SmartWand System: a home pelvic floor therapy device for women
Official title: A device to treat high tone pelvic floor dysfunction in women
Funded at Bold Type LLC · NIH-11407071 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A connected at-home device guides women through pelvic floor therapy to help reduce chronic pelvic pain from high tone pelvic floor dysfunction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Bold Type LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,090,128 |
| NIH project number | 2R44HD112277-02A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407071 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with high tone pelvic floor dysfunction who are starting or continuing pelvic floor physical therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without pelvic floor dysfunction or those not using home-based therapy may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops the SmartWand System, a home-based device that uses sensors and a companion app to guide and monitor pelvic floor exercises. It aims to improve adherence to therapy by providing real-time feedback, remote clinician monitoring, and personalized guidance. Phase 1 showed feasibility with healthy volunteers and women with the condition; Phase 2 will finalize the device, create a patient app, and prepare for broader testing with patients who have high tone pelvic floor dysfunction.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could make pelvic floor therapy easier to follow at home and reduce chronic pelvic pain for many women.
How similar studies have gone: Past home-therapy devices with feedback have improved adherence in some conditions, but this is a novel approach for pelvic floor therapy.
Where this research is happening
-
Bold Type LLC
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bohorquez, Jose Luis — Bold Type LLC
- Study coordinator: Bohorquez, Jose Luis
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how to make pelvic floor physical therapy easier to do for women with high tone pelvic floor dysfunction
This NIH grant tests whether adding a pain-relief medicine called cyclobenzaprine to pelvic floor physical therapy helps people with high tone pelvic floor dysfunction stick with treatment and feel better.
-
Pelvic floor function and movement in kids with defecation disorders
This study tests how pelvic floor function relates to walking, balance, and quality of life in children with defecation disorders.
-
Female Reproductive Health in the Canadian Armed Forces: Understanding Issues from Contraception to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
This observational study looks at reproductive health among women in the Canadian Armed Forces to see how contraception, pregnancy outcomes, infertility, pelvic floor issues, and related factors affect service members and veterans.
-
Outpatient rehabilitation versus self-training for postpartum pelvic floor recovery
We will test whether supervised outpatient rehab or self-guided home training better prevents and treats pelvic floor problems in women after a singleton childbirth.
-
Using ultrasound or manometer+EMG biofeedback to support pelvic floor muscle training
This project will test whether ultrasound imaging or a manometer with EMG feedback helps women with pelvic floor dysfunction stay with and get better results from pelvic floor muscle training.
-
Impact of uterine fibroids on pelvic floor function
This observational study will see if uterine fibroids are linked to urinary and other pelvic floor symptoms in women with symptomatic intramural or subserosal fibroids who are scheduled for hysterectomy or myomectomy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.