Intra-abdominal pressure may be one of the few
modifiable risk factors associated with developing a pelvic floor
disorder. With one in eight women having surgery to correct a
pelvic floor disorder in their lifetimes, intra-abdominal pressure
may be a key to understanding the disease etiology and how to
mitigate its occurrence and progression. Many traditional
methods of intra-abdominal pressure measurement have limita-
tions in data quality, environment of use, and patient comfort. We
have modified a previously reported intravaginal pressure trans-
ducer that has been shown to overcome other intra-abdominal
pressure measurement technique limitations (Coleman et al.
2012). Our modifications to the intravaginal pressure transducer
make it easier to use, less costly, and more reliable than previous
designs, while maintaining accuracy, integrity, and quality of
data. This device has been used in over 400 participants to
date as part of one of the most comprehensive studies exam-
ining the relationship between intra-abdominal pressure and
pelvic floor disorders.

• Development of a novel intra-abdominal pressure transducer for large scale clinical studies