GPS Technology Aids Lung Cancer Detection

A minimally invasive procedure called electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) detects, locates, and identifies malignancies far deeper in the lungs than a bronchoscope can generally reach.

The superDimension iLogic ENB system uses proprietary software and technology to access the natural airway of the lungs to safely locate and more easily obtain a tissue sample of a lesion, even in areas of the lung that are difficult to reach, such as the mediastinal lymph nodes or other regions that cannot be accessed by a traditional bronchoscope. The system uses a virtual, three-dimensional (3D) bronchial map from a recently computed tomography (CT) chest scan, a disposable catheter set, locatable guides, and three patient sensors to navigate to a desired location.


Using the system, physicians can biopsy lesions, stage lymph nodes, and insert markers to guide radiotherapy or brachytherapy catheters. Moreover, by enabling physicians to perform a tissue biopsy without a scalpel and a needle aspiration through the chest wall, the ENB system minimizes morbidity associated with more invasive procedures. The system has been included in the new American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP; Northbrook, IL, USA) guidelines, released in May 2013, to aid in diagnosing and managing lung cancer. The superDimension iLogic ENB system is a product of Covidien (Dublin, Ireland).

Bryan Hanson, group president of surgical solutions at Covidien, said, “[…] ENB is a minimally invasive approach to accessing difficult-to-reach lung lesions, which can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”

“The diagnosis of lung cancer guidelines from the ACCP, which specifically state the increased yields of ENB and historic safety of bronchoscopy, make ENB a preferred diagnostic procedure for lung cancer,” said David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP, medical director of the lung institute at Columbus Regional Health (IN, USA). “ENB has become a platform technology for further diagnostics and therapeutics in the lung periphery. Guideline status marks a new era of bronchoscopy made possible by ENB.”


Related Links:
American College of Chest Physicians
Covidien
Columbus Regional Health