Cryobiopsy

Cryobiopsy is a less-invasive technique performed during bronchoscopy that could someday change that equation. In cryobiopsy, a probe is deployed through the bronchoscope and placed near the chest wall. The probe is cooled for a few seconds, freezing and causing the lung tissue around it to stick to the probe. The scope and probe are removed, and bleeding is controlled using a balloon occlusion catheter.

Cryobiopsy obtains larger tissue samples with less avulsion artifact compared to forceps transbronchial biopsy, which is inadequate for diagnosis of most ILD.