Devices, systems, and methods for pelvic floor physical therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025213917-A1
Application number	US-202318848616-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2023
Priority date	Mar 23, 2022
Publication date	Jul 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to devices, systems, and methods for use in physical therapy of the pelvic floor and/or for treating pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) and pelvic pain. The devices, systems, and methods can provide a pelvic floor physical therapy device that includes a handle portion configured to be gripped by a user; a body portion extending from the handle portion; and one or more sensors integrated within the body portion. The one or more sensors can be configured to collect sensor data regarding a position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to a pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle of a user. Visual or auditory feedback can be provided to the user regarding the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle to guide a physical therapy treatment session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pelvic floor physical therapy device comprising:
a handle portion configured to be gripped by a user; a body portion extending from the handle portion; one or more sensors integrated within the body portion; and wherein the one or more sensors are configured to collect sensor data regarding a position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to a pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle of a user.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the handle portion comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of straight handle, a bulb shape, a tee-shape, a ring shape, and a shoehorn.

3 . The device of any of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the body portion is substantially S-shaped.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the body portion is covered with a biocompatible elastomer material.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more orientation sensors configured to detect spatial positioning of the body portion.

6 . The device of any of claim 1 or claim 5 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more pressure sensors configured to detect contact pressures of the body portion with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle of the user.

7 . The device of any of claim 1 or claim 5 , comprising one or more vibrational components integrated within the body portion, wherein the one or more vibrational components are configured to provide targeted tender point muscle release and vibrational intravaginal therapy and/or haptic feedback to the user.

8 . The device of claim 1 , comprising a wireless data transmitter configured to transmit the data wirelessly to a connected computer device.

9 . A system for guided pelvic floor physical therapy, the system comprising:
a pelvic floor physical therapy device comprising:
a handle portion configured to be gripped by a user;
a body portion extending from the handle portion;
one or more sensors integrated within the body portion; and
a wireless data transmitter; and
a computer device comprising a display, a wireless data receiver, and a non-transitory computer readable medium programmed with a software application comprising executable instructions, the instructions including:
receiving, from the pelvic floor physical therapy device, data from the one or more sensors regarding a position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to a pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle;
comparing the data to a predetermined model of the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle; and
providing visual or auditory feedback regarding the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle to guide a physical therapy treatment session.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more orientation sensors configured to detect spatial positioning of the body portion.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the software application comprises executable instructions configured to provide spatial feedback to the user for adjusting the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle.

12 . The system of any of claim 10 or claim 11 , wherein the one or more orientation sensors are configured to detect spatial positioning of a probe end of the body portion; and
wherein the software application comprises executable instructions configured to perform an iterative closest point-based optimization algorithm to estimate a spatial transformation that matches two-point sets regarding the spatial positioning of the probe end with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more pressure sensors configured to detect contact pressures of the body portion with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the software application comprises executable instructions configured to interpret the contact pressures and direct the user to adjust an applied pressure.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the software application comprises executable instructions configured to:
store the data from the one or more sensors over the physical therapy treatment session; and transmit the data to a connected storage device that is configured to be accessible by a medical professional overseeing the physical therapy treatment session.

16 . The system of any of claim 9 or claim 15 , wherein the software application comprises executable instructions configured to receive, from a remote computer, communication from a medical professional overseeing the physical therapy treatment session; and
wherein providing visual or auditory feedback comprises prescribing therapy regimens.

17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the pelvic floor physical therapy device comprises one or more vibrational components integrated within the body portion,
wherein the one or more vibrational components are configured to provide targeted tender point muscle release and vibrational intravaginal therapy and/or haptic feedback to the user.

18 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a charging or docking station configured to transfer power to the pelvic floor physical therapy device.

19 . A method of treating a subject, the method comprising:
positioning a pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to a pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle of a user; receiving, from the pelvic floor physical therapy device, data from one or more sensors regarding the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle; comparing the data to a predetermined model of the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle; and providing visual or auditory feedback regarding the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle to guide a physical therapy treatment session.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein receiving data from one or more sensors comprises detecting spatial positioning of the pelvic floor physical therapy device.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein providing visual or auditory feedback comprises providing spatial feedback to the user for adjusting the position of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle.

22 . The method of any of claim 20 or claim 21 , wherein detecting spatial positioning of the pelvic floor physical therapy device comprises detecting spatial positioning of a probe end of the pelvic floor physical therapy device; and
wherein comparing the data comprises performing an iterative closest point-based optimization algorithm to estimate a spatial transformation that matches two-point sets regarding the spatial positioning of the probe end with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein receiving data from one or more sensors comprises detecting contact pressures of the pelvic floor physical therapy device with respect to the pelvic floor location or pelvic floor muscle of the user.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein detecting contact pressures comprises measuring contractile strength o

Assignees

• Univ North Carolina Chapel Hill

Inventors

• Carey Erin Teeter
• Hubbard Devin Kerry
• Wiley Nicole Lewis
• Harrington Jennifer Rachel

Classifications

• A63B2220/10

  Positions · CPC title

• A63B71/0622

  Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user · CPC title

• A63B21/00196

  using pulsed counterforce, e.g. vibrating resistance means (A61H1/005 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63B2024/0093

  the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed · CPC title

• A63B24/0087

  Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load · CPC title