The National Health Service has kicked off an innovative pilot program at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust that harnesses the power of AI and robotic medtech to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.
Through the initiative, announced on Jan. 26, medical professionals will utilize AI software from Britain’s Optellum to analyze CT scans and identify potentially malignant nodules.
When a nodules raises alarm, doctors will use the Ion robotic catheter developed by Intuitive Surgical Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG) (ETR: IUI1) to navigate through a patient’s throat and into their lungs to perform a biopsy. This assessment is possible even on nodules as small as 6 millimetres or a grain of rice.
The entire process only takes about half an hour and can eliminate the need for weeks of repeated scanning, follow up and invasive testing measures. This approach can substantially lessen patient anxiety while enabling quicker diagnostics and treatment.
The pilot targets 250 high-risk patients and builds upon earlier successes. Guy’s and St Thomas’ has already completed robotic biopsies on approximately 300 people — procedures that led to timely treatment for 215.
NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, Peter Johnson, has described the initiative as a “glimpse of the future” in the field of cancer detection. This innovation pairs well with other emerging upstream lung cancer screening options attracting attention in the healthcare sector, such as the OneBreath breath analysis system from Breath Diagnostics.
“Innovation like this is exactly how we can help diagnose more cancers faster, so treatment can be most effective,” Johnson stated in a press release.
Optellum, the AI software developer active in the endeavour, is helping power the campaign with its Virtual Nodule Clinic platform. This FDA-cleared and CE-marked tool uses advanced radiomics and deep learning that has been trained on extensive CT datasets to offer highly accurate lung cancer risk predictions.
Meanwhile, Intuitive’s Ion endoluminal system uses shape-sensing and 3D mapping tech to navigate through an individual’s respiratory system with precision. The company has achieved major milestones this month, like obtaining FDA approval for the usage of its da Vinci 5 system for cardiac procedures, including mitral valve repair and other complex heart interventions. Additionally, Intuitive just announced that over 20 million patients have benefitted from its surgical technology, as of the end of 2025.
Their new collaboration with the NHS showcases how AI and robotics have been revolutionizing healthcare.
Read more: Prestigious medtech intelligence firm recognizes Breath Diagnostics for innovation
Follow Rowan Dunne on LinkedIn
rowan@mugglehead.com
