Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026
Electromagnetic Navigation Transthoracic Nodule Localization for Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
Published on: May 4, 2022
[Marking pulmonary nodules with a spiral harpoon using computerised tomography, for resection by minimally invasive
J Agreda1, J M Aguinaga, E Vilá
1Servicio de Radiología, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona.
Background:
To show the efficacy of placing a spiral harpoon in pulmonary nodules under the control of computerised tomography for their subsequent resection by minimally invasive surgery.
Materials And Methods:
Fifteen nodules of between 0.5-1.5 cm were localised in fifteen patients, of whom ten had antecedents of neoplasia, with the placement of spiral harpoon model Somatex, of 120 mm length and 18 G of Laboratorios Léleman, S.L., by means of computerised tomography, resecting them by minimally invasive surgery.
Results:
Following the resection of the nodule it was confirmed that in the fifteen cases the harpoon was next to the nodule or encompassing it -- just as it had been placed on the scanner, in two cases objectifying a small intraparenchymatose haemorrhage and in one case a small pneumothorax. The time taken to place the harpoon oscillated between fifteen and thirty minutes.
Conclusion:
Marking a pulmonary nodule with a spiral type harpoon is a simple method that makes it possible to securely anchor the nodule for its subsequent resection by minimally invasive surgery.
