Inventors: Professor Tamar Makin, Hristo Dimitov & Allie Williams, Neuroscience
Pelvic floor damage can cause pelvic pain, back pain, incontinence and sexual dysfunction, and can affect both women and men. Typically, patients with pelvic floor issues are given exercises to carry out but are not regularly monitored.
The inventors have developed a non-invasive method to measure pelvic floor function, which can also be used to give feedback on their performance while taking part in functional exercises (think yoga or Pilates). Their algorithm has so far been validated in healthy participants, and further testing is ongoing.
Currently there are only four FDA-approved clinical-grade probes available for measuring pelvic floor function, all of which need to be inserted into the anus or vagina. Commercially available probes that can provide feedback on engagement level are all invasive. Additionally, there are digital mobile apps which give visualisations of pelvic floor exercises but no feedback or measurements. Neither of these methods is widely used.
The inventors’ vision is to have a technology that can accurately predict pelvic floor engagement and give personalised and discrete haptic feedback during training. With this aim in mind, they have developed a wearable device which can be used during physical exercises, for example during yoga or pilates classes or at home. This is combined with AI to use each patient’s individual data to predict their pelvic floor function and provide feedback.
The question for the i-Team is how this can best be taken forward commercially. For example, should it be developed as a consumer product, or one for use by yoga teachers or physiotherapists. Would it be better to market a non-regulated wellbeing product offering, or to develop a medically-regulated and approved device for use in formal diagnostics and rehabilitation approaches.