Johnson & Johnson shares rose 0.46% to $261.55 after the company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for MONARCH QUEST 3. The clearance expands Johnson & Johnson’s robotically assisted bronchoscopy technology with new planning, navigation, and targeting tools. It also adds another update to a platform being developed for advanced lung diagnostic procedures, where accuracy and workflow support can matter during complex cases.

MONARCH QUEST 3 is the latest software update for Johnson & Johnson’s MONARCH Platform. The company said the release is designed to improve clinician control during complex bronchoscopy procedures and builds on improvements introduced across the platform over the past 18 months.

The MONARCH Platform provides flexible robotic assistance for bronchoscopy and supports direct visualization during procedures. Its technology helps physicians navigate airways and reach targeted areas for diagnostic biopsies. The system also addresses differences between pre-procedure CT images and changing patient anatomy, a practical challenge in procedures where the target can shift relative to scan-based planning.

MONARCH QUEST 3 strengthens planning through artificial intelligence-powered nodule segmentation and improved navigation software. The update also adds a three-dimensional Compass overlay to provide clearer orientation during procedures. Johnson & Johnson also expanded compatibility with commonly used fixed and mobile cone-beam CT, or CBCT, imaging systems.

The new software automatically creates detailed nodule boundaries during pre-procedure planning with limited clinician input. The company said this capability is intended to support more accurate targeting before physicians begin navigation. Improved registration tools are also designed to help maintain navigation accuracy as anatomy changes during bronchoscopy.

Johnson & Johnson said MONARCH QUEST 3 supports continuous registration and real-time scope-tip tracking. These functions are meant to help physicians understand the bronchoscope’s position relative to patient anatomy. The company said the tools can give clinicians greater procedural control while approaching difficult lung nodules.

Broader imaging compatibility allows hospitals to connect the platform with existing cone-beam CT infrastructure. Johnson & Johnson said this can reduce dependence on separate imaging systems during advanced bronchoscopy procedures. It also helps clinicians manage CT-to-body divergence while confirming the location of targeted lung tissue, which is central to procedural planning and verification in this setting.

Johnson & Johnson integrated the update with Polyphonic, its open digital ecosystem for procedural data management. Polyphonic allows clinical teams to review procedure volumes and organize recorded MONARCH cases. Teams can also use the centralized video library to support training and procedural review.

The company has developed MONARCH as a software-enabled robotic system that can receive ongoing hardware and software improvements. Johnson & Johnson said this approach supports regular updates without requiring an entirely new bronchoscopy platform. MONARCH QUEST 3 therefore extends an existing technology base rather than replacing the current system.

The MONARCH Bronchoscope remains cleared for bronchoscopic visualization and access during diagnostic and therapeutic airway procedures. Bronchoscopy carries risks including infection, bleeding, respiratory complications, and collapsed lungs. Johnson & Johnson continues expanding MONARCH while focusing on earlier and more precise lung diagnosis.