Robotic System Achieves Near-Perfect Accuracy in Lung Nodule Diagnosis

SAN CARLOS, CA – March 11, 2026 – A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Respiratory Medicine is validating a new frontier in the fight against lung cancer, demonstrating that a robotic bronchoscopy system can diagnose hard-to-reach lung nodules with 96.7% accuracy. The publication of the MATCH 2 study provides powerful clinical evidence for Noah Medical’s Galaxy System, a technology poised to address one of the most persistent challenges in early lung cancer detection.

The study’s findings suggest a potential paradigm shift in how clinicians approach peripheral lung lesions—small nodules in the outer regions of the lung that are notoriously difficult to biopsy using traditional methods. With lung cancer remaining the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, the ability to diagnose the disease earlier and more accurately offers the most significant hope for improving patient survival rates.

Overcoming the Diagnostic Dilemma

For decades, interventional pulmonologists have faced a significant hurdle: the effective diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary nodules. These lesions, often discovered incidentally through CT scans, are frequently small and located deep within the lung's complex, branching airways. Traditional flexible bronchoscopy often struggles to navigate this intricate terrain, resulting in diagnostic yields that can be as low as 30-60%, particularly for lesions smaller than two centimeters.

This diagnostic uncertainty often forces a difficult choice between a "watch and wait" approach, which risks allowing a potential cancer to progress, and more invasive procedures like transthoracic needle aspiration or surgical biopsy, which carry higher risks of complications such as a collapsed lung (pneumothorax). The clinical need for a minimally invasive tool that could provide a definitive diagnosis in a single procedure has been a driving force in medical innovation. Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy has emerged as the leading solution, but its efficacy hinges on the ability to not only reach the lesion but also confirm the biopsy tool is in the correct location.

A New Level of Precision with Integrated Imaging

The Galaxy System aims to solve this problem by integrating advanced robotics with a suite of real-time imaging technologies. The platform uses a robotic arm to guide an ultra-thin, maneuverable catheter through the airways with enhanced stability and precision. What sets it apart, and what the MATCH 2 study scrutinized, is its "Always-On Vision" camera and, most critically, its integrated imaging modalities: digital tomosynthesis (DT) and augmented fluoroscopy (AF).

Digital tomosynthesis functions like a mini, real-time CT scanner during the procedure, generating 3D-like images of the lesion and the biopsy tool from a 360-degree rotation. This allows the physician to see, in real-time, that the tool is precisely within the target nodule before a sample is taken.

"Our findings demonstrate that combining robotic navigation with embedded imaging tomosynthesis (DT) can achieve precise three-dimensional targeting of peripheral lung lesions," said Dr. Amit Mahajan, Medical Director at Inova Health System's Interventional Pulmonology and Complex Airway Disease Program and the study's lead author. "Reliable confirmation of lesion location is critical to improving diagnostic confidence and diagnosing lung cancer at earlier stages. Early diagnosis of lung cancer is our best chance for cure."

MATCH 2 Study: The Definitive Evidence

The MATCH 2 study was designed to rigorously test this claim. The prospective, multi-center study enrolled 31 patients with peripheral lung nodules. The primary goal was to assess the accuracy of the Galaxy System's real-time imaging by comparing its tool-in-lesion confirmation against cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the current gold standard for three-dimensional imaging confirmation during such procedures.

The results were striking. The system achieved an overall diagnostic yield of 96.7%. Furthermore, the tool-in-lesion placement confirmed by the system's built-in digital tomosynthesis was later cross-referenced with CBCT scans, showing a 96.7% concordance. This high level of agreement validates that the platform's integrated imaging is a reliable substitute for intra-procedural CBCT for confirming tool placement, potentially streamlining workflows and reducing patient exposure to additional radiation. The study also reported a favorable safety profile, with a low pneumothorax rate of 3.2% and no significant bleeding events.

"This publication adds to the growing body of evidence proving that we're at an inflection point in lung cancer diagnosis," stated Jian Zhang, CEO of Noah Medical. "The MATCH 2 study demonstrates that when you lead by real-time imaging confirmation with robotic navigation, you get a new level of precision that fundamentally changes what was possible for clinicians and their patients."

Redefining the Standard in a Competitive Market

Noah Medical enters a competitive and rapidly growing market for robotic bronchoscopy. It vies for position against established players like Intuitive Surgical with its Ion system and Broncus Medical’s Monarch Platform. In this high-stakes environment, where hospital systems make significant capital investments, strong, peer-reviewed clinical data is the ultimate differentiator.

The near-perfect accuracy reported in the MATCH 2 study provides Noah Medical with a powerful argument as it seeks wider adoption. The high diagnostic yield has significant economic implications, as it promises to reduce the need for costly repeat procedures and more invasive surgical interventions. By providing a definitive diagnosis in a single, minimally invasive procedure, the technology not only improves the patient experience but also presents a compelling case for cost-effectiveness to hospital administrators and healthcare payers.

As screening programs lead to the detection of more early-stage lung nodules, the demand for precise and reliable diagnostic tools will only increase. The evidence from the MATCH 2 study suggests that technology integrating robotic navigation with real-time, three-dimensional imaging confirmation is positioned to become the new standard of care, transforming the diagnostic journey for lung cancer patients and providing a clearer path toward earlier, more effective treatment.