Johnson & Johnson MedTech said Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a major software update for its Monarch robotic bronchoscopy system, adding artificial intelligence tools to make pre-procedure planning more intuitive and updating navigation and 3D visualization for lung cancer diagnosis.
What's new in Monarch Quest 3
The Quest 3 release is Monarch's fourth major software launch in the past 18 months, according to J&J. New AI is designed to automatically generate more accurate nodule boundaries during pre-procedural planning, while a new 3D feature improves visual orientation between the joystick controls and patient anatomy. The update also broadens compatibility with commonly used imaging systems and supports navigation and targeting to help physicians address anatomical changes that can occur during the procedure.
Monarch inside the J&J robotics stack
Monarch became the first robotic bronchoscopy platform on the market after J&J acquired Auris Health in 2019, and it assists physicians in performing lung biopsy procedures. It competes with Intuitive Surgical's Ion system and Noah Medical's Galaxy platform for the growing pool of early-stage lung cancer diagnostics. Monarch is part of a broader J&J robotic surgery push that also includes the recently authorized OTTAVA soft-tissue robot.
Robotic surgery competition intensifies
The Monarch clearance lands as competition in robotic surgery intensifies. Intuitive Surgical continues to iterate on da Vinci 5 with 100 software updates rolled out in June, Medtronic has been pushing its Hugo system into broader indications, and CMR Surgical's Versius Plus is preparing its U.S. commercial launch after FDA 510(k) clearance.
AI's expanding role in the OR
Monarch Quest 3 continues a wave of AI-assisted upgrades across the surgical robotics field, with vendors focused on shrinking planning time, standardizing intra-procedural guidance and giving physicians better anatomical context. J&J did not disclose pricing or timing details for the rollout to installed customers.
Reporting based on coverage from Johnson & Johnson, MedTech Dive and FierceBiotech.