Finding and treating lung nodules with greater precision

In the U.S., about 1.6 million people are diagnosed with lung nodules (small, dense masses) annually, says Bhavi Patel, MD, a director for interventional pulmonology at Atlantic Health. “The vast majority aren’t cancerous, but for ones that are suspicious, we need to get a diagnosis,” he says.

Historically, small, hard-to-reach nodules required invasive surgery. Atlantic Health offers the latest technology in lung diagnosis and treatment, giving patients minimally invasive options, improved diagnostic accuracy and a new, promising treatment.

“It’s a game changer,” Dr. Patel says.

Advanced lung nodule imaging and treatment

Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center and Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center have acquired advanced cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging technology that creates detailed 3D images to help confirm the location of lung nodules. This technology enhances robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, which uses a thin, camera-equipped catheter to navigate the airways and collect tissue samples. By providing real-time 3D imaging during the procedure, the technology helps physicians verify precise tool placement within the targeted lesion, supporting greater accuracy in diagnosis and biopsy.

“With this technology, we’ve saved a lot of patients from more invasive surgeries that aren’t needed. We’ve been able to get to nodules all over the lungs, including historically challenging ones,” Dr. Patel says. “We’re able to get to them because of a combination of robotics and cone beam CTs.”

Atlantic Health is also at the forefront of lung nodule treatment technology. In 2026, Atlantic Health Morristown became the first hospital in New Jersey to combine robotic bronchoscopy with the Aliya^® PEF (pulsed electric field) system. It delivers targeted electrical pulses, a treatment called ablation, to cells in lung nodules while protecting nearby blood vessels and airways. This system is designed to help treat advanced lung cancer and other metastatic cancers.

Accessing more hard-to-reach lung nodules faster for accurate diagnosis

In the past, physicians biopsied lung nodules using electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB). Patients would undergo a CT scan days or weeks before the procedure. Physicians used this CT scan along with GPS-like technology and 3-D computer mapping to create a map of the patient’s airways. This map guided surgeons to the lung nodule. 

However, once a patient is under anesthesia, that map was often outdated and no longer matched what is happening in real time. Without robotics, steering and completely stabilizing the bronchoscope while removing tissue samples was difficult. For nodules that are difficult to reach, this sometimes reduced diagnostic yield (the amount of tissue collected during a procedure). More tissue increases testing accuracy.

“Looking back at similar lung nodule cases without this technology, a procedure may have taken two hours,” Dr. Patel says. “If it was technically challenging, it may not have resulted in answers. Now we’re doing the same cases robotically, with Ion, in under 30 minutes. We have all the samples we need and it’s very safe.”

Improved lung nodule biopsy recovery

Because lung nodule biopsies take about one-third as long as before, patients need much less general anesthesia.

“Their recovery becomes much quicker,” Dr. Patel says. “They’re in the hospital three to four hours. That’s from the time they arrive, register, talk to their nurses, get an IV, have the procedure and recover for roughly an hour. It’s a same-day procedure.”

A better way to treat advanced cancer

Dr. Patel recently treated a patient with advanced colorectal cancer that had spread to the lungs, resulting in airway obstruction and a persistent cough that significantly affected quality of life.

The patient’s oncology team referred the individual to Dr. Patel for further evaluation using advanced robotic-assisted bronchoscopy and real-time 3D imaging technology. The goal was to assess the airways and determine the most appropriate intervention to help relieve symptoms.

During the procedure, Dr. Patel and his team determined that laser therapy was not the best treatment option due to the extent of the airway disease. Instead, they performed a minimally invasive ablation procedure using advanced pulsed electric field technology. Follow-up imaging demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the obstructing lesion, helping restore airflow and improve the patient’s symptoms.

In addition to completing a pulmonary and critical care fellowship, Dr. Patel completed specialized fellowship training in interventional pulmonology, a field focused on advanced, minimally invasive procedures used to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the lungs and airways.

“I fell in love with the immediate difference you can make for a patient when you do these procedures,” he says. “With lung nodules, the diagnosis comes within a few days, which is a pretty quick turnaround. And within the scope of what I practice, there are a lot of minimally invasive procedures to help alleviate symptoms during patients’ stressful cancer journeys.”