Research & News
Research & news
Curated coverage of new papers, first-in-human reports and technique developments in interventional CT/MRI-guided (and adjacent) therapy — populated automatically from each monthly newsletter's own research. Showing the last 12 months; see Older Research & News for everything before that.
Shape Memory Medical receives ANVISA authorization for IMPEDE embolization plug family in Brazil
date unknown
On October 6, 2026, Shape Memory Medical announced that Brazil's ANVISA granted market authorization for the IMPEDE Embolization Plug, IMPEDE-FX Embolization Plug, and IMPEDE-FX RapidFill, extending access to its shape-memory-polymer peripheral embolization devices in one of Latin America's largest endovascular markets.
E2 (Endovascular Engineering) wins FDA clearance for Hēlo thrombectomy and blood return system
date unknown
On October 13, 2026, Endovascular Engineering, Inc. announced FDA 510(k) clearance for both the Hēlo thrombectomy system and Hēlo Return blood return system, indicated for thrombus/embolus removal from pulmonary arteries and venous vasculature, supported by data from the ENGULF IDE study.
https://citoday.com/news/fda-clears-e2-helo-thrombectomy-system-and-integrated-blood-return-system-1
Haemonetics receives FDA approval for PerQseal Elite large-bore vascular closure system
date unknown
On October 19, 2026, Haemonetics announced FDA approval of the PerQseal Elite vascular closure system, a sutureless, fully bioabsorbable patch-based device for large-bore arterial closure (14-22F sheaths) following structural heart and endovascular procedures, following its acquisition of Vivasure Medical earlier in the year.
First-in-human pilot study of a robotic-assisted system for image-guided trans-thoracic lung biopsy: Clinical feasibility and exploratory post-hoc AI trajectory analysis.
European journal of radiology · 2026 Nov
First-in-human pilot study of the ANT-C patient-mounted robotic needle-guidance platform for CT-guided trans-thoracic lung biopsy under local anesthesia, demonstrating technical feasibility in 30 evaluable patients with exploratory AI-based trajectory analysis.
An Analysis of CT-Guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Tibial Lesions: How Successful Are We?
Journal of surgical oncology · 2026 Oct 29
A quaternary sarcoma center review of 272 tibial lesion patients (43 undergoing CT-guided core needle biopsy) evaluated diagnostic performance and factors affecting biopsy success, providing data to help optimize image-guided bone tumor sampling strategies.
Robots for CT-guided needle insertion: clinical implementation and future perspectives.
Japanese journal of radiology · 2026 Oct 24
A review of clinical implementation of robotic systems for CT-guided needle insertion, outlining current platforms and future perspectives for this growing interventional radiology technology.
University of Michigan opens $10M Histotripsy Center
date unknown
A ribbon-cutting was held on September 10, 2026 for the University of Michigan Histotripsy Center, a first-of-its-kind, $10 million facility (funded by HistoSonics, Michigan Engineering, and private donors) that gives outside researchers free access to specialized equipment and inventor-level expertise to advance the noninvasive, ultrasound-guided tumor-ablation technique beyond its FDA-cleared liver indication into kidney, brain, and other applications.
IceCure Medical wins China NMPA approval for ProSense cryoablation system
date unknown
On September 10, 2026, IceCure Medical announced it received Class III medical device approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its ProSense minimally-invasive cryoablation system and associated cryoprobes, opening the Chinese market to the image-guided, freezing-based tumor-destruction platform.
Sample Adequacy PD-L1 and NGS in NSCLC: Shape-Sensing Robotic Assisted Bronchoscopy Versus CT Guided Lung Biopsy.
Lung · 2026 Oct 15
Single-center retrospective study comparing shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy versus CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy for sample adequacy in PD-L1 and NGS testing in NSCLC patients.
A Dual-Modal Hybrid Marker for Automatic Registration and Coordinate Hand-Over in C-Arm CT-Guided Spinal Navigation.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026 Oct 12
A novel dual-modal hybrid registration frame for C-arm CT-guided spinal navigation achieved markedly better accuracy than manual registration (mean target registration error 0.538 mm vs 1.565 mm) while cutting registration time from 22.6 to 2.8 seconds, demonstrating a path toward faster, more precise automated spinal navigation.
A novel robot for CT-guided bone needle insertion with a rotational drilling and force-feedback speed control mechanism: preliminary evaluation in swine.
Japanese journal of radiology · 2026 Oct
Preliminary swine evaluation of a novel robot for CT-guided bone needle insertion featuring rotational drilling and force-feedback speed control, representing an early step toward robotic bone biopsy/intervention.
Diagnostic yield and predictors of complications in CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: an analysis based on ATS/ACCP criteria.
La Radiologia medica · 2026 Sep 30
A real-world cohort study of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy evaluated diagnostic yield and complication predictors using ATS/ACCP criteria, reinforcing CT-PLB's role as a cornerstone diagnostic technique for pulmonary nodules even as alternatives like robotic bronchoscopy emerge.
CT-guided core needle biopsy in ultrasound-inaccessible suprahyoid deep neck spaces.
European radiology · 2026 Sep 28
A retrospective review of 122 CT-guided core needle biopsies in 118 patients with ultrasound-inaccessible suprahyoid deep neck lesions assessed diagnostic yield, procedural safety, and concordance with surgical pathology, demonstrating CT guidance as a viable option for these technically challenging sites.
Pain management in osteoarthritis of the hip using percutaneous obturator nerve neuromodulation with pulsed radiofrequency ablation under CT guidance.
Hip international : the journal of clinical and experimental research on hip pathology and therapy · 2026 Sep 27
In 33 hips from 30 patients with refractory hip osteoarthritis, CT-guided pulsed radiofrequency ablation of the obturator nerve was evaluated for pain relief using VAS scores at multiple follow-up timepoints up to 12 months, offering a minimally invasive option for conservative-treatment-refractory cases.
Pre-Spondylectomy Radiofrequency Ablation for Spinal Chordoma: An Illustrative Case and Systematic Review of Clinical Applications and Outcomes.
Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026 Sep 20
A systematic review of 13 studies encompassing 33 patients and 34 thermal ablation procedures (including radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and laser interstitial thermal therapy) evaluates the use of ablation as a pre-spondylectomy adjunct or alternative for spinal/sacral chordoma, illustrated by a case example.
Robot-assisted CT-guided interventions: Where are we now and where are we going?
European radiology · 2026 Sep 5
This narrative review maps current evidence on robot-assisted CT-guided interventions using the IDEAL framework, noting preclinical studies consistently show improved targeting accuracy, while clinical evidence on measurable patient benefit is still evolving.
Comparison of the difference between the actual ablation zone in lung tumors after computed tomography-guided percutaneous microwave ablation and the predicted value in the planning system: A retrospective study.
Journal of cancer research and therapeutics · 2026 Sep 1
In a retrospective analysis of 134 lung tumors treated with CT-guided microwave ablation, predicted ablation zone diameters and spherical index from the planning system closely matched actual post-ablation zones at 24 hours but were significantly larger than actual measurements at later follow-up, informing more accurate procedural planning.
Iceball Margin < 5 mm Is Associated with Local Failure after CT-Guided Cryoablation of cT1a Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR · 2026 Sep
In a study of CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation for cT1a renal cell carcinoma, an iceball minimal treatment margin under 5 mm was associated with local treatment failure, based on matched-control analysis of intraprocedural and planning CT data.
Robotic-Assisted Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Bone Procedures: A Prospective Multicenter Pilot Study.
Cardiovascular and interventional radiology · 2026 Sep
A prospective multicenter pilot study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and targeting accuracy of robotic-assisted CT-guided percutaneous bone consolidation and biopsy procedures.
CT-guided RFA using a urine-hyperexcreting protocol in treating endophytic RCC: long-term outcomes in a single-arm study.
The British journal of radiology · 2026 Sep 1
A single-arm study of 61 patients undergoing CT-guided RFA of endophytic RCC using a urine-hyperexcreting protocol (furosemide plus saline) reported a 5-year local tumor progression-free survival rate of 96.7% with long-term follow-up (median 54 months).
Clinical Criteria for Improved Outcomes in Patients Who Undergo Percutaneous CT-Guided Pudendal Nerve Cryoablation: A Retrospective Analysis.
Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR · 2026 Sep
A 10-year retrospective analysis of 362 CT-guided pudendal nerve cryoablations found that predefined clinical selection criteria (antecedent event, unilateral pudendal-distribution pain) were associated with improved outcomes among the 75 unilateral cases with adequate follow-up.
Tract Embolization versus No Embolization after CT-Guided Lung Biopsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR · 2026 Sep
A meta-analysis pooling studies through March 2025 compares tract embolization versus no embolization after CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy, calculating risk ratios, absolute risk reduction, and number needed to treat, with subgroup analyses by embolic agent and chest tube placement criteria to clarify whether embolization meaningfully reduces pneumothorax risk.
Interleaved Imaging and Actuation for Real-Time MRI During Active Control of a Magnetically-Actuated Robotic Catheter.
IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering · 2026 Sep
Researchers developed an interleaved imaging-actuation method that synchronizes magnetically-actuated robotic catheter control with MR image acquisition, showing no statistically significant increase in image artifacts compared to the catheter at rest while maintaining trajectory tracking accuracy.
Comparison of automated robotic arm-assisted PET/computed tomography-guided metabolic bone marrow biopsy with conventional bone marrow trephine biopsy for evaluating bone marrow infiltration in newly diagnosed lymphoma.
Nuclear medicine communications · 2026 Sep 1
In a prospective study of 169 treatment-naive lymphoma patients, automated robotic-arm-assisted PET/CT-guided bone marrow biopsy was compared with conventional trephine biopsy in 44 patients with focal FDG-avid lesions to evaluate diagnostic performance for bone marrow infiltration.
Saline tract sealing to prevent pneumothorax and chest tube placement after computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Clinical radiology · 2026 Sep
This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses saline and other tract-sealing techniques (autologous blood, fibrin glue, collagen plugs) to reduce pneumothorax—which occurs in roughly 25% of CT-guided lung biopsies and necessitates chest tube placement in 5-6%—offering guidance on cost-effective complication prevention.
MRI-guided endovascular robotics: A roadmap to MRI-native systems.
APL bioengineering · 2026 Sep
A perspective piece outlines a roadmap toward MRI-native endovascular robotic systems, arguing that progress requires MRI-robot co-design rather than compatibility-driven adaptation of existing catheter platforms.
Robotic Needle Insertion for CT-guided Percutaneous Biopsy of Thoracoabdominal Lesions: A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Trial.
Radiology. Imaging cancer · 2026 Sep
A prospective multicenter randomized trial (n=165) compared a novel CT-guided robotic needle insertion system to freehand technique for thoracoabdominal biopsies, evaluating technical success, targeting error, and number of CT scans/needle adjustments.
Robot-assisted biopsy a bibliometric analysis of global trends, hotspots, and emerging frontiers (2000-2025).
Journal of robotic surgery · 2026 Aug 28
A bibliometric analysis of global research from 2000-2025 maps trends, key contributors, and emerging frontiers in robot-assisted biopsy techniques, which combine robotic manipulation, path planning, and multimodal imaging fusion for precise sampling of deep-seated lesions across urology, neurosurgery, and thoracic intervention.
Do robotic needle systems improve precision and efficiency? Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical and preclinical studies
Journal of Robotic Surgery · 2026-08-14
Pooling 40 studies (14 clinical, 834 patients), robotic needle guidance modestly improved placement accuracy but showed no statistically significant advantage in procedure time, success rate, or complications versus manual technique - a useful check on the assumption that robotic automatically means better outcomes.
Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy-Guided Microwave Ablation Under Augmented Fluoroscopy: An Initial Case Series and Comparative Procedural Workflow Analysis
Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology · 2026-08-13
In a 21-patient prospective cohort, Ion robotic-bronchoscopy-guided microwave ablation of lung lesions matched or beat a historical electromagnetic-navigation cohort on technical success (100% vs 92.9%) while cutting navigation time from 28.5 to 2 minutes and radiation dose nearly in half.
Efficacy of saline tract sealing after CT-Guided lung biopsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Clinical Radiology · 2026-08
Pooling 7 studies (1,455 patients), sealing the needle tract with saline after CT-guided lung biopsy roughly halved the rate of pneumothorax and cut chest-tube placement by about 75% versus usual care.
Flexible intervention workflow for MRI guided robotic prostate seed brachytherapy
Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics · 2026-08
A phantom study (not yet clinical) repurposing an existing MRI-compatible robotic biopsy guide for seed brachytherapy achieved sub-millimeter robotic targeting precision, though seed-release and MRI-only localization errors still measurably affected dose coverage.
Paramaxillary (Transfacial) Approach for CT-Guided Head and Neck Biopsies
AJNR · 2026-07-01
A technique paper detailing a CT-guided transfacial pathway for biopsying deep head-and-neck lesions (parapharyngeal space, carotid space, skull base) that are otherwise hard to reach safely.
Analgosedation in interventional radiology
RoFo · 2026-06-17
A CIRSE-linked position paper argues interventional radiologists should build their own formal, guideline-backed sedation/analgesia competency rather than relying on anesthesiology capacity, citing CT-guided brachytherapy and percutaneous tumor ablation as procedures where non-anesthesiologist-administered sedation is already shown safe.
Computed tomography-guided vs conventional catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia: the InEurHeart trial
European Heart Journal · 2026-06-16
A 14-center randomized trial (n=113) found CT-guided ventricular tachycardia ablation cut procedure time by 19-28% versus conventional ablation, with comparable safety and a non-significant trend toward better 1-year VT-free survival (76.8% vs 67.3%).
Micro-ultrasound guided versus multiparametric MRI-guided prostate biopsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
International Urology and Nephrology · 2026-06-15
Across 12 studies (4,318 patients), micro-ultrasound-guided biopsy detected clinically significant prostate cancer at rates statistically indistinguishable from MRI-guided biopsy - a cheaper, more available modality performing comparably.
MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy for high grade glioma (UNITED): a single-centre, single-arm, non-inferiority, phase 2 trial
The Lancet Oncology · 2026-06
A phase 2 trial (n=98) of small-margin, MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy for glioblastoma on a 1.5T MR-Linac found only a 4% marginal-failure rate, supporting margin de-escalation without an apparent safety cost.
MRI-guided microwave ablation of hepatic malignancies: 4-year institutional outcomes.
PloS one · 2026
A 4-year single-center review of MR-guided microwave ablation for 21 hepatic malignancies in 16 patients (mostly HCC) assessed safety and efficacy using CIRSE-classified complications, local tumor progression, and progression-free survival, supporting MRI guidance as a viable ablation platform for liver tumors.
Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting chest drainage after CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: a multicenter retrospective study.
Frontiers in oncology · 2026
A multicenter study of 2,492 patients developed and externally validated a ridge logistic regression nomogram using nine pre-procedural variables to predict the need for chest drainage after CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy, offering a practical risk-stratification tool for interventional planning.