Method and apparatus for monitoring the pelvic floor muscles

A system for differentiating between a strain of the pelvic floor muscles, PFM, of a subject and a contraction of the PFM of the subject, the system comprising:

• a vaginal probe device configured to be located in the vaginal canal of the subject, the vaginal probe device comprising a housing containing an orientation sensor;
• and a processor configured to:
• receive data generated by the orientation sensor;
• process data generated by the orientation sensor to determine a direction of rotation of the vaginal probe device during a measurement period,
• when it is determined that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the cranial-ventral direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a contraction of the PFM during the measurement period;
• and
• when the processor determines that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the caudal-dorsal direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a strain of the PFM during the measurement period.

A vaginal probe device for use in differentiating between a strain of the pelvic floor muscles, PFM, of a subject and a contraction of the PFM of the subject, the vaginal probe device comprising:

• a housing configured to be located within the vaginal canal of the subject;
• an orientation sensor contained within the housing;
• and
• a transmitter configured to send data generated by the vaginal probe device to a computer device located externally relative to the subject.

A computer device for use in differentiating between a strain of the PFM of a subject and a contraction of the PFM of the subject, the computer device comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive orientation data from a vaginal probe device;
• a processor to:
• process the orientation data to determine a direction of rotation of the vaginal probe device during a measurement period,
• when it is determined that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the cranial-ventral direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a contraction of the PFM during the measurement period;
• and
• when it is determined that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the caudal-dorsal direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a strain of the PFM during the measurement period;
• and
• an output device configured to convey the output generated by the processor to a user of the computer device.

A computer readable medium storing computer interpretable instructions which when interpreted by a programmable computer cause the computer to, upon receipt of orientation data from a vaginal probe device located within the vaginal canal of a subject:

• process the orientation data to determine a direction of rotation of the vaginal probe device during a measurement period;
• when it is determined that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the cranial-ventral direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a contraction of the PFM during the measurement period;
• and
• when it is determined that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the caudal-dorsal direction relative to the subject, generate an output indicating that there has been a strain of the PFM during the measurement period.