Pelvic Floor Muscle Training via Neural Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with pelvic floor disorders face challenges in strengthening their pelvic floor muscles due to difficulty in identifying the correct muscles to contract, neural damage, or maintaining a regimen of Kegel exercises, which existing treatments like Kegel exercises may not adequately address.

Innovation Solution

An electrical stimulation system that delivers stimulation to nerves, such as the sacral or pudendal nerves, to induce contractions in pelvic floor muscles, allowing for automatic strengthening without the need for patients to autonomously contract the muscles, potentially reducing the need for direct muscle stimulation and enhancing muscle coordination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If Kegel exercises are used to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, then muscle strength may be improved, but patients face difficulty in identifying the correct muscles to contract and maintaining the exercise regimen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepelvic floor muscle strengthVSAvoidease of performing Kegel exercises

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows patients to self-monitor their muscle contraction efforts through feedback from sensors that detect EMG signals or pressure changes, enabling them to independently verify correct muscle engagement without external guidance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback to patients through visual, auditory, or haptic signals when they successfully contract the pelvic floor muscles, reinforcing correct technique and motivating continued exercise adherence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Extent of automation

If electrical stimulation is delivered to directly stimulate pelvic floor muscles, then muscle contraction can be induced, but the system complexity increases and may not enhance muscle coordination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of muscle contractionVSAvoidcomplexity of stimulation system

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the patient's own nervous system as an intermediary, delivering electrical stimulation to nerves (such as the pudendal nerve or sacral nerves) that naturally innervate the pelvic floor muscles, thereby inducing muscle contraction through physiological pathways rather than direct muscle stimulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces direct mechanical/electrical stimulation of muscle tissue with neural stimulation, substituting a more physiologically natural mechanism that leverages the body's existing neural-muscular pathways

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Strength

If continuous electrical stimulation therapy is provided to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, then muscle strengthening can be achieved, but the treatment duration and patient dependency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepelvic floor muscle strengthVSAvoidduration of treatment regimen

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs intermittent electrical stimulation delivered in structured training sessions with specific on/off cycles, rather than continuous stimulation, allowing muscle recovery periods that enhance long-term strengthening while reducing overall treatment duration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system is designed to empower patients to independently perform muscle contraction exercises with guidance and feedback, gradually reducing dependency on the device as patients gain mastery over their own muscle control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach helps patients regain control over their pelvic floor muscles over time, reduces the need for continuous electrical stimulation therapy, and promotes neural pathways that correlate intent with muscle contraction, improving continence and reducing incontinence issues.

Implementation Method 1

electrical stimulation is delivered to a nerve of the patient based on the input

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical stimulation: Electrical Impedance Tomography

Data Source

PatentUS10201702B2Pelvic floor muscle training

Publication Date: 2019.02.12 MEDTRONIC INC

AI summary

Electrical stimulation is delivered to a patient based on input from a patient indicative of an intent of the patient to contract a pelvic floor muscle or an attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle. The electrical stimulation is configured to induce a contraction of the pelvic floor muscle of the patient to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle.