Nubway ST400

A code and a product photograph, nothing more. The manufacturer's public index lists several dozen machines across body contouring, lasers, radiofrequency, and skin care, and this code is not among them. Searches of trade directories and distributor listings turn up an industrial shredder, a packaging line and a satellite component under the same name, but no aesthetic device.

Enough to classify the machine, not enough to specify it. Two applicators on heavy hoses point to suction, cooling, or both, since light-based or electrical handpieces usually run on slimmer cables. The emergency stop shows the manufacturer expects an operator to need immediate shutdown. The body-map screen implies treatment presets by area. Castors and a broad base say floor cabinet, not trolley.

That cannot be settled from published material. Cup-shaped applicators on thick hoses fit both designs, and this maker sells both types. Ask the supplier directly for the treatment temperature range or the vacuum level and radiofrequency output, since those figures define the modality far more reliably than the product name or marketing images.

Because the safety arrangements are different, Cryolipolysis carries a risk of cold injury if the protective membrane or placement is wrong, and a rare but documented risk of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, where the treated fat grows rather than shrinks. Exclusions include cold urticaria, cryoglobulinaemia, and paroxysmal cold haemoglobinuria. Vacuum radiofrequency carries burn risk, and its exclusions centre on implanted electronic devices, metal in the treatment area and heat-sensitive conditions.

The modality, then the output: temperature range and cycle time for a cooling system, or vacuum level, radiofrequency power and frequency for a heating one. After that, the number and sizes of applicator cups, whether both applicators run at once, the consumables per treatment, weight, dimensions, supply voltage and current, screen size, how the system rejects heat, and which conformity route the declaration claims. Ask for all of it on one sheet.

That depends on the modality. A cryolipolysis system uses a single-use protective membrane on every application, which makes it the largest running item and a stock line that must never run out mid-list. A vacuum radiofrequency system uses coupling oil or gel and, over time, roller and seal parts. Either way, ask for the consumables list and replacement intervals before signing, because they change the economics of a treatment course.

A likely family, not a specification. Its published cryolipolysis platforms work between −10 °C and 5 °C, run four handles and weigh around 60 kg. Its sculpting systems pair magnetic stimulation with radiofrequency across four applicators. It also sells vacuum body-shaping units. A two-handle cryolipolysis device from the same maker appears on Australia's therapeutic goods register under another code, which confirms the type exists in two-applicator form but doesn't prove this is it.

Localised fat and contour work: the abdomen, flanks, inner and outer thighs, upper arms and, with smaller cups, under the chin. None of this is weight loss, and consultations should say so plainly. Suitable candidates are usually near their stable weight with a pinchable deposit in a specific area, which is a useful screening question whichever modality applies. Measure circumference at fixed landmarks, photograph under consistent lighting and posture, and record weight at baseline and after the course so that outcomes can be shown rather than asserted.

Sold for cosmetic contouring, equipment of this kind generally falls outside the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002 in Great Britain, so conformity usually rests on electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility. Northern Ireland follows the EU framework, where fat-reduction equipment without a medical purpose has been brought under the Medical Device Regulation. Local licensing of cosmetic treatments varies by council, and England's planned national scheme for non-surgical procedures is not yet in operation.

Practitioners trained on the specific device by the supplier, with contraindication screening taught for whichever modality it proves to be. Consent should cover realistic outcomes, the number of sessions, temporary numbness or bruising where relevant, and the rare adverse effects. Aftercare advice also differs by modality, so the written leaflet cannot be finalised until the supplier confirms what the machine does. Insurers will expect training records and a written protocol before the first paying client.

Any buyer who needs to commit before the modality, outputs and consumables are known in writing. A clinic that has already advertised fat-freezing, or already advertised radiofrequency tightening, cannot risk receiving the other. Services that need a medical device file behind a body treatment should look for equipment with one. Where the supplier cannot state the modality clearly, Medigear.uk can point the buyer to an alternative specification.