JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Doctors demonstrated how to use a first-of-its-kind robotic bronchoscope at Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. The minimally invasive tool will help to detect lung cancer sooner with greater accuracy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer. More patients die each year from lung cancer than from prostate, breast and colon cancer combined.
The new technology is the only constant, uninterrupted visual bronchoscope device in the world, according to the hospital. It received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018.
Doctors say robotic bronchoscopy is minimally-invasive and safer than other detection methods. Unlike traditional bronchoscopy, the robotic platform gives doctors the ability to reach the entire lung safely. The tool will also allow them to enter the body through its natural openings to obtain tissue samples of small, hard-to-reach nodules.
Memorial Hospital’s first procedure with the robotic bronchoscope is scheduled for December 8.