My Intuitive
Events
Contact Us
United States
Ion bronchoscopy suite

Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy

A platform for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsy advancing robotics in thoracic oncology

Innovation with intention to transform lung cancer care

In lung cancer, time to intervention is critical. Ion enables clinical confidence to get early answers and accelerates program impact. Ion delivers meaningful innovation so clinicians can continue to advance care for lung cancer patients.

We built Ion on the belief that collecting lung tissue samples for biopsy could be safe and simple, even when lung nodules are small and located in the periphery. Ion’s ultrathin, ultramaneuverable catheter allows clinicians to reach small lesions in all 18 segments of the lung with more reach, precision, and stability.1

More than 100,000 Ion biopsies completed.
Ion enables clinical confidence for early answers by allowing doctors to reach and biopsy lung nodules, even when nodules are small and located in the lung periphery.
Sep 16, 2024 | 00:01:08
  • More than 100,000 Ion biopsies completed.
    Ion enables clinical confidence for early answers by allowing doctors to reach and biopsy lung nodules, even when nodules are small and located in the lung periphery.
    Sep 16, 2024 | 00:01:08
  • Groundbreaking innovations bring new capabilities
    Since releasing Ion in 2019, we’ve listened and learned from physicians who use Ion to continue innovating to transform lung cancer care.
    Sep 17, 2024 | 00:05:17
  • The Ion system for minimally invasive lung biopsy
    Every design decision, from catheter sizing to use of shape-sensing technology, represents focused effort. Ion enhances reach, precision, and stability relative to manual technologies.
    Feb 15, 2019 | 00:02:08
  • Learn about Ion from a patient’s perspective
    After years of worry and inconclusive tests on a nodule in her outer lung, Paula finally got answers. Learn how Ion helped Paula’s doctor get the answers she needed.
    Jul 31, 2024 | 00:05:33

Reimagining the lung cancer patient pathway

Patients who learn they have a suspicious lung nodule shouldn’t have to wait to find out if they have lung cancer. Instead, they should be able to get definitive answers without delay. Today, many patients are told to return months later for a follow-up CT scan to see if the nodule has grown.2 Patients may also require multiple biopsies prior to a lung cancer diagnosis, which can add months to a patient’s journey to care.3

A chief goal in designing Ion was to help shorten the patient journey by making it possible to biopsy small, difficult-to-reach nodules in the peripheral lung, where more than 70% of cancerous lung nodules may be located.4 Since Ion’s introduction in 2019, we’ve made progress in achieving that goal.

Visit our Research and Outcomes page to learn what recent studies say about how Ion is helping physicians get early answers for their patients.

Empowering lung cancer centers through innovation

At Intuitive, our ongoing commitment to collaborative innovation focuses on providing lung cancer centers with a platform for the future. Developed in partnership with the care community, Ion delivers meaningful innovation designed to continually advance lung care.

Delivering data insights to power improvement

My Intuitive for Ion gives you the ability to manage your case data all in one place. The platform equips you with a succinct record of combined system and clinical data5 that can be used to draw unique insight about your personal practice. With your data in hand, you can monitor practice patterns and identify variation as it occurs.

Ion system in a suite integrated with Cios Spin

Integrated CBCT imaging

Ion integrates with other manufacturers’ cone-beam CT imaging systems, so that intraprocedural CT scans are automatically sent to Ion, allowing you to refine navigation and verify tool-in-lesion.6 Ion’s open-access platform facilitates integration of compatible tools to help achieve the best technology solutions.

See how Ion works

Ion’s controller to navigate biopsy

Shape-sensing technology

Ion is the only bronchoscopy platform using shape sensing to provide precise location, shape, and orientation information throughout navigation and biopsy by measuring the catheter’s shape 100s of times per second.7

Explore shape sensing

Ion Planning with PlanPoint Software

Ion PlanPoint software

Biopsy planning reimagined.8 Using 3D airway trees generated from CT scans of your patient’s lungs, you can identify a targeted pulmonary nodule, anatomies of interest, and reference areas. PlanPoint automatically segments the nodule and creates one or more navigation paths to the target.

Discover PlanPoint

Contact us


 

Thank you for your submission.

  1. Comparison to reach, precision and stability are relative to manual bronchoscope and biopsy techniques. Reach is defined by airway generation access. Precision is the ability to place a biopsy tool in a desired location consistently. Stability is enabled by fiber optic sensing technology which maintains active robotic control of catheter position and corrects unwanted tip deflection. Data on file at Intuitive.
  2. MacMahon H, Naidich DP, Goo JM, et al. Guidelines for Management of Incidental Pulmonary Nodules Detected on CT Images: From the Fleischner Society 2017. Radiology. 2017;284(1):228-243. doi:10.1148/radiol.2017161659
  3. Zhang Y, Simoff MJ, Ost D, et al. Understanding the patient journey to diagnosis of lung cancer. BMC Cancer. 2021;21(1):402. Published 2021 Apr 14. doi:10.1186/s12885-021-08067-1
  4. Horeweg N, van der Aalst CM, Thunnissen E, et al. Characteristics of lung cancers detected by computer tomography screening in the randomized NELSON trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;187(8):848-854. doi:10.1164/rccm.201209-1651OC
  5. The presence of clinical data within My Intuitive is dependent on user entry.
  6. In preclinical testing, Ion integration with Cios Spin enables tool-in-lesion accuracy of 100% in an average of 1.41 spins. Does not include confirmatory spin from all cases where catheter adjustment was not required. Preclinical testing completed in live porcine model. Data on file at Intuitive.
  7. Results based on internal testing. Data on file.
  8. PlanPoint software features and functionality (including biopsy planning, segmentation, auto anatomy border, user flexibility) or features and functionality of the Ion endoluminal system as described are based on internal testing results. Data on file at Intuitive.

r2 Risk-Based 2-Year HITRUST Certified logoDesign and implementation have been rigorously evaluated and awarded third-party certifications for privacy and security compliance with globally recognized HITRUST and NIST Cybersecurity & Privacy Frameworks.

Important safety information

Risks associated with bronchoscopy through an endotracheal tube and under general anesthesia are infrequent and typically minor, and may include but are not limited to: sore throat, hoarseness, respiratory complications including dyspnea or hypoxemia, airway injury, bronchospasm, laryngospasm, fever, hemoptysis, chest or lung infection including pneumonia, lung abscess or an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Although rare, the following complications may also occur: bleeding, pneumothorax (collapsed lung), cardiac related complications, respiratory failure, air embolism, or death. As with other medical procedures, there may be additional risks associated with the use of general anesthesia and/or endotracheal intubation which are not listed above; you should consult a health care professional regarding these and other potential risks.

Procedures using the Ion Endoluminal System may be associated with longer procedure and/or longer anesthesia time.

Ion endoluminal system

The Ion endoluminal system (Model IF1000) assists the user in navigating a catheter and endoscopic tools in the pulmonary tract using endoscopic visualization of the tracheobronchial tree for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The Ion endoluminal system enables fiducial marker placement. It does not make a diagnosis and is not for pediatric use.

Information provided by the Ion endoluminal system or its components should be considered guidance only and not replace clinical decisions made by a trained physician.

The Flexision Biopsy Needle is used with the Ion Endoluminal System to biopsy tissue from a target area in the lung.

The PlanPoint Software uses patient CT scans to create a 3D plan of the lung and navigation pathways for use with the Ion Endoluminal System.

  1. Home
  3. Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy