A piece of robot technology is helping perform minimally invasive procedures on patients at UnityPoint Health–Trinity.
Hospital leaders announced this week that the health care company recently acquired high-tech robot technology called the Ion endoluminal system. That system is a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung.
Ion helps address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung.
“Lung cancer still remains the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S.,” said Dr. Naveen Kanathur, pulmonologist, UnityPoint Health – Trinity. “By utilizing this device, we can detect lung cancer in patients earlier and less invasively and increase survival rates dramatically.”
The system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung and its unprecedented stability enables the precision needed for biopsy compared to manual techniques. Ion is made by Intuitive, the company that makes the da Vinci surgical system, and is built on more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted technology.
“By leveraging this new minimally invasive technology alongside our dedicated lung nodule clinic, we can ensure patients receive the best care possible right here close to home,” said Shawn Morrow, president of UnityPoint Health – Trinity.
