The Neater Arm Support is suitable for those with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Muscular Dystrophy, and more.
The NAS-Zero gives you some ability to move your arm. Inevitably, this results in certain dangers that the user and any carer must assess for themselves and take reasonable precautions against. The following is a list of potential dangers that Neater Solutions Limited has identified. Please read this list and all other instructions carefully, but be aware that there may be other dangers that we have not identified. • Ensure that you have control over the freedom of movement the NAS-Zero gives you so that your arm or parts of the mechanism do not cause any danger to yourself or others. • Avoid moving or lifting any object that might be dangerous if dropped or spilt - such as scalding hot liquids or cigarettes. Though the NAS-Zero itself is made of flame resistant materials, your clothes may not be and the NAS-Zero will not prevent a burn should you drop such an object that you then cannot reach to retrieve. • Be aware that other dangers could exist in using the NAS-Zero depending upon your circumstances. For instance, using it to help you eat could result in choking if you have difficulty with swallowing. • Ask a physiotherapist to advise you on the use of the NAS-Zero. Its use is usually of therapeutic benefit, but prolonged use could strain you. In particular: o Ensure that the full travel of the NAS-Zero arm up and down does not cause you discomfort or even damage to your shoulder or other joints. o Start by using the NAS-Zero for only one hour per day and then slowly build up your use of the device. • Do not use the NAS-Zero in any way that could cause danger if the mechanism were to jam. • NAS-Zero is designed to comply with the essential requirements of the Medical Devices Directive Class 1 (Medical Devices Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 2017). • Please keep the NAS-Zero away from dirty, abrasive or corrosive environments eg: avoid taking onto a beach. 3 If the NAS-Zero is fitted to a wheelchair: • The NAS-Zero moving arm should be removed when moving the wheelchair. • The NAS-Zero moving arm should not be fitted when the wheelchair is on a slope. Forward, backward or sideways tilt of the chair could make your arm swing in a direction you cannot control. • Do not operate other wheelchair functions such as backrest recline, if there is any possibility that someone near the chair may trap their fingers in any parts of the wheelchair or NAS-Zero mechanisms or between the NAS-Zero and the chair. • The NAS-Zero has not been crash tested with different wheelchair set-ups. However, the NAS-Zero has a very sturdy construction and tests have been carried out to simulate the forces that would be exerted by the NAS-Zero on its attaching brackets in a crash test. At the very least, when transporting the NAS-Zero in a vehicle, ensure that: 1. The NAS-Zero has been fitted to your wheelchair by a representative of Neater Solutions. 2. The NAS-Zero moving arm is completely removed from the main bracket. 3. If you travel in your wheelchair, it is essential that the wheelchair is suitable for use as a seat in a vehicle (as stated by the wheelchair manufacturer). It is also essential that a headrest is fitted that is suitable for use in a vehicle as supplied by the wheelchair manufacturer to prevent your head hitting the main bracket of the NAS-Zero in the event of an accident. (In any case you should use such a headrest to prevent whiplash injury). If you have not been provided with a headrest suitable for use in a vehicle, do not use the wheelchair for this purpose. 4. The wheelchair is fastened into the vehicle following the manufacturer’s instructions. • Your wheelchair provider should have ensured that your wheelchair satisfies any necessary safety criteria for your purposes. The NASZero should only be fitted to wheelchairs by a trained representative of Neater Solutions. Please take note of any safety advice in addition to the points here that the Neater Solutions representative may give you. A properly fitted NAS-Zero used correctly following the guidelines in this manual should not pose any significant health and safety risks beyond those detailed in this manual or by the Neater Solutions representative fitting the unit. For instance, the weight of the NAS-Zero is very small compared to the wheelchair; it therefore does not significantly affect the performance of the wheelchair in incline tests.
