CT-Guided Bronchoscopy Can Access Periphery of Lungs

A new system guided by computed tomography (CT) allows access to the periphery of the lungs in a minimally invasive manner that has not been possible with traditional bronchoscopy. The system was introduced at the annual European Respiratory Society Congress in Vienna (Austria).

The majority of lung lesions are situated in the peripheral areas of the lungs where the bronchoscope cannot reach. Therefore, success rates are low and false-negatives are common. A patient must often repeat the procedure or opt for a high-risk invasive alternative. The new CT-guided system is fully compatible with any standard bronchoscope or bronchoscopic tool and its use requires no significant change to the traditional way of performing bronchoscopy.

Basically, the new system extends the reach of the bronchoscope to the periphery of the lungs, increasing the success rate and applicability of diagnostic bronchoscopy. The system enables accurate and minimally invasive navigation anywhere in the lungs in real-time and on a 3D CT roadmap. Called superDimension/Bronchus, the system was developed by superDimension Ltd. (Herzliya, Israel).

"Using the superDimension/Bronchus system, it is possible to reach seemingly ‘out-of-reach' target lesions with great confidence and accuracy,” noted Professor Heinrich Becker, head of the Thoraxklinik endoscopy department in Heidelberg (Germany), who presented his initial findings to the congress.




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SuperDimension/Bronchus