Bench to bedside

Pictured from left to right are Dr. Luke Son, judge Dr. Michael Woodruff and Center for Medical Innovation Executive Director Mark Paul.

Bench to Bedside was hosted by the University of Utah Center for Medical Innovation on April 17, 2023. Bench to Bedside challenged students to identify and address potential improvements in the current healthcare market and share their ideas in a showcase at the Utah State Capitol Building. The Patient Safety Technology Challenge, funded by the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, sponsored a $10,000 prize to the winning patient safety technology-enabled solution.

The winner was Pegasus Safety Breakaway System. Their solution aims to reduce PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube placement complications with the novel solution of a breakaway system that decreases risk of medical line traction injuries. Pegasus was created by Luke Son, MD, MS, who is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Utah and is a recent graduate from the School of Medicine. Pegasus addresses patient needs by reducing post-procedure complications and ensuring routine patient care. It also addresses physicians’ needs by being a superior option to current standards of care, which includes physical restraints, increased supervision, and medical sedation. The addition of the Pegasus system could decrease costs and lower patient delirium.

Dr. Son said, “Innovation comes in the form of human-centered solutions and results in devices that are as cheap, as useful, and as coveted as a sharp pair of scissors.” Pegasus can be retrofitted to most medical tubing fluid delivery systems and can mitigate risks of tube dislodgement or decoupling, thereby reducing anxiety and costs for both patients and providers.

Locals of the Salt Lake City area, David Classen, MD, Pascal Metrics’ chief medical information officer and Michael Woodruff, MD, former Intermountain Healthcare’s chief patient experience officer, served as judges. The Patient Safety Technology Challenge is excited to fund this innovative solution that reduces post-procedure complications.