VICAIR Active O2 Wheelchair Cushion User Manual

VICAIR Active O2 Wheelchair Cushion

Product Information

The Vicair Active O2 is a cushion designed to provide stable body support, comfort, and help prevent pressure injuries. It is suitable for easy transfers and can be used as part of a pressure injury treatment plan (stage I-IV). The cushion is made by Vicair B.V. in the Netherlands and comes with a 24-month warranty.

Main Components

• A. Foam inlay with fluid-resistant foam inlay liner, placed in front compartment
• B. Vicair Active O2 Cover
• C. SmartCell liners, placed in four rear compartments
• D. SmartCellsTM
• E. Quick Installation Guide

General Product Specifications

• Product name: Vicair Active O2

• Manufactured by: Vicair B.V., The Netherlands

• Warranty: 24 months

• Weight (excl. cover):
  – Smallest size: 1 kg / 2.2 lbs
  – Medium size: 1.2 kg / 2.6 lbs
  – Largest size: 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs

• Available sizes: Refer to the grid in the back of the manual

• Used materials: All latex-free

• SmartCell liners: Polyurethane coated polyester fabric

• SmartCell liner filling: Air-filled SmartCells with low friction coating

• Foam inlay: Polyurethane

• Foam inlay liner: Fluid-resistant polyurethane coated polyester fabric

• Active O2 Cover:
  – Top: Knitted polyester mesh fabric
  – Sides: Polyurethane coated nylon fabric
  – Bottom: Knitted polyester mesh fabric

• Active O2 cushion complies with EN1021-1 and CAL117. Separate outer covers comply with EN1021-1, 1021-2 and CAL117. Covers are machine washable.

Product Usage Instructions

Installation

Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends installing the product under the direct supervision of a therapist or AssistiveTechnology Professional.

Checking for bottoming out:

Warning! Your tailbone and pelvic bones should not touch the bottom of the cushion. Check for bottoming out during the first use and after adjustments to the cushion filling. Make sure your tailbone and pelvic bones are resting on the rear compartments with SmartCell liners, not on the foam inlay. Vicair B.V. recommends adjusting the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive TechnologyProfessional.

Use

Checking for redness of the skin:

Warning! Regularly check your skin for redness, especially during the first few days. If redness occurs and doesnot disappear after 15 minutes, consult your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.

Adjusting the filling grade:

Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends adjusting the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.

Daily fluff-up:

Vicair B.V. recommends fluffing up your Vicair Active O2 cushion before daily use.

Dear customer,
Thank you for choosing a Vicair® product. We are sure you will appreciate the simplicity, reliability and fantastic effect. For quick installation you can use the Quick Installation Guide provided with your cushion. In addition, please read and understand this user manual before use. Save both the Quick Installation Guide and this manual for future reference.
For more information or to (re)order manuals, contact your country’s distributor.
Go to vicair.com for distributor information.

INTRODUCTION

The Vicair® Active O2 is a wheelchair seat cushion that provides a high level of skin protection for active wheelchair users with a high risk of developing pressure injuries. It is also a high performance addition to a pressure injury treatment plan (stage I-IV).

INDICATIONS

The Vicair Active O2 allows for easy transfers and provides stable body support, comfort and helps to prevent pressure injuries.
It is also a high performance addition to a pressure injury treatment plan (stage I-IV).

CONTRAINDICATIONS
When used as intended, there are no known contraindications.

MAIN COMPONENTS

• A. Foam inlay with fluid-resistant foam inlay liner, placed in front compartment
• B. Vicair Active O2 Cover
• C. SmartCell liners, placed in four rear compartments
• D. SmartCells™
• E. Quick Installation Guide

GENERAL PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Active O2 Cover:
Top: Knitted polyester mesh fabric. Sides: Polyurethane coated nylon fabric. Bottom: Knitted polyester mesh fabric.

Active O2 cushion complies with EN1021-1 and CAL117.
Separate outer covers comply with EN1021-1, 1021-2 and CAL117.
Covers are machine washable.

PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

A Vicair wheelchair seat cushion may only be used as a wheelchair seat cushion. The use of this product in any other way, is considered to be misuse. Vicair B.V. cannot be held responsible for damage caused by misuse, improper use or negligence. Make sure that you read and understand this manual completely. Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to install the product under direct supervision of a therapist or Assistive Technology Professional. Warning! Your tailbone and pelvic bones should not touch the bottom of the cushion. Checking for “bottoming out” should be done during first use and after adjustments to the cushion filling. Warning! Make sure that your tailbone and pelvic bones are resting on the rear compartments with SmartCell liners, not on the foam inlay.
Warning! Check your skin regularly for redness, especially during the first few days. If redness occurs and does not disappear after 15 minutes, consult your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.
Warning! Make sure the SmartCell liners are placed in the correct compartment (see SmartCell liner label).
Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to adjust the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.
Warning! In case of soiling with body fluids, and when transferring the product to another user, the product must be disinfected to avoid cross contamination.
Warning! Every three months, check the product for wear and deflated cells. In case of serious damage, or a large number of deflated cells, do not continue to use the product. Consult your Assistive Technology Professional. Caution! Do not use or leave the product close to a naked flame or a high temperature heat source.
Caution! Do not dry clean, steam clean or autoclave the product. The product cannot withstand excessive heat or pressure. When the given cleaning instructions are not followed, it is very likely that the product and/or the product’s cover will age more rapidly. Caution! Remove foam inlay before washing this cushion in a washing machine.
Caution! Do not use the foam inlay without the foam inlay liner.
Caution! Do not use aggressive or abrasive cleaners, or sharp objects to clean the cushion. Caution! Do not place the topside of the Vicair O2 cushion against the glass of the washer door.
Caution! Make sure the cushion cannot interfere with the wheel spokes.
Caution! Excessive washing may influence the aging of this product.
Notice! Filling grade may slightly deviate from default (see product label).

INSTALLATION

Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to install the product under direct supervision of a therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.
Warning! Make sure that your tailbone and pelvic bones are resting on the rear compartments with SmartCell liners, not on the foam inlay.
Caution! Make sure the cushion cannot interfere with the wheel spokes.
Caution! Do not use the foam inlay without the foam inlay liner.
Notice! Make sure that the wheelchair seat is clean and degreased.
Tip: When you prefer not to use the hook and loop, you can remove the hook strips. Note that the strips confected to the bottom of the cushion and/or cushion cover cannot be removed.

Perform the following steps when installing the Vicair Active O2
These steps correspond to the installation images 1-5 on the Quick Installation Guide. Image i (I, II & III) shows how to (re)assemble the cushion (chapter ‘Maintenance and cleaning’):

• Check cushion size. Width (X) and depth (Y) of the cushion and seat should match.
• Remove protective backing tape from self-adhesive hook strips attached to the bottom of the cushion.
• Place cushion by pressing firmly. Make sure the foam inlay is at the front of the wheelchair seat.
• Sit on the cushion for a few minutes, to allow the cushion to adapt to your body shape. Make sure that your tailbone and pelvic bones are resting on the rear compartments with SmartCell liners, not on the foam inlay.
• If necessary, adjust foot supports.

Checking for “bottoming out”: Image 6 – Quick Installation Guide

Warning! Your tailbone and pelvic bones should not touch the bottom of the cushion. Checking for “bottoming out” should be done during first use and after adjustments to the cushion filling.
Warning! Make sure that your tailbone and pelvic bones are resting on the rear compartments with SmartCell liners, not on the foam inlay.
Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to adjust the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.

• Check for bottoming out, after sitting on the cushion for approximately 5 minutes.
• Let your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional slide a hand between your buttocks and the Vicair cushion while leaning forward.
• Ask your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional to check if your lowest bony prominences are supported by at least 2,5 cm / 1” of SmartCells. This prevents them from touching the wheelchair seat.
• Do not use the cushion if bottoming out occurs. In most cases, adjusting the filling grade of the SmartCell liners will solve the problem.

USE

Checking for redness of the skin
Image 7 – Quick Installation Guide
Warning! Check your skin regularly for redness, especially during the first few days. If redness occurs and does not disappear after 15 minutes, consult your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.

Adjusting the filling grade
Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to adjust the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.

Ready for use
This Vicair B.V. product is ready for use. It has its own unique filling grade, depending on size and model. However – if necessary – the filling grade can be adjusted by removing or adding SmartCells from/to the various SmartCell liners. You can find the default filling grade on the label inside the cover.
Warning! Make sure the SmartCell liners are placed in the correct compartment (see SmartCell liner label).

Conditions for use and storage
Caution! Do not use or leave the product close to a naked flame or a high temperature heat source.

• User weight:
  Minimum: 15 kg / 33 lbs,
  maximum: 250 kg / 551 lbs

• Temperature:
  Minimum: -20 °C / 4 °F,
  maximum: 55 °C / 131 °F

• Use at high altitude
  Notice! Vicair B.V. recommends not to use the cushion above 2400 m (8000 ft) above sea level or below 50 m (164 ft) below sea level. Because each SmartCell is filled with air, the cushion may behave differently when used at high altitude or on an airplane. Under such circumstances, the cushion’s firmness can be adjusted by removing a few cells from each compartment.

• Air humidity:
  Minimum: 0%, maximum 100%

Daily fluff-up
Vicair B.V. recommends to fluff-up your Vicair Active O2 cushion before use on a daily basis.

Use of Vicair seat cushions in motor vehicles Whenever possible, transfer out of the wheelchair and into a car manufacturer-installed vehicle seat without the cushion, and use the vehicle’s crash-tested occupant restraint system.
As an alternative for your Vicair wheelchair cushion, the Vicair Allrounder O2 (which can be fastened to the user’s body) can be used if you require additional protection in a manufacturer-installed vehicle seat during transportation. When the wheelchair is used as the vehicle seat, the applicable rules and regulations with regard to securing the wheelchair and the wheelchair user during transport should be followed.
There is no data available about the influence on safety of a Vicair wheelchair cushion used in a crash-tested wheelchair.

Re-use – Transferring the product to another user
The product is suitable for repeated use. The number of times it can be used depends on how often and in which way the product is used. The product has to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, before another person is allowed to use it. See chapter ‘Maintenance and cleaning’ for instructions.
Notice! Make sure the product is correctly adjusted to the other person.

Expected lifetime
The expected lifetime of this product is five years when used in accordance with the safety instructions, maintenance intervals and correct use, stated in this manual.
The effective lifetime can vary according to frequency and intensity of use.

Replacing the cushion cover
Under normal use, Vicair B.V. recommends to replace the cushion cover every year.

Replacement covers can be purchased separately.

Disposal
The disposal and recycling of used devices and packaging must comply with the applicable legal regulation. Ensure the product is cleaned prior to disposal to avoid any risk of contamination.

MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

Warning! Every three months, check the product for wear and deflated cells. In case of serious damage, or a large number of deflated cells, do not continue to use the product. Consult your Assistive Technology Professional. Warning! Make sure the SmartCell liners are placed in the correct compartment (see SmartCell liner label).
Caution! Do not dry clean, steam clean or autoclave the product. The product cannot withstand excessive heat or pressure. When the given cleaning instructions are not followed, it is very likely that the product and/or the product’s cover will age more rapidly. Caution! Do not use aggressive or abrasive cleaners, or sharp objects to clean the cushion. Caution! Remove foam inlay before washing this cushion in a washing machine.
Caution! Do not use the foam inlay without the foam inlay liner.
Caution! Do not place the topside of the Vicair O2 cushion against the glass of the washer door.
Caution! Excessive washing may influence the aging of this product.

Cleaning the Vicair Active O2
After you have emptied the storage pouch and removed the foam inlay, your Vicair Active O2 cushion can be machine washed at 60°C / 140 °F using an anti- crease cycle and mild detergent. You do not need to remove the SmartCell liners before putting the cushion into the washing machine. Make sure the topside of the cushion is not placed against the glass of the washer door. Do not load the machine with more than half of its maximum load weight. Spin speed should be reduced. When using a machine with agitator, make sure that the cushion can move freely within the drum. Do not use any chlorine bleach and do not dry clean, steam clean or autoclave! Do not tumble dry your Vicair Active O2 cushion but let it air dry (5-6 hours).

Cleaning the Vicair Active O2 foam inlay
Do not machine wash the foam inlay and do not immerse it in water or any other liquid. To clean the foam inlay you first remove it from its compartment.

Cleaning the foam inlay liner
Take the foam out of the foam inlay liner. The emptied liner can be machine washed at 60°C. Follow the washing instructions on the label attached to the inside of the liner.

Cleaning the foam
Take the foam out of the foam inlay liner and clean it by using a disinfectant spray.

Disinfecting your Vicair Active O2
Warning! In case of soiling with body fluids, and when transferring the product to another user, the product must be disinfected to avoid cross contamination. Clean the Active O2 cover, foam inlay and SmartCell liners as instructed above. Preferably use an anti-bacterial detergent. After cleaning spray your cover, foam inlay liner and SmartCell liners with a disinfectant. Bend the cover compartments outwards to make sure the spray gets into the gaps.

(Re)assembling your Vicair Active O2
The Vicair Active O2 is fully assembled on delivery. When it needs to be (re)assembled, for instance after cleaning, follow the assembly instructions underneath. The instructions correspond to image i (I, II & III) on the Quick Installation Guide.
Placing the foam inlay in the Vicair Active O2 cover (image i – I)
Caution! Do not use the foam inlay without the foam inlay liner.

• Completely open the zipper at the front of the Active O2 cover.
• Place the foam inlay in the Active O2 cover, the sloping side pointing to the back of the cushion and the contoured side on top.
• Close the zipper. Make sure you do not damage the foam inlay liner.

Adjusting the number of SmartCells in the SmartCell liners (image i – II)
Warning! Vicair B.V. recommends to adjust the filling grade under the direct supervision of your therapist or Assistive Technology Professional.
The number of SmartCells in each SmartCell liner depends on the size of the cushion. You can find the default filling grade on the label inside the cushion cover. When it’s necessary to adjust the number of SmartCells, follow these steps:

• Open the SmartCell liner’s zipper and add or remove the desired number of SmartCells.
• Close the zipper. Make sure that you do not damage the SmartCells.

Placing the SmartCell liners in the Vicair Active O2 cover (image i – III)
Warning! Make sure the SmartCell liners are placed in the correct compartment (see SmartCell liner label).

• Completely open the zipper at the back of the cushion cover.
• Place the SmartCell liners in the cover. Make sure you place the correct SmartCell liner in each compartment. The SmartCell liner’s label states where it should be placed.
• Close the zipper. Make sure that you do not damage the SmartCell liners.

REPORTING OF SERIOUS INCIDENTS

Serious incidents from use of Vicair products should be reported to the manufacturer and the relevant competent authority.

WARRANTY

Please see www.vicair.com for complete information on warranty processes, terms and conditions.
Vicair B.V. offers a limited warranty against defects in workmanship and materials, provided the product has been used normally. Any damage arising from abnormal use, or caused by improper handling, cleaning, or negligence, is excluded from this warranty.

Warranty period
From original date of purchase: 24 months. The SmartCells in this Vicair O2 cushion have a lifelong warranty period.
Should a defect in materials or workmanship occur within the above mentioned warranty period, Vicair B.V. will – at its own choice – repair or replace the product free of charge. Remedies for breach of express warranties herein are limited to repair or replacement of the product.
In no event shall damages for breach of any warranty include any consequential damages or exceed the cost of non-conforming goods sold.

Any questions?
Contact Vicair B.V. at info@vicair.com or contact your country’s Vicair distributor.

Available sizes:

Vicair B.V.

• Bruynvisweg 5
• 1531 AX Wormer
• The Netherlands
• info@vicair.com
• www.vicair.com

References

• Wheelchair Cushions high quality - Vicair - optimal protection and comfort
• Wheelchair Cushions high quality - Vicair - optimal protection and comfort

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