DEVICE FOR EXERCISING PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES

DISPOSITIF POUR EXERCER LES MUSCLES DU PLANCHER PELVIEN

English Abstract

A device for exercising pelvic floor muscles by
insertion into the vagina of a woman comprises at least
one weight, and a casing with two or more parts
releasably and sealingly connected, to define an
internal cavity for receiving one or more of the
weights. The cavity is preferably of plastics
material, the parts having a snap fit connection, and a
retrieval tag may also be incorporated. A set of
weights is preferably provided, so that the mass of the
device can be varied by choosing one or more of the
weights.

Claims

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Claims:
1. A device for exercising pelvic floor muscles by
insertion into the vagina, wherein the device comprises a
casing having at least two parts and defining an internal
cavity, the parts being movable between an open
configuration allowing access to the internal cavity and a
closed configuration in which the parts are sealingly
connected together, and at least one weight adapted to be
removably received in the internal cavity, the arrangement
being such that in the closed configuration the casing
parts defining the internal cavity are adapted to be fully
received in the vagina.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing is
of plastics material.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said
casing has two parts defining said internal cavity.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said casing
parts have a snap fit connection.
5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein said casing has a first casing part, the lower part
in use, which is substantially conical, with a rounded tip.
6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5,
wherein said casing incorporates a retrieval tag.
7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said
retrieval tag is releasably and sealingly connected to the
first casing part.

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8. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said
retrieval tag is formed integrally with the first casing
part.
9. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8,
wherein a set of two or more weights is provided.
10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said weights
of a set are of different masses.
11. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10,
wherein the weight or weights have a shape complementary to
that of said internal cavity.

Description

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DEVICE FOR EXERCISID1G PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
This invention relates to a device for exercising
pelvic floor muscles.
Without exercise, pelvic floor muscles tend to
weaken with age, giving rise to problems with bladder
control. In women, this weakening is often exacerbated
by childbirth. However, many women have no conscious
1.0 control of these muscles, and find it very difficult to
exercise them properly, in order to strengthen them,
without assistance.
One known way of providing assistance is by means
of a biofeedback perineometer, comprising a vaginal
probe connected to an external unit which provides
information about changes in vaginal pressure. This
encourages conscious control of the pelvic floor
muscles. However, this device is not very pleasant to
LISe, and reguires regular attendance at a hospital or
clinic as an outpatient. Another known way of
assisting in the exercise of the pelvic: floor muscles
involves the use of a set of devices of identical size
but differing mass, and is shown in EP-A-0 198 641.
One device is inserted into the vagina, where it sari be
retained by using the pelvic floor muscles, thus
exercising them. Such a device also operates on a
feedback principle, as any tendency for it to slip out
makes the pelvic floor muscles contract to try to
retain it. The device can readily be used at home and
is also much pleasanter and easier to use than the
perineometer, although frequent attendance to a
hospital or clinic will still be required, for the mass
to be changed as the muscles strengthen. The main
disadvantage of these devices is that they are
expensive. Each device is made in two parts, one in

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brass and one in polymethylacrylate, the mass being
varied by changing the proportion of the materials_
The two parts must be bonded together, and the bras->>
part coated with a physiologically acceptable material;
so that a set of up to nine devices i.s expensive to
produce. Because of the expense, it is unlikely that a
woman will be given an unused device each time, and
this may well not be acceptable to her, even though the
device will have been sterilised.
According to the present invention, there is provided
a device for exercising pelvic floor muscles by insertion
into the vagina, wherein the device comprises a casing
having at least two parts and defining an internal cavity,
the parts being movable between an open configuration
allowing access to the internal cavity and a closed
configuration in which the parts are sealingly connected
together, and at least one weight adapted to be removably
received in the internal cavity, the arrangement being such
that in the closed configuration the casing parts defining
the internal cavity are adapted to be fully received in the
vagina.
Providing a single casing and a separate weight or
weights reduces the cost of producing the device,
especially as it is only one item, the casing, which
need be physiologically acceptable. It then becomes
feasible to provide an unused casing for each woman,
although the weights may be re-used if necessary.
A set of two or' more weights may be provided. It
is then possible to provide the woman with an
appropriate set of weights which enables her to vary
the mass of the device herself, as the muscles
strengthen. This results in better monitoring of her
progress by the woman, and less frequent visits to the
hospital or clinic.

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Preferably the casing is of plastics material.
Conveniently, two casing parts are provided to define
the internal cavity, with their external outline shaped
to allow ease of use. The parts may be a snap fit_ A

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first part (the lower part in use) is preferably
substantially conical, with a rounded tip. The casing
may also incorporate a retrieval tag. This may be a
separate item, releasably and sealingly connected to
the first casing part, or it may be formed integrally
with that part. A second part (the upper part in use)
may be cylindrical, frusto-conical or even
part-spherical.
Where a single weight is used it may have a shape
complementary to that of the internal cavity, and where
a set is provided the whole set fits together to form a
similar complementary shape. The weights of a set are
preferably of different masses, so that the mass of the
device can be varied by choosing one or more weights.
Preferably the set of weights includes a rod onto which
the other weights tit.
Some embadimerxts of the invention are illustrated,
by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in
which:
F ire 1 shows a cross-section through a device
for exercising pelvic floor muscles;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the device of
Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are similar to Figure 1, but
show modifications; and
Figure 5 is a side view of a further
modification.
The device shown in Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to
be inserted into the vagina of a woman to exercise the

pelvic floor muscles. It comprises a multi-part
casing 1 with an internal cavity 2 for receiving one or
more weights, in this case a set of weights 3, so that
the mass of the device can be varied.
The casing 1 is of a physiologically acceptable
plastics material, and is shaped for ease of use. It
has three parts 4,5,6 which are releasably and
sealingly connected together. The parts 4,5 define the
internal cavity 2. The upper part 4 is hollow and of
frusto-conical outline, being closed at one end. As
its opposite open end it has a groove 7 and
projection 8 adapted to engage with a reSpeCtiVe
projection 9 and groove 10 on an open end of the lower
part 5. The two parts 4,5 snap together. The lower
part 5 is hollow and substantially conical in outline,
with a rounded tip 11 opposite the open end. The
tip 11 has an aperture 12 which receives the third
part 6, which comprises a retrieval tag. The tag 6 has
an elongate tail portion 13, and is retained in the
lower part 5 by a part-spherical abutment 14, which
engages sealingly with the aperture 12.
The set of weights 3 has four brass
components, 15,16,17 and 18, which fit together to form
a shape corresponding to that of the internal
cavity 2. The weight 15 is substantially conical, to
fit into the tip 11 of the lower part 5, and has a
recess 19 which is adapted to receive part of the
component 16, which is a cylindrical rod. The
weights 17 and 18 are substantially annular, and fit
over the rod 16. The components have different masses,
so that one or more of the components can be selected
to provide a given mass.

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Before use, the casing 1 and weights 3 are
sterilised. The tag 6 is then assembled into the lower
part 5, an appropriate selection from the set of the
weights 3 is made and inserted into the cavity 2, and
5 the upper and lower parts 4,5 are fitted together. The
device is then inserted into the vagina of a subject,
upper part first. The pelvic floor muscles are
exercised by attempting to retain it. The device will
normally be left in place for a given length of time,
perhaps 10 to 15 minutes, and is then removed by means
of the tag 6.
It will usually be necessary for each subject to
determine by experiment the appropriate mass which
provides the necessary exercise for strengthening the
muscles. Normally, up to a certain mass, the device
can be retained without any conscious control of the
pelvic floor muscles, but for heavier masses conscious
control is required. 'rhe appropriate mass will usually
be the lightest one to require this conscious control.
It has been found that, when the device has the
appropriate mass, it tends to slip out, and this
sensation provides a biofeedback which makes the pelvic
floor muscles contract to try to retain it. As the
muscles strengthen, heavier masses can be retained.
Once the appropriate mass has been determined
initially, the device is used regularly, preferably
each day, at home by the subject. The subject can
increase the mass herself as the muscles strengthen,
simply by snapping the upper and lower parts 4,5 apart,
inserting a different selection of weights, and then
fitting the parts 4,5 together again. This means that
the subject can monitor her progress herself, without
needing frequent visits to a hospital or clinic.

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Figures 3 to 5 show modifications of the device,
in which the shape of the casing 1 is varied in order
to suit different subjects. Other variations are of
course possible. In Figure 3 the casing 1 has a larger
maximum diameter, but uses the same set of weights 3 as
in Figure 1. In Figure 3, the upper and lower
parts 4,5 are provided with internal ribs 20,21
respectively, with which the weights engage. In a
modification, not shown, different sets of weights
could be used, with the ribs 20,21 being modified or
omitted accordingly.
In Figure 4 the casing 1 and the weights 3 are
modified. The lower part 5 of the casing is the same
shape as that of Figure 3, but the retrieval tag 6 is
formed integrally with the part 5. The upper part 4 is
hemi-spherical. There are five components in the set
of weights 3, which has a rod 22 onto which fits all
the other components (23 to 26) which are of
frusto-conical or cylindrical outline.
In Figure 5 yet another shape of casing 1 is
shown, in which the lower part 5 has a shoulder 27, and
there is a cylindrical portion 28 on each part adjacent
its open end.
Further modifications, not shown, may be made to
the casing 1. In particular, different forms of the
connection between the parts 4,5 may be used; for
example a screw-threaded connection may be provided.
In yet another modification, not shown, the set of
weights has fewer or more parts, and may not include
the central rod. In an alternative version, not shown,
a single weight is used. The shape of the single
weight, or of the set, need not be complementary to the

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internal cavity. The weights may also be of other
materials, for example stainless steel, instead of
brass.
10
20
30

Representative Drawing