Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) today presented results from the first clinical trial of its new flexible robotics platform, touting that the system was found to be safe and effective at sampling lung tissue.

Findings were presented at the American College of Chest Physicians CHEST annual meeting this week and published in the CHEST Journal.

The new robotic-assisted, catheter-based tech is being developed to provide access to difficult-to-reach areas of the body through natural openings, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Intuitive said, and was used in the study to sample lung tissue to allow for early diagnosis of lung cancer.

The 30-patient, single-center study, performed at Australia’s Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hosital and led by principal investigator Dr. David Fielding, aimed to test the platform’s ability to access and sample tissue from nodules smaller than two centimeters in diameter.

Results indicated that in 29 of 30 cases, the pre-planned target area was reached and a suitable sample was obtained, with no device-related adverse events or instances of pneumothorax or excessive bleeding were reported.

“I was able to reach nodules in the peripheral lung that I wouldn’t have been able to reach before,” said Dr. Fielding.  “The robotic-assisted technology in sampling facilitates diagnosis at a stage in which most patients wouldn’t yet know that they have cancer.  Early diagnosis should allow us to start care plans for patients earlier and offer curative treatments,” Dr. Fielding said in a press release.

The platform is still under development and does not yet have clearance by the FDA, Intuitive Surgical said.