By Lauren Johnson

In August, Mohamad Eloubeidi, MD, a gastroenterologist at Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Anniston, became the first physician in Alabama to perform a groundbreaking gastroenterology procedure using Limaca Medical’s Precision GI™ motorized fine-needle biopsy device. This device allows physicians to collect more accurate, intact tissue samples from a potentially cancerous mass guided by a motor instead of by hand.

With more intact tissue samples to work with, physicians can run tests for specific therapies to find the most effective options for patients, which minimizes the need for repeated procedures, saving time, money and resources. Moreover, this will provide patients with more precise diagnoses, another step toward personalized medicine.

“Although this was the first time I’ve used it, it was seamless. It felt natural,” Eloubeidi said. “It wasn’t complicated. Anyone potentially could use it because the instructions are simple. You use it like any other needle. The only difference is you use the motor to drive the needle inside the lesion, rather than move the needle with your own hand.”

Eloubeidi, a pioneer in gastroenterology techniques and technology with 31 years of clinical experience and over 300 peer reviewed publications, is the director of Endoscopic Ultrasonography and Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at RMC and is the president of the Alabama Gastroenterology Society. He established the first endoscopic ultrasound program at UAB 25 years ago.

Precision GI’s fine-needle device can be used to collect tissue samples on masses in the liver, pancreas, and adrenal gland as well as from large lymph nodes around the GI tract and masses around the rectum. Going through the esophagus also gives physicians a window to look at lymph nodes on the lungs, which is helpful for diagnosing lymphoma or lung cancer.

“With this device, we’re able to sample any mass that we can see. The implications are many, not only in GI but also in oncology,” Eloubeidi said.

Throughout his career, Eloubeidi has seen technologies and new procedures improve patient outcomes. One of these new procedures was the endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration device, which is technology that he introduced to UAB in 2000. Gastroenterologists, including Eloubeidi, have used this device since then to collect tissue samples to diagnose cancer. Now, as the technology has developed into a motorized, automated device, the procedure is easier, more targeted and more efficient. 

“The difference is now you put the needle at the edge of the target, and you hit a button,” Eloubeidi said. “Instead of the doctor moving the needle with their hand, the motor does the job for you. You watch the needle under ultrasound to see where it is going to end, and you stop it before the end of the mass. We believe this device is very promising because it will standardize the way you take biopsy, so the variability between beginners and experienced people, hopefully, will be less because the motor is guiding the needle to get to the tissue.”

Eloubeidi’s goal is to continue improving patient outcomes by advancing GI diagnostics and bringing the latest technology and strategies to RMC. “It’s an honor to be able to help these patients, and to pioneer this technology in Alabama,” he said.

“For RMC, innovation is not just about acquiring the latest technology—it’s about ensuring our physicians have the tools they need to deliver the best possible outcomes,” CEO of RMC, Keith Parrott, said. “And when patients in our community have access to the same level of innovation as the nation’s top medical centers, it changes what’s possible for their care. Being the first in Alabama to adopt this device underscores our role as a leader in advancing GI care and our dedication to raising the standard of care in community hospital settings.”