Kegel Exercises System and Method

Abstract

To provide an improved system and method for Kegel exercises so as to optimize the pelvic floor of a patient.SOLUTION: A system includes a user interface device 150 and a vaginal device 110. The vaginal device 110 includes an intra-vaginal probe having an accelerometer that is configured to generate a signal in response to movement of the probe. The user interface device 150 is connected to the vaginal device 110 and analyzes signals from the accelerometer to provide physiological feedback information to a patient. The vaginal device 110 may be connected to the user interface device 150 via wireless communication such as Bluetooth or by wire. The user interface device 150 may be a smart device or a computer that transmits information to a central web-based data server 170 accessible by patients, authorized healthcare providers or third-party payers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Application No. 61 / 923,997, filed January 6, 2014, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention relates to a system and method for optimizing Kegel exercises, and more particularly to a system and method for optimizing Kegel exercises using a device that measures a patient's performance of Kegel exercises and provides feedback to the patient.

[0003] Urinary incontinence is a common condition in women who have weakened pelvic floor muscles. Many common factors contribute to weakening of the pelvic floor muscles in women, including pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging and weight gain. When the pelvic floor muscles become weak, women begin to suffer from urinary incontinence and experience associated symptoms such as involuntary leakage of urine during sneezing, laughing or coughing. These symptoms are often uncomfortable and embarrassing, and present a personal hygiene problem for many women.

[0004] Various methods have been proposed to improve the strength and tone of the pelvic floor muscles. Dr. Arnold Kegel described pelvic floor exercises as a treatment option for urinary incontinence and also invented a series of exercises known as Kegel exercises to strengthen and support the pelvic floor. Kegel exercises are performed by repeatedly contracting and relaxing for a period of time. Repeated contraction of the pelvic muscles leads to strengthening of the pelvic floor over time. Proper performance of Kegel exercises can provide both prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and pelvic organ prolapse. Proper performance of Kegel exercises can also result in improved sexual intercourse.

[0005] Kegel exercises are an effective way to strengthen the pelvic floor, but many women find it difficult to perform Kegel exercises correctly. Often, women performing Kegel exercises do not easily know if they are contracting the correct muscles. Some women have difficulty identifying and contracting the correct muscles. Some women perform Kegel exercises incorrectly without knowing that they are using the wrong muscles. Currently, there is no system to measure a patient's Kegel exercise performance or provide the patient with any feedback on their performance. If Kegel exercises are not performed using the correct pelvic floor muscles, the patient will not achieve the maximum benefit, or any benefit, from performing Kegel exercises.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for optimizing Kegel exercises to achieve maximum benefit from performing Kegel exercises and also to address the problems of Kegel exercises discussed above.

[0007] The present invention contemplates real-time position and motion tracking as described in International Patent Applications PCT / US2010 / 053712 and PCT / US2013 / 023806, and multiple sensor enabled devices as described in International Patent Application PCT / US2012 / 066613, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In this regard, real-time position and motion tracking includes detecting the position of an organ of a subject's anatomy relative to a reference point of the anatomy, such as the pubic bone, coccyx, or vagina of the patient, or an external reference point, such as the patient's clothing or targets in the patient's surroundings. The method is performed in real time, for example, during a medical examination, treatment, or surgery. In another embodiment, the method is performed over multiple time intervals. The multiple time intervals occur, for example, around pregnancy and menopausal events. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a device that dynamically determines and displays the position of the anterior wall of the vagina within a set of organs in the pelvis. It is comprised of a set of MEMS accelerometer sensors whose position indicates the profile of a flexible probe inserted into the vagina. The unique ability to display the results of contracting pelvic muscles allows patients to properly train in performing Kegel muscle contractions to prevent or relieve pelvic dysfunction including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and pelvic organ prolapse. Proper Kegel exercises also improve sexual intercourse. Temperature is recorded as well.

[0009] The system consists of a vaginal device, a cable from the vaginal device to an electronics box, a Bluetooth wireless connection from the electronics box to a smart device such as an iPhone, iPod, or iPad (or Android, or Windows-based, or other equivalent device) for displaying and recording results, and an internet connection to a web server with a database. The data on this web server can be accessed by patients, their healthcare providers, or third party payers with the proper authorization.

[0010] In addition to the training screens (dynamic line profiles or anatomical animations), the smart device application provides the user with a history of the patient's performance up to a certain number of sessions recorded on the smart device, access to the application tour, application settings, answers to frequently asked questions, a database of web services, and other elements. A session is a set of actions taken by the patient from the time the patient presses the Train button on the application until the time the patient presses the Stop button.

[0011] In order to operate correctly, the vaginal device must be inserted in the correct orientation for the MEMS accelerometer to function properly. Lines may be included on the vaginal device indicating how the vaginal device should be inserted. Additionally, the smart device may display a screen that indicates the current orientation of the vaginal device and provides guidance on how to change to the proper orientation if the vaginal device is not positioned correctly.

[0012] Knowing the location of the vagina allows the medical practitioner to infer its approximate location in relation to the pelvic organs, including the location of the urethra. Because the vagina and urethra are in close proximity, their relative positions can be inferred from one another.

[0013] The contracting muscles are located near the entrance to the vagina or vaginal opening. In addition to displaying the profile of the vaginal device, the temperature of the device just above the vaginal opening may be displayed, which reflects how hard the muscles are working. In another embodiment, a pressure sensor may be included to measure and display the force of the muscle contraction.

[0014] The purpose of the device is to provide visual feedback to indicate to the patient whether the Kegel exercises are being performed correctly and, if so, whether the exercises are effective. With the patient's permission, the data can be reviewed by healthcare professionals and third-party payers. In some circumstances, the patient's performance and / or outcome (e.g., reduction in stress urinary incontinence) compared to initial performance can be used to evaluate outcomes and positively influence reimbursement to the physician by third-party payers and can provide financial incentives for the patient. The display can be either or both of presenting the actual movements and / or displaying associated scores.

[0015] In other embodiments, the feedback can be auditory in the form of sounds, or auditory in the form of tones of varying magnitude, frequency, or both, or auditory in the form of vibrations of varying magnitude, frequency, or both. Audio feedback can include coaching and encouraging the patient to be more aggressive while performing Kegel exercises.

[0016] As the Kegel exercise is performed, the vaginal device lifts and the line on the screen rotates from right to left, indicating a movement towards the front of the patient. The greater the lift, the greater the effect of the Kegel exercise. The obtained score can be displayed in addition to or instead of the line position. Another display mode is the relative position of the pelvic organs as an animated diagram of the body structure. If the patient is performing the Kegel exercise incorrectly, the displayed line on the screen will rotate clockwise from the beginning of the exercise into a designated area on the screen as the patient strains as if they are having a bowel movement. One of the main uses of the present invention is to train the patient that such straining is incorrect if they wish to perform Kegel exercises. However, the movement of the line into the designated area is not necessarily a bad thing. When treating pelvic pain due to muscle contracture, the downward movement of the device means pelvic relaxation and resulting descent, along with the resulting clockwise rotation of the displayed line into the designated area on the screen.

[0017] The score is in units of Kegel power (kp). In one embodiment, the score ranges from 0 to 100, although other ranges can be used as well. At the beginning of the exercise, many patients have weak muscles. To provide encouragement, the application includes a zoom function that makes the maximum deflection of the line about 30 or 60 instead of 100. To do so, the line moves to provide further positive feedback, but the displayed score is the same at any zoom level. Data from the Kegel exercise session is recorded on the smart device, and data from the most recent predetermined number of sessions (e.g., 300) can be displayed on a history screen. In addition, the results of the session are transmitted to a database on a web server. The information recorded and communicated can be just the highest score information, including the time interval during which the maximum level occurred. Also, as the profile of the vaginal device changes, the actual profile of the vaginal device can be transmitted. Also, temperature and pressure results are recorded along with the start time and length of the session, if any. Diary information can be collected by the patient on the smart device. The information is uploaded to a web database server and can be viewed via a web browser connection. Patients can also view prescription information entered by medical professionals on a central web database server. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] The invention will be further explained by reference to the following drawings.

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the system of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the vaginal device of the present invention including the probe and the external electronics box. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a probe of a vaginal device of the present invention, including a flex strip. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a probe of the vaginal device of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the probe of the vaginal device of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a vaginal device of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows an illustration of an external electronics housing of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows an explanatory diagram of the application main screen of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows an explanatory diagram of a vertically aligned screen of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows an explanatory diagram of the training screen (zoom 1 kp 087) of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows an explanatory diagram of the training screen (Zoom 1 kp 005) of the present invention. [Figure 12] Fig. 12(A) shows an explanatory diagram of a training screen (Zoom 2 kp 005) of the present invention. Fig. 12(B) shows an explanatory diagram of a training screen (Zoom 2 kp 057) of the present invention. [Figure 13] Fig. 13(A) shows an explanatory diagram of a training screen (zoom 3 kp 003) of the present invention. Fig. 13(B) shows an explanatory diagram of a training screen (zoom 3 kp 024) of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows an illustration of the body structure animation of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 shows an explanatory diagram of the history screen of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a training system for the proper performance of Kegel exercises. The system includes a vaginal device 110 that is inserted into a patient 100. The vaginal device 110 is made of silicone. However, other suitable materials may be used. The vaginal device 110 is connected via a cable 120 to an external electronics box 130. The external electronics box 130 is connected by a Bluetooth connection 140 to a user interface device 150, which may be a smart device such as an iPhone, iPod, or iPad touch, an Android-based system, a Microsoft Windows-based system, or other comparable device. Alternatively, the external electronics box 130 may be connected to a custom display device. The user interface device 150 communicates with a web central database server 170 via an Internet connection 160. Data from the patient's sessions is stored in the user interface device 150 and transmitted to the web central database server 170 after each session. The data transmitted includes the highest score plus the length of time the score was maintained, and possibly the raw data, and other data such as the start time and length of the session, maximum lift duration, maximum temperature reached, maximum pressure reached. The Bluetooth transmission from the external electronics box 130 to the user interface device 150 is a serial data connection rather than the audio connection that is typical of Bluetooth devices such as Bluetooth headsets, and the transmission is operated through the Serial Port Protocol (SPP). If the smart device is made by Apple, it requires that a special authentication chip (the MFi chip, where MFi stands for Made for iOS, or Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod) be used in the embedded electronics that are connected to the Bluetooth connection.

[0021] The use of a smart device that communicates with the external electronics box 130 using Bluetooth is only one embodiment of the invention. Other wireless means or even wired connections may also be used. In other embodiments, the output of the external electronics box 130 is processed using Lab VIEW or a custom application running on a notebook or desktop connected wirelessly or via a wire.

[0022] The device can be used in the home, workplace, doctor's office, clinic, nursing home, pelvic health or other facility or other location appropriate for the patient. A doctor, nurse, technician, physical therapist, or central customer support can provide support for the patient. Central customer support can also be provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the components of the system attached to a patient 100. The vaginal device may include a probe 200 inserted into the vagina with a cable 210 connecting the probe 200 to an external electronics box 220. FIG. 3 illustrates the probe of the vaginal device 310 with the cable 320 running to the external electronics box and attached to electrical pads 350, and the internal electronics 300. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer 330 is mounted on a flex strip circuit 300. An ESD suppressor 340 is on the same side of the strip as the MEMS accelerometer, and pads for connection to a thermistor (not shown) for temperature measurement are on the opposite side of the flex strip 300. A pressure sensor is included as well, but is not shown in the figure. In one embodiment, the output from the MEMS accelerometer 350 uses I2C communication. The output of the thermistor is processed through an analog-to-digital converter. Thus, the output from both types of sensors is converted to a digital signal for transmission.

[0024] 4 shows a side view of the probe of the vaginal device 400 with ribs 410 that allow the patient to grip the device 400 during insertion and possibly removal (although vaginal devices are typically removed by pulling on a cable 420 that extends to an external electronics box). In some embodiments, the probe is constructed of a silicone material. Directional lines 430 are located on the outer surface of the probe of the vaginal device 400. A logo 440 is also located on the outer surface of the probe of the device 400. The logo 440 and lines 430 are molded into the silicone. The dimensions of the probe of the vaginal device 400 are typically 16 mm in diameter and 11 cm in length, and typically 14 to 20 mm in diameter and 9 to 12 cm in length.

[0025] 5 illustrates a plan view of the probe of the vaginal device. The probe of the vaginal device 500 is depicted as an outer silicone shell seen as cross-hatched. The electronics are attached to a flexible strip 520, also depicted as cross-hatched. In one embodiment of the invention, the inner silicone portion 510 is made up of two silicone half-cylinders, one above and one below the strip 510.

[0026] A cross section of the vaginal device 600 seen from the end where the cable 610 exits is shown in Figure 6. A silicone sheath 620 surrounds an upper silicone cylinder 630 and a lower silicone cylinder 640 separated by a separation line 660. A flexible strip may be sandwiched between the upper 630 and lower 640 cylinders located at the separation line 660.

[0027] The vaginal device was designed with manufacturability as a key consideration. A critical factor is that molding silicone with encapsulated electronics requires a long time to cure, since the electronics used have a maximum temperature of 65°C. A short enough cure time to make such a mold commercially practical would require the liquid silicone to be heated at about 175°C. One method of manufacture was therefore to mold the upper half-cylinder 630, lower half-cylinder 640, and silicone sheath 620 at a high temperature. The flexible electronics strip may be placed on the inverted upper half-cylinder 630 with the MEMS accelerometer fitting into a pocket on its surface placed by the molding tool. The inverted lower half-cylinder 640 may be coated with adhesive and placed over the inverted upper half-cylinder 630 tool. Once the entire cylinder is assembled, the silicone sheath 620 is placed into a fixture that applies a vacuum to its side and enlarges the opening. The entire cylinder with the sandwiched flexible electronics strip is inserted into the opening of the silicone sheath until the end of the entire cylinder hits the end of the sheath 620. The vacuum is released and the cylinder is tightly enclosed within the sheath. The walls of the sheath 620 are longer than the length of the cylinder. This is done so that a pocket is created that surrounds the cable 610 so that when filled with silicone material (Dow Silastic®), it will adhere to the silicone cylinder, silicone sheath, and cable. All silicone materials are biocompatible. The cable jacket may be biocompatible or covered with a layer of biocompatible parylene or other coating.

[0028] 7 illustrates an external electronics box 700 having a logo 750 and receiving data input from a connector 710 with a cable to the vaginal device. The external electronics box is turned on with a power button 720. A Bluetooth gauge LED 730 and a system gauge LED 740 signal status may be included as part of the external electronics box.

[0029] The external electronics box 700 of FIG. 7 communicates wirelessly with a smart device such as an iPhone, for example via Bluetooth. One example of an external electronics box 700 is a Leva™ device for preventing and treating pelvic dysfunction, including urinary incontinence. FIG. 8 shows the main menu screen of the smart device. A splash screen (not shown) precedes the main menu screen. The user logs in to access the smart device's applications. The navigation buttons on the screen are Training button 800. Other buttons are Tour 805, History 810, Info 815, and Leva™ Site 830. Tour 805 provides access to a screen that gives the background of the application. Info 815 provides access to information such as the identity of the Leva™ device to which the smart device is connected. Button 810 provides access to the history of the patient's sessions. This is shown in more detail in FIG. 15 below. A first bar 820 located at the top of the screen includes, from left to right: The display shows the mobile horn signal level, the network operator (in this case AT&T), the type of communication (LTE in this case), an active Wi-Fi Internet connection (if there is one, not in this case), the time of day, whether an alarm is set, whether Bluetooth communication is active, and whether the battery is fully charged. A button 825 provides access to the FAQ (if an Internet connection is available). A second bar 835 located at the bottom of the screen indicates, from left to right, that there is a Bluetooth connection to the Leva™ device, that the Leva™ device battery is charging, and that the Leva device is not plugged in.

[0030] 9 illustrates a screen that allows the patient to see if they are correctly orienting the Leva™ device, i.e., device 900 is at the 12 o'clock top position with the orientation line 905 pointing straight ahead in front of the patient. In this case, the relative orientation 910 shows that the Leva™ device is rotated slightly counterclockwise in relation to the target 920. The arrow circle 915 shows the patient which way to physically rotate the device to move it in the proper direction. Icon 925 indicates that the application is in line mode, as explained in more detail in FIG. 10. The training session will not begin until the vaginal device is in the correct position.

[0031] FIG. 10 shows a training screen in the dynamic line mode. Background 1000 indicates the dynamic line operating area, where line 1010 represents the contour of the vaginal device inside the vagina. The dots on the line indicate the location of the six MEMS accelerometers on the flexible strip. Area 1005 with a red background is where line 1010 will appear if a person is straining as if they are having a bowel movement. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between correct and incorrect Kegel exercises. When an attempt to perform a Kegel exercise is incorrect, line 1010 appears in area 1005. Arrow 1015 indicates the correct direction to correct the Kegel exercise. However, as mentioned above, area 1005 may be the desired position of line 1010 when the patient is in a relaxed state associated with pelvic pain relief. The right to left movement of line 1010 is called a lift. The unit of Kegel exercise is kp, short for Kegel power, although other designations may be used. The current kp 1020 in FIG. 10 is 087 (87, since leading zeros are ignored). The greater the upward movement of the vaginal device towards the front of the patient, the higher the kp score. The maximum length of time that the upward movement was held for the session in the figure is 00:07 or 7 seconds (1025). The length of time that the current upward movement has been held 1030 is also 7 seconds in this example. The maximum value of the kp score for the current session is 088 (1035). The duration of the current session is 10 seconds (1040). The user clicks on the plus sign 1045 to zoom so that the maximum score displayed in the area is less than 100. The zoom level is displayed on the screen background 1000. The background 1000 is filled with a blue color to display the maximum score during the session. The temperature of the vaginal device near the entrance to the vagina is 1050, where the first value (25°C (77°F)) is the current value and the second value is the maximum temperature during the session (also (25°C (77°F) in this example). To stop the session, the user presses the stop button 1055.

[0032] FIG. 11 shows an example of a training screen in zoom 1 mode with kp score 1110 (005) in background area 1100. Zoom 1 covers a display range from 0 to 100. If the line does not move enough when the patient tries to perform Kegel exercises, the patient may become discouraged. The application has the ability to zoom in and display scores ranging from 0 to approximately 60 at zoom 2 and 0 to approximately 30 at zoom 3. A red zone 1230 at the far right of the entire background is zoomed in as well. Zooming in changes the amount the dynamic line moves depending on the degree of upward movement, but does not change the score. FIG. 12 illustrates two examples of zoom 2. One example changes the zoom level with the zoom button 1200 to vary between three zoom levels. In FIG. 12A, the background 1205 shows the application set to zoom level 2, with line 1210 at a level of 5 kp, as reflected by the digital score 1215 of 005. Another example of zoom 2 is shown in FIG. 12B. In this case, the dynamic line 1220 shows a value of 057, near the top of the range of scores 1225. In this example, the line 1220 is curved to reflect the physical profile of a MEMS accelerometer along a flexible strip contained within the vaginal device. The kp score does not change based on the zoom. The best score will persist within a session even if the zoom level is changed. If the user achieves a score higher than the best possible for that zoom level, a "-" will be displayed instead of a numerical score.

[0033] FIG. 13 illustrates a pair of examples of zoom 3, and another example of changing the zoom level with zoom button 1300, again varying between three zoom levels. In FIG. 13A, background 1305 indicates that the application is set to zoom level 3, with line 1310 at a level of 3 kp, as reflected in digital score 1315 of 003. Another example of zoom 3 is shown in FIG. 13B. In this case, area 1320 again indicates zoom 3, and line 1325 is toward the top of the range of score 1330, which indicates a value of 024. In both FIGs. 13A and 13B, lines 1305 and 1325 are curved to represent the physical profile of the vaginal device. Icon 1335 indicates the selection of anatomy modes available.

[0034] FIG. 14 illustrates a training session using anatomy animation to display the upward movement opposite the dynamic line. To access this mode, the user may touch the top right anatomy icon when in dynamic line mode (e.g., icon 1335 in FIG. 13B). The line 1400 moves with Kegel contractions, but does not need to be scaled to the score 1410, in this case 057. The pelvic organs shown are the pubis 1415, uterus 1420, gallbladder 1425, colon 1430, anus 1435, and coccyx 1440. Some of these organs move on the screen as Kegel exercises are performed. To end the training session, the patient presses the stop button 1450. To access dynamic line mode, the patient touches the dynamic line mode icon 1445.

[0035] Figure 15 shows the History screen. Elements of the application can be accessed through the menu screen shown in Figure 8. Readings for each session are included in area 1500 along with icons 1505. The readings are session date 1510, highest score 1515, session time 1520, highest upward movement time 1525, session duration 1530, and highest temperature 1535. Touch the back arrow 1540 to return to the main menu screen, Figure 8.

[0036] When a session is closed, the data is both kept in a file on the smart device and uploaded to a database on the central database server. The user does not need to do anything to cause the latter. If the smart device does not have Internet connectivity at the time, a given session is closed, and the data for that session is subsequently uploaded when both the application is used and Internet connectivity is available. Anyone with authorization to access may access the data in the database. Such users may be the patient, the healthcare provider caring for them, a third party payer, or a central customer support representative in various environments. The patient must authorize various uses of the information. The patient can view the patient's history on the smart device or a web browser. A healthcare professional via a web browser provides a prescription for the patient (e.g., number of sessions per day, length of each session, etc.) in the central database. The patient using a web browser can access the prescription. In another embodiment, the patient writes a diary on the smart device, and the diary information is uploaded to the central database and can be accessed by the patient or an authorized healthcare professional.

[0037] The present invention supports patients. The process begins with a healthcare professional training the patient using the Leva™ device. The patient receives feedback from the Leva™ device on how well the patient is performing Kegel exercises. Proper performance of Kegel exercises provides prevention or relief of pelvic dysfunction including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and pelvic organ prolapse. Proper performance of Kegel exercises also improves sexual intercourse. With the patient's permission, data from the session is shared with healthcare professionals caring for the patient through a web-based database or by the patient bringing in a Leva™ device. For third-party payment, the data in the web-based database is available to authorized third parties.

[0038] The various embodiments described above are provided only as examples, and should not be construed as limiting the invention. Based on the above discussion and examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that various improvements and modifications can be easily made to the present invention without strictly following the exemplary embodiments and applications shown and described herein. Such improvements and modifications do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A system for optimizing pelvic floor muscle exercises performed by a subject, comprising: (a) displaying on a user interface device in real time a visual representation corresponding to a position of an intravaginal device generated from signals wirelessly received by the user interface device from the intravaginal device; the intravaginal device comprises a plurality of accelerometers disposed along a length of the intravaginal device, the intravaginal device configured to generate signals in response to movement of the accelerometers, the user interface device configured to execute a computer implemented application for analyzing signals from the accelerometers, wherein when the visual representation moves in a first direction, the visual representation corresponds to a lifting motion of the intravaginal device, and when the visual representation moves in a second direction opposite the first direction, the visual representation corresponds to a pushing motion of the intravaginal device and / or a relaxation of a pelvic floor muscle; (b) providing feedback to the subject from the user interface device that is generated based on changes in position of the visual representation of the intravaginal device and metrics that include a maximum lift duration during which activation of the target pelvic floor muscles is maintained.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface device further comprises a data processor and a communications module configured to remotely store the subject data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes a visual or numerical representation of the subject's pelvic floor exercise history.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes a visual or numerical display of Kegel power.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the physiological feedback information includes a visual or numerical indication of pelvic floor muscle exercise optimization.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface device is connected to the intravaginal device via Bluetooth® communication.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface device is selected from the group consisting of a smartphone, a tablet, and a watch.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback comprises visual and audio feedback output from a computer-implemented application.

9. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrics further include data related to one or more sessions in which pelvic floor muscle exercises are performed, the metrics including one or more of date of the session, maximum score, time the session was performed, maximum lift, and duration of the session.

10. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays the visual representation, the visual representation corresponding to the lift action when rotated from right to left and the visual representation corresponding to the press action when rotated from left to right.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface further displays a score associated with performance of the lifting action and the pressing action.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system includes providing feedback to the subject based on changes in score over time using visual and audio feedback features.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indicators are stored in a diary on the user interface.

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