Perry/Pathway Vaginal EMG Sensor
Perry/Pathway Vaginal EMG Sensor
The Perry/Pathway Vaginal and Perry/Pathway Anal sensors are direct descendants of the (1975) original sterilizable Perry brand sensors, which were made of dental acrylic and sold for $500 each. Each sensor was carefully inspected to ensure that there were no defects capable of retaining germs during sterilization. With the advent of AIDS, however, many clinics and hospitals refused to use sterilizable sensors because of heightened fears of lawsuits, however frivolous. This action created the demand for the "Single-User" sensor. Fear of manufacturing liability led to the withdrawal of the "sterilizable" sensor from the clinical marketplace.
Many people ask why we don't offer a cheaper "disposable" sensor. In the Perry Protocol, which has produced the highest success rates of any protocol in use in the world, the average patient uses the sensor between 100 and 200 times. If disposable sensors were used, they would have to sell for 30 to 60 cents each to be cost effective and still have the same number of biofeedback sessions, and, therefore, the same high success rate. Even surface electrodes, which are difficult for patients to apply correctly at home, cost double that target. (An error of as little as 1/4 inch in repeat patch placement will give different results, making those measurements invalid.)
These "Single-User" sensors are designed to be used throughout the lifetime of the one patient to whom they are sold. Because of the manufacturing process (which includes gluing three parts together), they cannot be certified as safely sterilizable, and it is a federal crime to do so.
A major advantage of these sensors is that the patient has an accurate EMG sensor to use at home for daily at-home biofeedback practice, just as Dr. Kegel recommended. Also, if the patient later slacks off on daily maintenance-level practice, therapy can be resumed at no additional cost. At least one clinic offers "free annual check-ups", which is an excellent way to ensure continued success (for the patient) and repeat business, when warranted (for the clinic). For an extended discussion of the "Rationale of the Single User Sensor" click on those words.
Also posted: Dr. Perry's essay "On Sensor Size", which discusses the technical and clinical considerations of electrode spacing, placement, etc. Contrary to some initial impressions, the vaginal sensor is actually a bit on the small size for physiologically correct (and accurate) measurements, especially with geriatric populations.
Perry/Pathway sensors are available in our shopping cart, and from major biofeedback distributors world-wide. Be sure to ask for them by name!