Pelvic floor dysfunctions are common, yet assessment of pelvic floor muscle function remains a challenge. Existing methods, such as palpation, visual inspection, manometry, electromyography, ultrasound, and MRI, each measure only part of the system, and no gold standard technique exists.
Current commercial probes have significant limitations, including rigid geometry, large detection surfaces, and poor electrode configurations, which hinder the reliability and comparability of results.
To address this gap, Dr. Laira Ramos, in collaboration with engineer Gustavo Funke, developed a new intracavitary probe, internationally registered at the World Intellectual Property Organization (PCT/PT2023/050007). This device is anatomically shaped, made of flexible silicone for comfort and stability, and adaptable to different vaginal or anal sizes.
It integrates two inflatable balloons and four electrode pairs, enabling simultaneous measurement of pressure and surface electromyography. The balloons independently assess the deep and superficial muscle layers. At the same time, the electrodes record the activity in both deep and superficial muscle layers, separately for the right and left sides, in accordance with international SENIAM guidelines for electrode size and spacing.
This design enables a comprehensive evaluation of the pelvic floor by capturing, simultaneously, both pressure and electrical activity from deep and superficial layers, bilaterally. What will allow the measurement of muscle and nerve latency period, time of contraction and relaxation, and maximum contraction. Using electrical stimulation, it will be possible to access epicritic tactile sensation, proprioception, and pain threshold. The probe provides the first tool capable of establishing a reproducible standard of pelvic floor muscle assessment.
The expected outcome is to solve long-standing scientific and clinical limitations, enabling accurate differentiation between muscular and neural lesions, quantifying asymmetry, and generating normative patterns. With this advance, clinicians will be able to compare normal and pathological functions such as urinary incontinence, prolapse, and sexual dysfunction, as well as assess the impact of pregnancy, childbirth, and surgery.
This project represents a significant step toward establishing the first definitive gold standard for neuromuscular functional assessment of the pelvic floor, thereby bridging the gap between anatomy, physiology, and clinical practice.
