10,000 patients reached by the robot that finds lung answers earlier

The hardest lung nodules to check sit deep in the airways, where doctors once faced a choice between waiting and major surgery. Clinicians across Europe have now performed more than 10,000 procedures with Intuitive's Ion robotic bronchoscopy system since its 2023 European approval, the company said in Reading, UK. Ion's ultra-thin, shape-sensing tube can reach small nodules deep in the lung and take a sample, replacing months of 'watchful waiting' with a clear answer earlier — when five-year survival for lung cancer can reach up to 92%. Ten thousand patients have now had that earlier answer.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation