Intuitive announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the integration of a mobile cone-beam CT imaging technology and the Ion Endoluminal System used for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. Siemens Healthineers Cios Spin mobile imaging offers integrated functionality with Ion to provide 2D and 3D imaging during procedures to help physicians gain confidence around refining Ion's catheter positioning and help improve biopsy tool placement. Early studies have shown Ion enables a diagnostic yield of approximately 80% in studies with a relatively small average nodule size.

3D imaging is used in peripheral nodule biopsies to confirm that biopsy tools are appropriately placed in a suspicious nodule. An initial single center study demonstrated an improvement in diagnostic yield of up to approximately 10% when the Cios Spin was used with the Ion platform. This new imaging integration could help improve the accuracy of biopsy procedures, a key step in how lung cancer gets diagnosed.

Lung cancer kills more people annually than any other cancer and early diagnosis can improve survival rates. The integration enhances a physician's ability to provide minimally invasive lung biopsy with the Ion system, which can give patients answers sooner.