Johnson & Johnson MedTech has been handed its fourth major software launch in the past 18 months for its Monarch bronchoscopy robot.
The medtech unit of the U.S. biopharma giant has nabbed FDA 510(k) regulatory clearance for Monarch Quest 3, the fourth and latest software update for the robotic platform that seeks out lung cancers via bronchoscopy.
This further advances planning, navigation, and targeting to help doctors account for CT‑to‑body divergence and anatomical changes that can occur during bronchoscopy and thus seek out earlier-stage lung cancers and set aside changes that are not related to tumors.
The update also brings aboard J&J’s Polyphonic open digital ecosystem that can help “extend surgical intelligence beyond the procedure by enabling clinicians to review procedural volume data and collaborate with other teams through a centralized video library,” according to a release.
There is also an AI feature specific to nodule segmentation that can automatically create more accurate nodule boundaries with a single click during pre‑procedural planning, according to J&J.
“This release reflects our ongoing commitment to innovation in robotically‑assisted bronchoscopy,” said Gaetane Michaud, M.D., interventional pulmonologist and Senior Director of Medical Affairs, MedTech, Johnson & Johnson, in a statement.
“Monarch Quest 3 builds on a series of advancements introduced over the past several years, all focused on helping clinicians navigate with greater confidence and target lung nodules with accuracy.”
Auris Health originally developed what became Monarch and won FDA approval for the surgical robotics platform in 2018, before being snapped up by J&J a year later, which has since taken over marketing and operations of the tech.
Since then, J&J has been upping the ante on software updates for the platform as it seeks to better help doctors with lung biopsy procedures and keep up with rivals from Intuitive and its Ion system, as well as Noah Medical’s Galaxy system.
Robotic-assisted approaches have increasingly become the norm for bronchoscopies over the past few years.
The minimally invasive procedure involves sending a camera-equipped catheter down a patient’s throat and into the passageways of the lungs—often with the help of a robotic controller—where tools attached to the catheter can gather samples of potentially cancerous lung nodules for further testing.