Method and device for training pelvic floor muscles

• US 20030220589A1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Development & Marketing AS
• Original Assignee: Innovative Development & Marketing AS
• Inventors: Olsen, Ole, Leivseth, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 6,905,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/591
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/227 of constricting muscles, i.e. sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 19/40 Devices insertable in the genitals
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 19/44 Having substantially cylindrical shape, e.g. dildos
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0157 portable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5071 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/085 Crotch
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/086 Buttocks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/087 Genitals
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2213/00 Exercising combined with therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/60 muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/20 for vaginal muscles or other sphincter-type muscles

Abstract

A method and device for training pelvic floor muscles in order to cure or prevent urinary or fecal incontinence. The device comprises a probe having a pressure sensor and a vibrator, and a microprocessor connected with the sensor and the vibrator. Initially, the probe is inserted into a person'"'"'s vagina or rectum and the heist force that can be applied by the person contracting the pelvic floor muscles is ascertained and registered. The contraction of the pelvic floor muscles is repeated at intervals, and the force applied by pelvic floor muscles at each contraction is ascertained and compared with the registered highest value. The vibrator is activated at each contraction of the floor muscles only if the force has a predetermined relationship to the registered value, and only for a predetermined period as long as the predetermined relationship is maintained.

Claims

1. A method for training pelvic floor muscles in order to cure or prevent urinary or fecal incontinence comprising the steps of

(a) inserting a probe (10) with vibrator (17, 19) and force sensor (22) into a person'"'"'s vagina or rectum,

(b) ascertaining initially the highest value of the force that can be applied by the person at contraction of the pelvic floor muscles with the vibrator operating or not,

(c) registering said highest value,

repeating the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles at intervals and comparing the force applied by the pelvic floor muscles at each contraction with the highest value,

(d) activating the vibrator if by comparison the force applied by the person at each contraction of the pelvic floor muscles has a predetermined relationship to said registered value, and

(e) maintaining the vibrator activated for a predetermined period as long as the predetermined relationship is maintained.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibrator (17, 19) is shut off when performing step (b).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibrator (17, 19) is kept operating when performing step (b).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined relationship is defined as a predetermined percentage of the registered highest value.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said percentage is about 80%.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the vibrator (17, 19) ranges from 10 to 40 Hz.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the frequency of the vibrator (17, 19) ranges from 25 to 30 Hz.

8. A device for training pelvic floor muscles in order to cure or prevent urinary or faecal incontinence comprising a probe (10) to be inserted into vagina or rectum and having at least one sensor (22, 51, 55) for ascertaining dynamically force transferred to the probe by contraction of the pelvic floor muscles by a vibrator (19, 20) in the probe (10), and a microprocessor (33) operatively connected with said at least one sensor (22, 51, 55) and the vibrator (19, 20) for energising the vibrator only at a value of the force as ascertained by the sensor, which is related to a predetermined value of said force.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the probe (10) comprises a first and a second element (12, 11) mutually spaced by an axial gap (14) therebetween, the sensor (22, 51, 55) being provided for sensing dynamically passive and active forces transferred to the probe by the pelvic floor muscles and acting on said first and second elements over said gap in the transverse direction of the probe, and for converting said force to an electric output signal.

10. The device of claim 9 comprising a single sensor (55) located in said first element (12), and a lever system (58, 59) in said second element (11) for transferring to the sensor from axially spaced positions (66, 67) of the probe said dynamically passive and active forces, and for applying said forces to the sensor.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein two aligned double-armed levers (58, 59) are pivotally mounted between the ends thereof in said second element (11), and wherein each lever has one end (69, 65) engaging said first element (12) at said positions (66, 67) spaced axially of the probe, and the other end operatively connected to the sensor (55).

12. The device of claim 8 comprising a support plate (29) on the proximal end of said probe to be engaged with the body at the opening of vagina or rectum, respectively.

13. The device of claim 8 comprising a portable hand-held unit (32) including the microprocessor (33), a memory (34) for registering a predetermined force value, and means (24) for connecting the microprocessor to the vibrator (19, 20) and said at least one sensor (22, 51, 55) for comparing the value of the force ascertained by the sensor with said predetermined force value, and for activating the vibrator in dependence of the result of the comparison.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said comparison includes a predetermined relationship between said predetermined force value and the value of the force ascertained by said at least one sensor (22, 51, 55).

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said relationship defines the value of the force ascertained by said at least one sensor (22;

51, 55) as a predetermined percentage of said predetermined value of said force.

16. The device of any of claims 8 to 15 wherein said at least one sensor (2, 51, 55) comprises an electronic force-sensing device.

17. The device of claim 9 wherein said first and second elements (12, 11) are separated by at least one elastic element (39).

18. The device of claim 9 wherein means are provided for adjusting the outside cross dimension of the probe.

19. The device of claim 8, wherein said at least one sensor (51) is located on the outside surface of the probe (10).