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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting failed network connectivity, study transfer, data export, or interface communication caused by cabling, destination availability, configuration, media, or infrastructure problems.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Preserve Study Data
Do not interrupt an active patient examination solely to troubleshoot network connectivity unless required for safety. Preserve locally available patient data and prevent duplicate, incomplete, or misassociated records. Use an approved alternate workflow if immediate data transfer is clinically necessary. Expected outcome: Patient imaging and study data are protected while communication troubleshooting occurs.
2. Define the Exact Communication Failure
Determine whether the system has no network connection, cannot reach a destination, cannot send a study, cannot export to approved media, or cannot communicate with an external interface. Record any error message exactly and identify whether the issue affects all destinations or only one. Expected outcome: The failure is narrowed to the local system, one destination, one interface, or the broader network.
3. Check the Physical Network Connection
Inspect the accessible network cable and connector for looseness, damage, bent locking tabs, or disconnection. Verify that the cable is connected to the intended network connection. Check normal external link indications when available. Expected outcome: The physical network connection is secure and shows expected connectivity.
4. Test With a Known-Good Network Connection When Permitted
If facility policy allows, substitute a known-good network cable or test the approved wall connection using appropriate methods. Coordinate with IT when network infrastructure testing is required. Expected outcome: A faulty cable or local network connection is identified, or the physical path is ruled out.
5. Determine the Scope of the Outage
Check whether other imaging systems or workstations are experiencing similar communication problems with the same destination. Confirm destination availability with the responsible clinical or IT team when necessary. Expected outcome: The issue is identified as device-specific or infrastructure/destination-related.
6. Verify User-Accessible Network and Destination Information
Review the system's accessible communication status and approved configuration information without making unauthorized changes. Compare settings with documented values or a known working configuration. Do not guess addresses, ports, destination parameters, or patient-data mappings. Expected outcome: No obvious configuration discrepancy is found, or an authorized configuration issue is identified for correction.
7. Check Data Export Media or Peripheral When Applicable
For export failures, verify that the approved media or connected peripheral is compatible, properly connected, recognized, and has appropriate available capacity. Test with another approved known-good device when possible. Expected outcome: The export accessory is either confirmed functional or identified as the source of failure.
8. Retry a Controlled Test Transfer
After correcting any external connection or infrastructure issue, perform an approved test transfer or export using nonclinical test data or another facility-approved method. Confirm receipt at the intended destination rather than relying solely on the local send status. Expected outcome: Data reaches the intended destination completely and correctly.
9. Verify the Complete Clinical Communication Path
Where patient studies are involved, confirm the study appears at the correct receiving system and is associated appropriately. Ensure queued or failed transfers are addressed according to department workflow. Expected outcome: End-to-end communication is restored. Troubleshooting can stop.
10. Escalate an Unresolved Communication Failure
If physical connections, destination availability, external media, and documented accessible settings are correct but communication still fails, escalate to qualified Canon service, IT, PACS/interface support, or the responsible infrastructure team. Expected outcome: A probable software, configuration, network-infrastructure, interface, or internal communication problem is assigned to the appropriate support group.
If the Problem Persists
Common cable, connection, destination, export-media, and externally verifiable configuration causes have been ruled out. The remaining issue may involve network infrastructure, server availability, interface configuration, application software, security controls, or an internal network component.
Remove the system from network-dependent clinical service if required by workflow, label it Out of Service when appropriate, and send it for repair or bench evaluation if the fault is device-specific. Use Canon documentation, approved network tools, and coordination with IT or interface support. Configuration changes should be performed only by authorized personnel.
Verify end-to-end transfer before full return to service. Knowing when a communication failure belongs to Clinical Engineering, IT, or vendor service is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
For echocardiography studies, verify successful receipt at the intended destination before assuming that a locally completed send means the clinical record is available.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Clinical staff reported that the Aplio i900 CV could not transfer completed studies to the normal receiving destination."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found the external network cable was not fully seated at the system connection."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering secured the network cable, completed an approved test transfer, confirmed successful receipt at the destination, and returned the system to normal service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact communication error
- Whether all or one destination was affected
- Network cable and connector condition
- Link indication
- Wall connection or cable test result
- Whether other systems were affected
- Destination availability
- Accessible configuration observed
- Export media or peripheral tested
- Test transfer result
- Receiving-system verification
- Final device status
Final Thought
Preserve patient data, isolate the physical connection and infrastructure before assuming a device failure, verify communication end to end after correction, escalate to the correct support group when necessary, and document both the local and receiving-side results.
That is successful troubleshooting.