Development of a novel intravaginal pressure transducer for the monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure during physical activity

Pelvic floor disorders among women have become increasingly prevalent. While many factors contribute to these disorders, elevated intraabdominal pressure experienced during physical activity has been identified as one modifiable risk factor. However, a clear relationship between physical activity and intra-abdominal pressure has not been experimentally determined. Limitations of standard clinical pressure ransducers have hampered our ability to provide reliable measurements of intraabdominal pressure (IAP) during activity. To overcome these limitations, a novel intravaginal transducer (IVT) capable of accurate, reliable, and continuous IAP measurements during normal activity was developed. The design was validated through comparison with standard clinical pressure transducers in both bench top and clinical tests. The IVT demonstrated an improved dynamic response when compared to a standard rectal balloon catheter. Additionally, the radially symmetric design allows for accurate measurement within nonfluid- filled tissue cavities and simple placement within the vaginal canal. This is an advantage over sensor-tipped transducers which are only reliable in fluid-filled compartments and are position dependent. The IVT design presented here is preliminary to a wireless version that will allow for IAP measurement during activities outside the clinic.