Minute in Medtech:
A perspective from an aspiring Biomedical Engineer, Competitive Cyclist, CHD Warrior, and typical(?) Teen…
In this 50th edition of #MinuteInMedTech, I will review a device I encountered at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital‘s Robotics Night. Intuitive is known for its incredibly innovative and modern surgical robots for #laparoscopic surgeries. I had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Goad at Palms West and observe the Da Vinci XI in action during a laparoscopic surgery. However, at Robotics Night, I encountered a device from Intuitive that I hadn’t seen before: the ION. The ION is a robotic device designed to perform bronchoscopies for cancer diagnosis.
Intuitive’s ION #bronchoscopy robot caught my eye as I walked toward the back of the venue. I watched some attendees test it out. On the left side of the screen, I saw a navigational view of the lungs from the catheter’s point of view. On the right side of the screen, there was a visual of the lung, also from the catheter's POV. I was curious about what these videos were showing but concluded that this was some sort of pre-operational imaging. It reminded me of Medivis’s augmented reality services, which use pre-op imaging to guide surgeons in real time during surgery. After speaking with the ION representative, it was confirmed that the device uses images to formulate a path directly to a possibly cancerous mass in or around the lung.
When entering the trachea of a patient, it is uncertain whether a cancerous mass in the lung will be located due to the lung’s maze-like structure. The path generated by the ION increases the chances of finding the mass to 70%. Which in turn decreases the time required to get an accurate diagnosis, enabling quicker treatment.
After the mass is located, surgeons can measure its diameter. Based on this information, surgeons can use a needle as long as the radius of the device to complete a biopsy. While this procedure is being performed, the catheter remains completely in place due to the shape-sensing technology. This technology reduces the possibility of losing the site of the lesion from unwanted or accidental movement.
Diagnostic devices are becoming more and more advanced, making medical visits quicker, and allowing individuals to get back to their lives faster.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in more of what Intuitive is doing, check them out using this link:
https://lnkd.in/e4N__JNE bronchoscopy,100s%20of%20 times%20 per%20 second
Follow me at #MinuteInMedTech for more innovative and interesting medical devices.
To note, this is my opinion and I am not being compensated for this post.
