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What This Guide Helps With
The Polaris 600 fails an approved preventive-maintenance inspection, functional check, or applicable electrical safety test.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Withhold Failed Equipment
Do not return a surgical light to clinical service when it has failed a required PM or electrical safety test until the cause has been resolved and applicable testing passes.
Expected outcome: Equipment with an unresolved test failure is not available for patient use.
2. Identify the Exact Failed Test
Record the specific inspection, functional test, or electrical safety measurement that failed. Record the actual measurement or observation and the applicable acceptance criterion from approved documentation.
Do not invent acceptance limits.
Expected outcome: The failure is defined precisely instead of being recorded only as "failed PM."
3. Verify the Test Method and Equipment
Confirm that the correct approved procedure was followed and that any analyzer or measurement equipment is appropriate and within its required calibration status.
Check test leads, adapters, setup, and connection points.
Expected outcome: The test setup itself is valid. If correcting a setup problem produces a passing result, repeat the applicable test and document the correction.
4. Perform a Thorough External Inspection
Inspect the light head, controls, suspension components accessible to Clinical Engineering, handles, covers, visible cables, connectors, and mounting interfaces for damage, looseness, contamination, or abnormal wear.
Do not perform unauthorized deep disassembly.
Expected outcome: No visible condition remains that would compromise safe operation.
5. Verify Mechanical Function
Move the surgical light through its normal clinical range and assess whether it holds position, moves smoothly, and shows no abnormal looseness, interference, or unintended movement.
Use manufacturer criteria where a specific mechanical requirement applies.
Expected outcome: Mechanical operation is stable and appropriate. Any unresolved mechanical safety concern requires removal from service.
6. Verify Lighting and Control Functions
Confirm normal startup, illumination, intensity adjustment, available controls, and other installed clinical functions.
Expected outcome: Functional operation is normal. If a functional defect remains, the device fails PM and should not be returned to service.
7. Recheck External Electrical Conditions
For an electrical safety failure, inspect the accessible power path, protective-earth connections within authorized scope, test leads, plugs, cables, and other external conditions that may influence the measurement.
Do not defeat protective grounding or bypass safety features to obtain a passing result.
Expected outcome: External electrical conditions and the measurement setup are confirmed correct.
8. Repeat the Failed Test
After correcting a verified external or setup issue, repeat the failed test using the same approved procedure and properly functioning test equipment.
Expected outcome: The device meets the applicable manufacturer or facility acceptance criteria. If all required PM items pass, troubleshooting can stop and return-to-service documentation can be completed.
9. Escalate a Confirmed Test Failure
If the failure is repeatable with a correct setup and no simple external cause is present, stop troubleshooting before internal board-level repair.
Expected outcome: The equipment remains out of service and is referred for qualified repair or further service evaluation.
If the Problem Persists
A repeatable PM or electrical safety failure after test setup and external causes have been verified may indicate internal electrical, mechanical, grounding, power-distribution, control, or installation problems.
The affected equipment should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for repair or qualified on-site/bench evaluation
- Evaluated using applicable manufacturer documentation and approved calibrated test equipment
- Repaired or adjusted only by qualified personnel
Following repair, repeat the failed test as well as any other testing required by the repair and facility policy before return to service. Knowing when a confirmed failed test requires escalation is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never change a test setup or acceptance criterion simply to obtain a passing PM result; determine why the original result failed.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"The Drager Polaris 600 failed an electrical safety measurement during scheduled preventive maintenance."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found that the analyzer test connection was not making reliable contact, producing an invalid measurement."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Corrected the test connection, repeated the electrical safety test using approved equipment, completed the remaining PM checks successfully, and returned the light to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact failed PM item
- Actual measurement or observed condition
- Acceptance criterion and source
- Test equipment identification
- Test equipment calibration status
- Test setup and adapters used
- External inspection findings
- Mechanical inspection findings
- Lighting/control functional results
- Repeat-test result
- Repairs or adjustments performed
- Final device status
Final Thought
A PM failure should be investigated methodically rather than automatically attributed to the device. Verify the procedure, test setup, equipment, external condition, and functional performance first; escalate confirmed failures and document the final verified result completely.
That is successful troubleshooting.