Robotic Lung Exams Start in Australia

A first-of-its-kind robotic bronchoscopy trial has launched in Australia, using a robotic system to test and diagnose lung nodules.

The “Galaxy System” was designed by Noah Medical and is being trialed at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney, Australia. The system allows real-time navigation and guidance in the lung, identifying and measuring lesions.

The study is testing the technology in a small cohort of patients, investigating its efficacy in identifying and carrying out biopsies on peripheral lung nodules. Typically, cancerous lesions are found in the outer third of the lung, which is tricky to reach and target during biopsies.

“My colleagues and I have been excited to have the opportunity to be the first users of the Galaxy System,” said principal investigator Professor Alvin Ing. “We see strong potential for the Galaxy System to improve the tool-in-lesion rates for interventional pulmonologists around the world, and view it as an important advance in the early diagnosis and management of lung cancer.”

“Congratulations to…the entire team at Macquarie University Hospital for completing this milestone achievement in robotic-assisted bronchoscopy,” said Jian Zhang, Noah Medical CEO. “This is the first study to validate the Galaxy System’s core value propositions within a clinical environment, and we look forward to continuing to build the clinical evidence for the Galaxy System.”

The system went through several pre-clinical studies in 2022 and received approval from the Food & Drug Administration in March of this year.