J&J MedTech's robot gets FDA clearance for navigation technology

Johnson & Johnson MedTech said Wednesday its Monarch Quest navigation technology received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for use on its robotic assisted bronchoscopy platform.

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive technique that allows surgeons to reach airways and suspicious lung nodules.

Related: Robotic surgery gains ground inside hospitals

Monarch Quest uses Nvidia’s artificial intelligence software, which increases its real-time computational power by 260%, according to the company. That allows it to run complex algorithms to improve accuracy during lung navigation.

The robotic platform also leverages GE HealthCare’s 3D imaging system to give surgeons 2D and 3D images of the lungs so they can see the airways and suspicious areas more clearly.

Johnson & Johnson said it plans to link Monarch Quest to its Polyphonic digital platform, which was released in June and provides surgical teams access to applications for surgical video, collaboration tools and procedure planning.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the company’s FDA approval applied to Monarch Quest’s robotic platform.