The Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) system has been introduced at the John Radcliffe Hospital and will support patients across Oxfordshire and the wider Thames Valley.
Around 150 patients a year are expected to benefit, all of whom would previously have needed to travel to specialist centres in London.
The new technology was officially launched at a ribbon-cutting event attended by clinical teams and Trust leaders, alongside representatives from Intuitive, the makers of Ion, Oxford Hospitals Charity, which funded supporting equipment, and GE HealthCare, which provided supporting equipment.
Ion enables clinicians to navigate a very thin, flexible robotic-assisted tube through the patient’s airways and deep into the lungs, helping them reach small or hard-to-access nodules (lumps). From here, they can take precise tissue samples (biopsies) with high safety and accuracy, to help confirm or rule out a lung cancer diagnosis.
By combining robotic navigation with advanced imaging, it can support earlier diagnosis while reducing the need for multiple procedures. For many patients, this means faster answers, fewer hospital visits and care closer to home.
The system can also be used to mark tumours before surgery, helping surgeons perform more targeted procedures and supporting minimally invasive approaches where appropriate.
Dr Alastair Moore, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Lung Cancer at OUH, said: "This technology allows us to safely and accurately biopsy lung nodules that were previously very difficult to reach.
"That means we can diagnose more patients at an earlier stage and with greater confidence, using a single procedure where multiple tests may previously have been needed.
"For patients, it can mean quicker answers, fewer repeat investigations and receiving specialist care much closer to home rather than travelling long distances."
Read the full story on the Oxford University Hospitals website.