Standing shoulder to shoulder on the stage at the Student Innovator of the Year (SIOY) Competition, Nathan Barfuss (NDFS ’27), Blake Bryan (Pre-Business ’28), and Braden Barfuss (Bio Chem ’26) gestured grimly toward the image projected behind them. It showed a bedsore, raw-red and incredibly painful, the skin worn away from hours of constant pressure. A collective groan rippled through the audience as they took in the sight. “We know this is hard to look at,” Braden said sympathetically. “But it’s something we have to confront. This is the reality for one in ten patients in the United States.” He paused before continuing, allowing the full weight of the problem to settle over his audience. “Even though pressure ulcers like this are entirely preventable, there has been no decrease in incidence over the past fifteen years, costing the healthcare system nearly $26 billion annually.” The image, paired with the statistic, reframed the issue not as an inevitable side effect of immobility but as a preventable condition that, with the right care and innovation, could be significantly reduced.
The team went on to introduce the invention they had created to meet this need. Their device, dubbed the Automated Repositioning Sheet System, is a modified glide sheet (a low-friction fabric aid used by caregivers to easily reposition patients) embedded with inflatable air pockets that can gently lift and rotate a patient from side to side. Using a small pump and valve system, the sheet alternates inflation between the pockets, shifting the patient’s weight and relieving pressure at regular intervals, helping to prevent the development of pressure ulcers. When deflated, it functions like a standard glide sheet nursing staff already use, allowing caregivers to reposition or transfer patients as usual, seamlessly integrating the new tech into existing workflows. Its intuitive design and immediate relevance to a widespread, preventable problem ultimately earned the team the crowd favorite award at the SIOY Competition as well as funding needed to move the invention forward.
This work was years in the making, beginning with simple observations made during their time as certified nursing assistants at Intermountain Hospital, where cousins Nathan and Braden did their fair share of ‘turning’ patients—a task that prevents pressure injuries from developing in bed-bound patients by relieving pressure and ensuring adequate blood perfusion to tissues. Nathan recalls noticing the physical strain placed on nurses, many of whom were tasked with repositioning patients significantly larger than themselves. Even more pressing was the fact that there were always more patients than staff could reasonably manage. “We saw a need,” Nathan explains simply. “So, we decided to make a device that could make manual turning more beneficial for patients and more efficient for nursing staff.” With a working proof-of-concept in hand, the team is currently focused on refining the device into a final prototype.
For the team, the project has been as much a wonderful learning experience as it has been a successful innovation effort. Nathan describes the joy many physicians expressed when he explained the significance of his invention. “It has been so rewarding to watch others realize how much good our device can do,” Nathan says. “We’ve had physicians eager to pilot the device in their personal work environments. It’s truly incredible.” Braden shares his cousin’s enthusiasm, emphasizing how the project has pushed the team outside of their comfort zones. “We were totally stretched,” Braden explains, “diving into areas that interested us but which we hadn’t had time to explore before. It is so exciting to see how much progress we’ve made. The process takes time, but the results are tangible.” Their experiences reflect not only the real-world impact of their innovation, but also the individually transformative process that results from creating something so meaningful.
Looking forward, the team is preparing for additional competitions and exploring potential partnerships with healthcare systems like Intermountain Health, which could help bring the product to market. They have also presented their invention in the Values and Ventures Competition, the BioInnovations Pitch Competition, and the Bench to Bedside Competition, where it has achieved success and secured additional funding. Though still in development, the Automated Repositioning Sheet System is now progressing beyond the iterative stage and beginning instead to exist as a truly manufacturable solution with the potential to completely transform patient care.
