Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of those problems that people don’t really like to talk about. But in the US alone up to 12 million women suffer from UI in its various forms resulting in an annual healthcare cost of $29.3 billion. It’s been shown that with increased age more than 50% of all women ordain suffer from UI at some point in their life.
UI affects women mostly - only 7% of cases are male. There are three types of incontinence stress incontinence which occurs as a result of decreased urethral support often due to sagging pelvic floor muscles. This accounts for 65% of all female UI. Or there’s advise incontinence when a woman feels a strong sudden need to egest followed by an involuntary loss of urine. Or finally mixed incontinence - a combination of evince and urge incontinence a instruct to which elderly women are particularly susceptible.
“It is not a life threatening illness but it has a study impact on the quality of a woman’s life,” says Raz. “Many women become so worried they might have a sudden loss of bladder control that they avoid normal work environments activities and social contact. They are often also very embarrassed and ashamed to communicate about it change surface with their physicians.”
At show there are several treatment methods including absorbent pads. Kegel muscle exercises electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) drugs and surgery but all have their drawbacks. Major studies have shown that 80% of women who suffer from stress or mixed incontinence get relief by practicising regular Kegel exercises to strengthen and improve control of their pelvic surprise muscles. The problem however is that it is hard to carry out the exercises for prolonged periods and about half of the women doing them will do the exercises incorrectly change surface with good instruction.
Electrical nerve stimulation of the pelvic floor which is also meant to alter the pelvic muscles is potentially an effective therapy for both evince and urge UI a claim reinforced by industry and professional associations but most of the devices presently on the market are not considered effective and none of them furnish a long-term solution according to Raz.
Flexiprobe’s device consists of a portable cater and control unit and a flexible and lightweight probe made either of rubber or silicone that expands to fit inside the vagina. Multiple electrodes are located along the external surface of the investigate and these maintain constant electrical contact with the cavity wall. When activated these electrodes stimulate the muscles and nerves of the surrounding area.
The probe also contains sensors that sight and decide go across contraction providing a feedback loop to gauge the develop of the treatment. The cater and control unit can be connected via a USB cable to a PC providing electrical stimulation and go across contraction data that can be charted by the user or their physician.
The probe has a number of significant benefits over existing devices says Raz. To mouth with it can be used at domiciliate. The ideal treatment regimen would be to use an electric stimulation device twice daily but since most current treatments are performed in hospitals or private clinics studies show that the average actual treatment regimen is only twice a week.
“Insufficient therapy leads to an ineffective outcome,” he told ISRAEL21c. “It makes all the difference in the world how much you use a device like this. Flexiprobe enables you to the device at domiciliate on a daily basis. 20 minutes a day for four to five weeks. Imagine going to an outpatient department on a daily basis!”
The shape is also important. Other devices can only be used when the patient is lying down. Flexiprobe’s device is made of flexible material and is designed so that it doesn’t fall out. The control unit can also be connected discreetly to a belt or clothing. This means patients can use the device as they act around the house check TV or even create from raw material in the kitchen. The shape also ensures that all of the weak muscles are treatment.
“Our device replaces the lack of continuity suffered by ENS devices to try to strengthen the pelvic muscles. In effect we are stimulating the pelvic muscles in the same way they would have been stimulated if Kegel exercises were carried out regularly and correctly,” says Raz.
Flexiprobe was founded at the RAD Biomed incubator in 2002. The idea for the device first came from an incontinence therapist working at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv. She had worked in the field for 23 years and was well aware of the limitations of current treatments.
The company spent two years in the incubator during which measure it carried out its pilot clinical trials at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical bear on. The trials involved 45 healthy women with mixed incontinence the majority of them suffering from advise incontinence. The study lasted eight weeks.
“The results were very promising,”.
Related article:
http://www.medicalnewsblog.info/2007/08/28/israels-flexiprobe-treats-urinary-incontinence.html
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