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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting Infusomat Space air-bubble alarms caused by actual air, improper tubing placement, incompatible sets, contamination, damaged tubing, or detector failure.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Ensure Patient Safety First
Do not troubleshoot an air-in-line alarm while the affected pump remains responsible for an active patient infusion.
- Notify the responsible clinical staff.
- Stop the infusion according to facility policy.
- Close the administration set’s roller clamp.
- Transfer therapy to another verified pump when continued infusion is required.
- Disconnect the administration set from the patient before priming or attempting to remove air.
- Use additional caution with neonatal, vasoactive, sedating, high-alert, or short-half-life infusions.
Expected outcome: The patient continues receiving prescribed therapy without exposure to air or interruption from an unreliable pump.
The manufacturer instructs users to disconnect the line from the patient before following prompts to prime an air bubble from the tubing.
2. Record the Exact Alarm Message
Determine whether the display reports:
- Air bubble alarm
- Accumulated air exceeds limit
- An air alarm immediately after loading the set
- Repeated alarms at the same tubing location
- Intermittent alarms despite visibly air-free tubing
Review the event history when available and record whether the alarm occurred during startup, priming, transport, bag replacement, or active delivery.
Expected outcome: The specific alarm type and operating conditions are documented before the pump is disturbed.
3. Inspect the Entire Administration Set for Actual Air
With the tubing disconnected from the patient, inspect from the fluid container through the pump and downstream tubing.
Look for:
- A visible air bubble near the detector
- Multiple small bubbles or foam
- An empty or poorly filled drip chamber
- A nearly empty or inverted fluid container
- Loose spike, filter, injection-port, or connector interfaces
- Air entering from a vented container or improperly configured vent
- Outgassing from cold fluid warming to room temperature
Do not assume the alarm is false until the complete fluid path has been checked.
Expected outcome: No visible air, foam, or source of air entry remains in the administration set.
If air is present, have qualified clinical staff replace or reprime the set according to facility policy. Stop troubleshooting if this resolves the alarm.
4. Verify the Administration Set Is Approved and Undamaged
Confirm that the installed tubing is the correct B. Braun Infusomat Space-compatible administration set for the intended therapy.
Inspect the section passing through the pump for:
- Flattening
- Cloudiness
- Scratches
- Stretching
- Kinks
- Discoloration
- Residue
- Excessive stiffness or softness
- Damage from clamps or repeated loading
The Space system is designed to operate with dedicated Infusomat Space administration sets.
Expected outcome: A compatible, undamaged set is installed.
Replace a questionable set with a new approved set. If the alarm clears, remove the original disposable from use and document it as the probable cause.
5. Check Tubing Placement in the Air-Sensor Guide
Close the roller clamp and open the pump door only after the tubing is disconnected from the patient.
Verify that:
- The tubing is fully seated inside the air-sensor guide.
- The tubing is not riding above or beside the sensor channel.
- The silicone pumping segment is not stretched or twisted.
- The tubing alignment markings are straight.
- There is no excess tension pulling the tubing away from the detector.
- The administration set is routed through the proper left and right guides.
B. Braun specifically directs that the tubing be firmly pressed into the air-sensor guide and properly inserted into the sensors.
Expected outcome: The tubing lies naturally and completely within the detector channel.
Reload the set correctly and retest. If the alarm no longer occurs, stop troubleshooting.
6. Inspect the Air-Detector Area for External Contamination
Remove the administration set and visually inspect the air-sensor guide using adequate lighting.
Look for:
- Dried medication
- Adhesive residue
- Dust or lint
- Cleaning-agent film
- Moisture
- Cracked or damaged sensor surfaces
- Foreign material preventing the tubing from seating fully
Clean only with manufacturer-approved products and methods. Do not scrape the sensor, introduce liquid into the pump, or use abrasive tools.
Expected outcome: The detector channel is clean, dry, unobstructed, and physically intact.
Allow the area to dry completely before testing. If contamination removal resolves the alarm, complete functional verification before returning the pump to service.
7. Test With a New Approved Administration Set
Install a new, fully primed, air-free compatible set using water or the facility-approved test fluid.
- Keep the test tubing disconnected from any patient.
- Load the set according to the pump’s displayed instructions.
- Confirm that the tubing is firmly seated in the air detector.
- Close the door normally without forcing it.
- Run the pump at an appropriate test rate while observing the detector area.
Expected outcome: The pump operates without an air alarm when a new, correctly loaded, air-free set is used.
If the replacement set works normally, the original tubing, loading condition, or fluid setup was likely responsible.
8. Compare the Pump With a Known-Good Pump
Using the same approved test setup, compare the affected pump with another verified Infusomat Space pump.
Determine whether:
- The same set operates normally in the known-good pump.
- Multiple new sets trigger alarms only in the affected pump.
- The affected pump alarms immediately after loading.
- Gentle external tubing movement causes repeatable alarms.
- The alarm occurs regardless of fluid container or set lot.
Do not repeatedly move a disposable between pumps when contamination, medication exposure, or evidence preservation is a concern.
Expected outcome: The problem follows either the administration setup or the pump.
If multiple approved air-free sets work in another pump but repeatedly fail in the affected unit, suspect an air-detector, sensor-channel, calibration, connection, or internal electronic problem.
9. Review Configuration and Service History
Air-bubble size and accumulated-air alarm limits are configurable through the service program. Do not alter these limits solely to eliminate nuisance alarms.
Check for:
- Recent configuration changes
- Software or drug-library updates
- Previous air-detector repairs
- Repeated air-alarm work orders
- Fluid intrusion history
- Impact or drop damage
- Overdue preventive maintenance
- Alarm complaints involving a specific set type or lot
Compare configuration only with an approved reference pump or facility configuration record.
Expected outcome: The device has the authorized configuration, and recurring history or recent changes are identified.
Unauthorized or unexplained configuration differences require escalation rather than field adjustment.
10. Perform the Approved Air-Detector Functional Test
At the bench, perform the manufacturer-authorized air-detector test using the proper service procedure, test equipment, and controlled bubble volume.
Confirm that the pump:
- Does not alarm with properly loaded, air-free tubing
- Detects the specified test bubble
- Stops delivery and activates the required alarm indicators
- Resets correctly after the alarm is addressed
- Passes any applicable accumulated-air test
Do not substitute an improvised bubble size or adjust detector calibration without the current B. Braun service documentation and required authorization.
Expected outcome: The air detector consistently recognizes the approved test condition without producing alarms during an air-free test.
If the pump fails either portion of the test, remove it from service.
If the Problem Persists
If multiple approved, properly primed administration sets have been tested, the sensor channel is clean, tubing is correctly loaded, configuration is verified, and the pump still produces false or inconsistent alarms, common external causes have been ruled out.
The problem is likely associated with the air detector, sensor alignment, internal connection, calibration, or control electronics.
The device should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for qualified bench evaluation or manufacturer-authorized repair
Do not reduce the configured air-detection sensitivity to compensate for a suspected malfunction. Knowing when to stop and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never clear an air alarm and restart an infusion without verifying the complete tubing path. Disconnect the line from the patient before priming, and transfer therapy before troubleshooting an unreliable detector.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Nursing reported repeated “Air bubble alarm” messages on the B. Braun Infusomat Space despite no visible air in the administration tubing."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"The administration set was not fully seated in the air-sensor guide, causing intermittent false air detection."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Removed the pump from patient use, reloaded a new approved primed set correctly, cleaned the detector channel, and verified normal operation and air-alarm response during bench testing."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact displayed alarm message
- Active patient use safely discontinued
- Tubing disconnected before priming
- Visible air or foam observed
- Fluid container and drip-chamber condition
- Administration-set manufacturer, type, and lot
- Set replaced
- Tubing fully seated in air-sensor guide
- Detector channel clean and dry
- Alarm repeated with multiple sets
- Comparison with known-good pump
- Recent configuration or repair history
- Functional air-detector test result
- Unusual heat, smell, damage, or fluid intrusion
- Final device status
Final Thought
Air-in-line complaints require a careful distinction between an actual air hazard, an administration-set problem, and a malfunctioning detector. Protect the patient first, inspect the entire external fluid path, verify correct set loading, and escalate any pump that cannot reliably pass controlled testing. Complete CCR documentation supports patient safety and future failure analysis.
That is successful troubleshooting.