =F?8’D 566A6DE C646DD6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 4=:?:42= EC:2= C6DF=ED AC6D6?E65 2E 2 tFC@A62? #6DA:C2E@CJ $@4:6EJ >66E:?8 :? p>DE6C52>]k^Am
kAm%96 56G:46 FD6D 2 DA64:2=:K65 r% D42??6C E@ 7:?5 EF>@CD 3FC:65 566A :? 92C5\E@\C6249 A=246D @7 E96 =F?8[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmp C@3@E 96=AD 8F:56 E96 3C@?49@D4@A6 E@ E9@D6 566A A=246D[ 2==@H:?8 5@4E@CD E@ E2<6 2 3:@ADJ 2?5 4@?7:C> H96E96C E:DDF6 :D 42?46C@FD[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96 E649?@=@8J 2==@HD DA64:2=:DED E@ 2446DD ?62C=J 2?J C68:@? @7 E96 =F?8[ >62?:?8 E92E H6 42? @776C 3:@ADJ E@ >@C6 A2E:6?ED 2?5 5:28?@D6 42?46CD 62C=:6C H96? EC62E>6?E :D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 67764E:G6[” =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]FDK]49^6?^E62>^42C@=:?\DE6:?24<^QmsC] r2C@=:? $E6:?24<k^2m[ 2 D6?:@C 2EE6?5:?8 AF=>@?@=@8:DE 2E &?:G6CD:EJ w@DA:E2= +FC:49 :? $H:EK6C=2?5[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm%9:D 4@F=5 96=A 5@4E@CD 7:?5 2?5 EC62E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^42?46C^=F?8\42?46C\aeedeaehab]9E>=Qm=F?8 42?46CDk^2m 2E 2? 62C=:6C 2?5 >@C6 EC62E23=6 DE286[ D2:5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=:?<65:?]4@>^:?^2=6TrdTp`\C@K>2?\hcbae`eg^n@C:8:?2=$F35@>2:?lD:Qmp=6š #@K>2?k^2m[ 492:C @7 E96 tFC@A62? #6DA:C2E@CJ $@4:6EJ’D 6IA6CE 8C@FA @? :?E6CG6?E:@?2= AF=>@?@=@8J[ H9@ C6G:6H65 E96 7:?5:?8D]k^Am
kAm“$FCG:G2= :D EJA:42==J >F49 9:896C :7 A2E:6?ED 2C6 5:28?@D65 H96? E96:C 42?46C :D DE:== 2E 2? 62C=J DE286j 9@H6G6C[ E96D6 G6CJ D>2== EF>@CD 2C6 @7E6? 5:77:4F=E E@ 5:28?@D6[” #@K>2?[ 9625 @7 6?5@D4@AJ 2E &?:G6CD:EJ r=:?:4 v@=?:< :? $=@G6?:2[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] k^Am
kAm“%9:D C6D62C49 D9@HD E92E C@3@E\2DD:DE65 E649?@=@8J 42? 96=A 5:28?@D6 >2?J >@C6 @7 E96D6 E:?J EF>@CD :? 92C5\E@\C6249 A2CED @7 E96 =F?8D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 3C@?49@D4@AJ[ 5@4E@CD 8F:56 2 E9:? EF36 7:EE65 H:E9 2 =:89E 2?5 42>6C2 5@H? J@FC E9C@2E 2?5 :?E@ J@FC 2:CH2JD 2?5 =F?8D]k^Am
kAmu@C E9:D 4=:?:42= EC:2=[ C6D62C496CD A6C7@C>65 2 3C@?49@D4@AJ @? fg A2E:6?ED H9@ 925 2 E@E2= @7 `af 23?@C>2= 8C@HE9D 2E E96 @FE6C 6586D @7 E96:C =F?8D[ H96C6 62DJ 2446DD E9C@F89 2 4@??64E:?8 2:CH2J :D @7E6? F?2G2:=23=6]k^Am
kAm%96 EF>@CD H6C6 D>2== — =6DD E92? 2 92=7\:?49 H:56 @? 2G6C286 — 2?5 76H6C E92? `dT 925 2 4@??64E:?8 2:CH2J[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmw2=7 E96 A2E:6?ED H6C6 2DD:8?65 E@ C646:G6 C68F=2C 3C@?49@D4@AJ FD:?8 )\C2J :>28:?8[ 2?5 E96 @E96C 92=7 C@3@E\2DD:DE65 3C@?49@D4@AJ FD:?8 r% D42?D]k^Am
kAm%96 C@3@E\2DD:DE65 3C@?49@D4@A6 H2D 23=6 E@ C6249 gcT @7 E96 EF>@CD[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 abT 7@C EC25:E:@?2= 3C@?49@D4@AJ[ C6DF=ED D9@H65]k^Am
kAmx? 42D6D H96C6 2 3:@ADJ H2D?’E DF446DD7F= H:E9 E96 FDF2= E649?:BF6[ C6D62C496CD E96? 6>A=@J65 E96 C@3@E\2DD:DE65 3C@?49@D4@A6] x? E9@D6 42D6D[ ?62C=J hbT H6C6 DF446DD7F= :? C6249:?8 E96 EF>@C 2?5 @3E2:?:?8 2 3:@ADJ]k^Am
kAm~G6C2==[ eg A2E:6?ED H6C6 5:28?@D65 H:E9 =F?8 42?46C 2?5 d_ 925 E96 G6CJ 62C=:6DE —2?5 >@DE EC62E23=6 — 7@C> @7 E96 5:D62D6[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x? 4=:?:42= AC24E:46[ E9:D E649?@=@8J 6?23=6D 244FC2E6 5:28?@D:D :? A2E:6?ED 7@C H9@> 4@?G6?E:@?2= 3C@?49@D4@AJ @776CD ?@ G:23=6 @AE:@?[” $E6:?24< D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 E649?@=@8J :D?’E 4962A — E96 ?6H DJDE6> 4@DED >@C6 E92? S`]` >:==:@? 2?5 255D 23@FE Sa[bd_ E@ E96 4@DE @7 2 D:?8=6 AC@465FC6[ C6D62C496CD ?@E65]k^Am
kAm“x? 46?E6CD E92E D66 =@ED @7 A2E:6?ED H:E9 E96D6 EF>@CD[ x 36=:6G6 E96 36?67:ED @7 E9:D E649?@=@8J ;FDE:7J E96 :?G6DE>6?E[” D6?:@C C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]FDK]49^6?^E62>^E9@>2D\82:D=^QmsC] %9@>2D v2:D=k^2m[ 2 AF=>@?@=@8:DE H:E9 &?:G6CD:EJ w@DA:E2= +FC:49[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] “w@H6G6C[ E96 C@3@E:4 DJDE6> D9@F=5 36 C6D6CG65 7@C D>2==[ 92C5\E@\C6249 =6D:@?D[ H96C6 4@?G6?E:@?2= 3C@?49@D4@AJ :D ?@E 2? @AE:@?]”k^Am
kAm#@K>2? D2:5 C6D62C49 :D 6DD6?E:2=]k^Am
kAm“xE’D G:E2= E92E H6 42CCJ @FE E9:D EJA6 @7 8@=5\DE2?52C5 C6D62C49 D@ E92E H6 42? ;FDE:7J E96 D:8?:7:42?E 255:E:@?2= 4@DE @7 :?DE2==:?8 2?5 FD:?8 E9:D 6BF:A>6?E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 7:?5:?8D H6C6 AC6D6?E65 $F?52J] u:?5:?8D AC6D6?E65 2E >65:42= >66E:?8D D9@F=5 36 4@?D:56C65 AC6=:>:?2CJ F?E:= AF3=:D965 :? 2 A66C\C6G:6H65 ;@FC?2=]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 r=6G6=2?5 r=:?:4 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>J]4=6G6=2?54=:?:4]@C8^962=E9^5:28?@DE:4D^a`cf`\3C@?49@D4@AJQm3C@?49@D4@AJk^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rti tFC@A62? #6DA:C2E@CJ $@4:6EJ[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ $6AE] ae[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm!6@A=6 H:E9 92C5\E@\C6249 EF>@CD :? E96:C =F?8D >:89E C646:G6 :>AC@G65 42C6 FD:?8 C@3@E\2DD:DE65 56G:46D]k^Am
