Emory Johns Creek Hospital recently held a “test-drive” event for its newest non-surgical robot, called ION. The ION bronchoscopy system by Intuitive uses minimally invasive fiber optic technology to allow clinicians to biopsy lung nodules that may be suspicious for lung cancer.

Stephanie Hampton, MD, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care at Emory University School of Medicine, says traditionally clinicians have been limited by the size and location of nodules they’ve been able to biopsy.

“This new technology has improved our ability to access smaller and difficult-to-reach nodules and diagnose lung cancer earlier, which often leads to a better prognosis for patients,” says Hampton. “If we do suspect lung cancer, the ION also allows us to do multiple procedures at one time.”