Anetic Aid QA4 Hydraulic Transfer Trolley

Anetic Aid QA4 Hydraulic Transfer Trolley, Mobile Surgery System, Pre-Owned

The Anetic Aid QA4 is a mobile surgery system rather than a transfer trolley in the ordinary sense. A day case patient is admitted, anaesthetised, operated on, recovered and discharged on the same platform, which removes every transfer between trolley, table and bed that a conventional pathway would involve. Each of those transfers is a manual handling task, a delay, and a chance of injury to patient and staff.

This is the hydraulic version. Height is raised and lowered on a foot pump rather than by an actuator, so there is no battery to age, no charger to find and no control box to fail. For a department that wants the QA4 platform and its accessory range without the cost and the maintenance of powered functions, that is a sound trade, and it is why the hydraulic model remains in service alongside the powered one.

The platform takes the same interchangeable head and leg sections as the rest of the range, which is what adapts one trolley across general surgery, gynaecology, endoscopy, ENT, dental and ophthalmic work. Removable rotating side rails protect the patient in transport and recovery and clear entirely for surgical access. Centrally braked castors and a low rolling resistance make a loaded trolley manageable on level ground.

This unit is pre-owned. The hydraulic and powered models carry different weight limits and different height ranges, so the figures below are those the manufacturer publishes for the hydraulic model, and the label on this individual trolley governs its use.

References

Features

• One platform from admission to discharge, so a day case patient is not transferred between trolley, table and bed, removing several manual handling tasks per case.
• Hydraulic height adjustment by foot pump, leaving both hands available at the patient and needing no power, no charging and no battery to renew.
• No battery and no control box, which removes the two components that most often take a powered trolley out of service and the two that cost most to put right.
• Low minimum height, which is what makes mounting and dismounting safe for an unsteady or sedated patient.
• Removable rotating side rails, protecting the patient during transport and recovery and clearing completely for surgical access.
• Interchangeable head and leg sections, adapting one trolley across several specialties rather than holding separate tables.
• Centrally braked castors on 150 mm wheels, so the trolley steers under load and then holds firm at the bedside.
• Takes the QA3 and QA4 accessory range, including foot end extensions, IV poles, arm boards and specialty headrests.
• Lighter than the powered model, which matters when a trolley is moved between rooms all day by one person.

Important notice

The hydraulic model has a lower weight limit than the powered model. Anetic Aid publishes a maximum patient weight of 160 kg with a safe working load of 200 kg for the QA4 Mobile Surgery System, product code 21310, while the powered system, product code 21300, is rated at 250 kg with a safe working load of 300 kg. Those figures are not interchangeable and the higher pair must never be applied to a hydraulic trolley. The safe working load is the sum of the patient, every accessory fitted and everything carried on those accessories. Removable head sections take a maximum of 25 kg and the removable leg section a maximum of 50 kg. Confirm the figures on this individual trolley's own label before it is used, and work to those.

Inspection, testing and statutory duties. No service history, load test or certificate accompanies this trolley. A full functional check through the hydraulic range, the brakes and every latch is carried out on receipt. Where equipment used at work raises or lowers a person, the receiving organisation should confirm with its own competent person how LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998 apply to this trolley in its intended use and at what interval, and arrange thorough examination accordingly. A hydraulic system introduces its own failure modes, so pay particular attention to any sign of fluid loss, to a platform that creeps down under load, and to a foot pump that needs more strokes than it once did.

Use limitations from the manufacturer. The trolley is not used to transport patients in a moving vehicle, and is not used outside where rough ground may damage it. Ground clearance beneath the central column is very low, so uneven surfaces and inclines cause problems. Check that nothing is stored in the base of the trolley before the patient platform is lowered. Do not apply excessive force to the steering pedal, and never stand on it, since that permanently damages the mechanism. Where a patient is positioned over a perineal cut out, their weight is offset towards the foot end and the platform behaves differently. Lower the trolley to minimum height whenever a patient is left on it, and have patients mount at the centre of the platform with weight evenly distributed.

Information on this page is provided for guidance and does not replace advice from a qualified clinician. Always read the manufacturer's instructions before use, and check that a device is suitable for the patient and the prescribed therapy.