Drager Apollo

Asset Type

Anesthesia Machine

Manufacturer

Drager

Model

Apollo

What This Guide Helps With

This guide helps troubleshoot the POWER SPLY ERROR alarm on a Drager Apollo anesthesia machine. This alarm indicates an internal fault in the power supply. The machine may continue operating for the time being, but the alarm should still be treated as a reliability concern because power system faults can affect continued safe operation.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Ensure Patient Safety First

• If the alarm occurs during active patient use, notify anesthesia staff immediately.
• Confirm the patient is stable and that ventilation, gas delivery, vapor delivery, monitoring, and alarms are functioning normally.
• Do not interrupt patient support unless anesthesia staff determine it is safe.
• Prepare an alternate anesthesia machine, manual ventilation option, or backup plan if the alarm persists or additional symptoms appear.
• Do not troubleshoot in a way that risks loss of patient ventilation or anesthetic delivery.

Verify the Reported Alarm and Behavior

• Confirm the exact alarm displayed is POWER SPLY ERROR.
• Ask staff when the alarm appeared: during startup, during case use, after being moved, after being plugged in, intermittently, or continuously.
• Observe whether the anesthesia machine continues to function normally.
• Check for associated symptoms such as battery operation, charging issues, unexpected restart, display dimming, ventilator interruption, loss of gas delivery, or additional power-related alarms.
• Check for unusual sound, smell, heat, or electrical behavior.

Check the External Power Source

• Verify the Apollo is plugged into an approved hospital-grade outlet.
• Confirm the power cord is fully seated at the wall outlet and at the anesthesia machine.
• Check that the outlet is live using an approved test method.
• If safe and allowed by facility policy, try a known-good emergency power outlet.
• Do not assume the machine has an internal failure until unstable facility power or a bad outlet has been ruled out.

Inspect the Power Cord and Plug

• Inspect the power cord for cuts, crushing, loose strain relief, bent blades, burn marks, fluid contamination, or intermittent connection when moved.
• Confirm the plug fits securely in the outlet.
• Check that the cord is not loose at the machine power entry point.
• If the cord is damaged or questionable, remove the machine from use until the cord condition is corrected and the device is checked.

Check Machine Position and Cable Strain

• Make sure the machine is not pulling tightly against the power cord.
• Check that the cord is not pinched under wheels, wrapped around equipment, or stretched behind the machine.
• If the alarm appeared after the machine was moved, inspect the cord path and connection points carefully.
• Correct any external strain before reassessing the alarm.

Check for Obvious Environmental or Physical Causes

• Inspect the exterior of the machine for fluid spill evidence, blocked vents, excessive dust buildup, overheating, recent impact damage, burning smell, unusual fan noise, or visible damage near the power entry area.
• Do not continue troubleshooting at the bedside if there is evidence of liquid intrusion, overheating, burning odor, or electrical damage.
• Remove the machine from service if any unsafe external condition is found.

Confirm Battery and Charging Behavior

• Check whether the machine indicates battery operation or battery charging.
• Confirm the battery symbol or battery status is behaving normally.
• Ask staff whether the machine recently switched to battery unexpectedly.
• If the machine was unplugged recently, confirm whether the alarm appeared after reconnecting to AC power.
• Note any abnormal battery, charging, or AC transfer behavior in the work order.

Power Cycle Only When Clinically Safe

• Do not power cycle the machine during active patient use unless anesthesia staff direct it and patient support is protected.
• When the machine is no longer in clinical use, power it down using the normal shutdown process.
• Disconnect from AC power briefly, reconnect to a known-good outlet, and restart the machine.
• Observe whether POWER SPLY ERROR returns during startup or shortly after startup.
• If the alarm repeats, treat it as a persistent fault.

Determine Whether the Issue Is External or Device-Related

• Review what has been ruled out: known-good outlet, power cord seating, cord condition, cable strain, obvious damage, environmental conditions, and battery or charging behavior.
• If the alarm clears after correcting an external issue, perform the functional checks required by your facility before returning the machine to service.
• If the alarm remains active or returns, consider the issue likely internal to the anesthesia machine power supply system.
• Do not perform internal disassembly or board-level repair during routine bedside troubleshooting.

If the Problem Persists

If POWER SPLY ERROR remains active or returns after the external power source, power cord, cable strain, battery behavior, and basic restart checks have been completed, remove the Apollo from service. The manual identifies this condition as an internal power supply fault, even though operation may continue for the time being.

• Remove the machine from clinical use when safe.
• Label the unit Out of Service.
• Notify anesthesia leadership if the alarm occurred during a case.
• Send the unit for repair or bench evaluation.
• Contact DragerService for further support.
• Do not keep the machine available for future cases with an unresolved power supply alarm.

Clinical Use Tip

Never troubleshoot on an active patient in a way that could interrupt ventilation, gas delivery, vapor delivery, or monitoring. If the machine needs to be power cycled, removed, or evaluated further, move the patient to a backup anesthesia machine or manual ventilation setup first under anesthesia direction.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"Drager Apollo anesthesia machine displayed POWER SPLY ERROR. Staff reported the machine continued operating, but the alarm indicated a power supply fault."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"Verified POWER SPLY ERROR condition. External AC outlet, power cord seating, cord condition, cable strain, battery status, and obvious external damage were checked. Alarm remained consistent with internal power supply fault."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"Removed anesthesia machine from service, labeled Out of Service, and referred for repair/bench evaluation. DragerService support required for internal power supply fault."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

• Alarm behavior
• Accessories swapped
• Power behavior
• Environmental factors
• Indicator lights
• Final device status

Final Thought

POWER SPLY ERROR should be handled as a reliability warning, not ignored because the Apollo may continue operating temporarily. Patient safety comes first, external power problems should be ruled out, and persistent power supply alarms should be escalated for service with clear CCR documentation.

That is successful troubleshooting.