Hypoxia‐Guided Magnetic Catheter for Localization and Minimally Invasive Intervention in Early‐Stage Lung Cancer

Abstract

ABSTRACT To enable the precise localization and minimally invasive treatment of early‐stage pulmonary lesions, we developed a magnetic catheter system integrating magnetic navigation, hypoxia fluorescence imaging, and multifunctional minimally invasive intervention. The distal end of the system incorporates multiple permanent magnets, a miniature camera equipped with an optical filter, multiple fiber‐optic channels, and a flexibly switchable multifunctional working channel. Under a 40 mT magnetic field applied perpendicular to the initial catheter axis, the catheter incorporating 2.0 mm‐diameter magnets achieved a bending angle of 39.63° ± 2.47° and successfully navigated to multiple designated branches in the bronchial phantom. A proof‐of‐concept model was established using A549 lung cancer spheroids labeled with hypoxia‐responsive fluorescent probes, enabling fluorescence‐guided localization of simulated hypoxic lesions. In the bronchial phantom, the system successfully identified simulated hypoxic lesions and subsequently performed biopsy sampling, simulated drug delivery, and localized laser irradiation. The system was further evaluated in porcine lungs to demonstrate its navigation and localized intervention capabilities. This magnetic catheter system provides a new technological strategy for the precise localization and in situ treatment of early‐stage lung cancer.