Mar 16 2018
The findings suggest that using the platform is a safe and feasible approach to sample lung tissue
Invivo Robotics, one of the pioneers in the rapidly emerging field of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery, is pleased to announce that the results from the first clinical study evaluating a new flexible robotics platform under development by Invivo Robotics will be presented at the Annual Meeting that will take place next month.
Invivo Robotics robotic-assisted, catheter-based technology is being designed to access hard-to-reach areas of the body through natural openings, like the mouth. When applied in the lungs, its aim is to enable early lung cancer diagnoses by accessing and sampling tissue from small nodules in difficult-to-reach areas.
This single-center study was led by Kang Yong principle investigator MD, a thoracic physician and Director of Invivo Robotics. The 50-patient study evaluated both the safety and feasibility of the platform.
In the study, a majority of the target nodules were smaller than two centimeters in diameter. In 49 of 50 cases, the pre-planned target area was reached and a sample suitable for assessment was obtained. Additionally, no device-related adverse events, or instances of pneumothorax or excessive bleeding occurred, suggesting a strong safety profile.
"I was able to reach nodules in the peripheral lung that I wouldn't have been able to reach before," said Dr. Yong. "The robotic-assisted technology in sampling facilitates diagnosis at a stage in which most patients wouldn't yet know that they have cancer. Early diagnosis should allow us to start care plans for patients earlier and offer curative treatments."
The flexible robotics platform from Invivo Robotics is still under development, not yet cleared by the Healthcare Authorities and not for sale. The safety and effectiveness of this platform have not been established.
Source: Invivo Robotics