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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshoot unstable or missing patient-related signals caused by accessories, connections, positioning, interference, patient interface, or system communication.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Verify Alternate Monitoring
Do not rely on an intermittent or noisy signal for clinical decision-making. Establish another verified monitoring method when the affected signal is clinically important.
Expected outcome: Clinical monitoring remains reliable while troubleshooting proceeds.
2. Define the Signal Problem
Identify the exact signal involved and determine whether it is completely absent, noisy, intermittent, position-dependent, or lost only during system or table movement.
Expected outcome: The symptom is clearly defined and can be compared before and after each corrective action.
3. Inspect Patient Connections and Accessories
Inspect accessible leads, sensors, cables, adapters, connectors, electrodes or other patient-interface accessories applicable to the affected signal. Look for loose connections, contamination, damaged insulation, worn contacts, or strain.
Expected outcome: Patient-interface components are intact and firmly connected.
4. Verify Patient Interface and Positioning
Check that applicable leads, sensors, or electrodes are positioned appropriately and have adequate contact. Ensure cables are not stretched, trapped, sharply bent, or routed where normal system movement pulls on them.
Expected outcome: Patient-interface conditions support a stable signal.
5. Separate Motion From Equipment Failure
Observe whether signal degradation corresponds with patient movement, cable movement, table movement, detector movement, or another repeatable physical condition.
Expected outcome: A movement-related external cause is identified or ruled out.
6. Check for Environmental Interference
Look for recently added or relocated electrical equipment, damaged power accessories, poorly routed signal cables, or other obvious environmental conditions associated with the onset of noise.
Expected outcome: No readily correctable external interference source remains.
7. Substitute Known-Good Accessories
Use a known-good compatible cable, sensor, lead set, adapter, or other relevant accessory when available.
Expected outcome: A stable signal with the known-good accessory identifies the original accessory as the likely cause. Troubleshooting can stop after final verification.
8. Verify Signal Stability
Observe the signal long enough to confirm that it remains present and stable through normal positioning and expected system movement.
Expected outcome: The signal remains consistently available without unexplained noise or dropouts.
9. Escalate an Unresolved Signal Problem
If the problem persists with verified connections and known-good accessories, remove the affected function from service and escalate.
Expected outcome: An unreliable signal is not returned to clinical use.
If the Problem Persists
External patient-interface, accessory, positioning, movement, and obvious environmental causes have been ruled out. Remaining possibilities include internal signal acquisition, grounding or infrastructure conditions, system configuration, communication, or another service-level fault.
Remove the affected system or monitoring function from service, label it Out of Service, and arrange qualified service evaluation using manufacturer documentation and approved test equipment. Do not perform unauthorized internal signal-path repair.
Return to service only after signal integrity is confirmed under representative operating conditions. Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Verify the complete signal path during normal table and imaging-system movement, not only while the equipment is stationary.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Clinical staff reported an intermittent patient signal on the Canon Alphenix Sky+ during room setup."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found a patient cable with an intermittent connection near its external connector and reproduced the signal loss by gently moving the cable."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering replaced the cable with a known-good compatible accessory and verified a stable signal during normal positioning and movement."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Signal affected
- Whether signal was noisy, intermittent, or absent
- Relationship to patient or equipment movement
- Cable, lead, sensor, or electrode condition
- Known-good substitution results
- Environmental changes observed
- Results during system movement
- Final signal status
Final Thought
Protect clinical monitoring, isolate accessories and movement-related causes before suspecting internal electronics, verify stability under realistic conditions, and document the confirmed correction.
That is successful troubleshooting.