Device and method for measuring pressure exerted on a surface

A method for treatment of urinary stress incontinence of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• introducing a force or a pressure sensor system on a skin surface of the patient adjacent to the urethra of the patient at a first time in a non-surgical clinical setting, wherein the force or pressure sensor system comprises a force or pressure sensor;
• applying an application force or pressure onto the force or the pressure sensor system and the underlying urethra in the non-surgical clinical setting, wherein the application force or pressure is sufficient to temporarily alleviate a urinary stress incontinence symptom and the force or pressure sensor is positioned between the application force or pressure and the urethra;
• identifying a clinically-derived an alleviation output from the force or pressure sensor on the skin surface corresponding to a minimum force or pressure sufficient to alleviate the urinary stress incontinence symptom in the non-surgical clinical setting;
• inserting a surgical sling to support the urethra in a surgical setting;
• positioning the force or pressure sensor system to determine a force or pressure exerted by the surgical sling on the urethra at a second time in the surgical setting, wherein the second time in the surgical setting is after the first time in the non-surgical clinical setting;
• exerting a force or pressure on the urethra by generating a force or pressure on the surgical sling in the surgical setting, wherein the exerted force or pressure is detected by the force or pressure sensor;
• and
• matching the exerted force or pressure on the urethra in the surgical setting to the clinically-derived alleviation output in the non-surgical clinical setting, thereby obtaining selecting an optimal generated force or pressure by the surgical sling in the surgical setting,
• wherein the optimal generated force or pressure by the surgical sling in the surgical setting at the second time is within about 20% of the clinically-derived alleviation output of the identifying step at the first time, thereby treating urinary stress incontinence of the patient.