Orlando Health Introduces New Robotic-Assisted Lung Biopsy Technology

Orlando, FL. (August 13, 2020) – Patients at Orlando Health are the first in central Florida to have access to exciting, new technology in the fight against lung cancer.

Orlando Health is the first in the area to feature Ion by Intuitive, a new lung biopsy system that helps physicians reach further into the lungs to detect lesions and obtain tissue samples. The minimally-invasive technology promises to help oncologists diagnose lung cancer earlier, thus improving survival rates.

“Lung cancer is a deadly disease, leading to more than 25% of all cancer deaths among men and women in the United States, and making early detection critical to survival,” says Luis Herrera, M.D., thoracic surgeon and medical director of the Rod Taylor Thoracic Care Center at Orlando Health Cancer Institute. “Fortunately, new technology like the Ion system is making it possible for us to safely access parts of the lungs that are difficult to reach to see and diagnose cancer earlier than ever.”

The Ion system uses an ultra-thin articulating robotic catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions, giving physicians the ability to navigate through small, tortuous airways within the lungs. Throughout the navigation and biopsy process, the system’s fiber optic shape sensor technology provides the physician with the precise location and shape information of the catheter. In addition, Ion easily integrates with existing lung-nodule biopsy systems and imaging technology, including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and CT.

Friday, August 7, 2020, marked the day physicians at Orlando Health Cancer Institute performed Central Florida’s first procedures with the Ion system. The Cancer Center is the only facility in the country to feature Ion and the Monarch™ Platform, the first FDA-cleared robot for diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures, furthering a long history as a pioneering program in the latest thoracic diagnostic and treatment options. It offers both technologies as part of a comprehensive care program, including robotic surgery, advanced radiation therapy, and proton therapy, along with an interdisciplinary group of cancer experts focused on providing the best care possible.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization with $6.2 billion of assets under management. The system spans nine Florida counties with nearly 450 locations that include 13 wholly-owned hospitals and emergency departments; rehabilitation services, cancer centers, heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, more than 300 physician offices for adults and pediatrics, and 11 urgent care centers in partnership with CareSpot Urgent Care. In FY18, Orlando Health served approximately 167,000 inpatients,

more than 2.7 million outpatients, and more than 20,000 international patients. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. Nearly 3,600 physicians have privileges across the system, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with nearly 20,500 employees. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $620 million in total value to the community in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.