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What This Guide Helps With
A Versa HD workstation freezes, becomes unresponsive, or loses communication because of power, cables, network connectivity, peripheral, software, or infrastructure conditions.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Treatment Workflow
Do not continue treatment when the workstation or communication path required for safe treatment delivery is frozen or unreliable.
Follow departmental procedures to place the patient and equipment in a safe state.
Expected outcome: No clinical treatment depends on an unreliable workstation or communication link.
2. Identify the Affected Workstation or Link
Determine which workstation is affected and whether the problem is a frozen user interface, loss of communication with the treatment system, network disconnection, or failure of a connected peripheral.
Record displayed messages and the last successful action.
Expected outcome: The failure is narrowed to a workstation, network path, peripheral, or wider system issue.
3. Check Basic Power and Indicators
Verify that the workstation, monitors, network devices accessible to Clinical Engineering, and required peripherals have power.
Inspect for abnormal power indicators or unexpected shutdowns.
Expected outcome: All required external components are powered normally.
4. Check Keyboard, Mouse, and Display Operation
Confirm that the issue is not limited to a failed input device or display.
Use a known-good compatible peripheral if approved and readily available.
Expected outcome: A peripheral problem is distinguished from an actual workstation freeze.
5. Inspect Network and Data Connections
Check accessible network and system communication cables for loose connectors, damage, disconnected patch cords, or disturbed cable routing.
Verify link indicators where they are normally visible.
Expected outcome: External communication connections are intact.
6. Determine Whether the Problem Is Local or Widespread
Check whether other Versa HD workstations or connected systems can communicate normally.
If multiple systems are affected, investigate infrastructure availability before assuming a local workstation problem.
Expected outcome: The fault is localized to one workstation or identified as an infrastructure-level event.
7. Check for Recent Infrastructure Changes
Determine whether network maintenance, switch work, power interruption, software deployment, or other system changes occurred near the time of failure.
Expected outcome: Any external change potentially related to the outage is identified and routed to the appropriate support group.
8. Perform an Approved Restart
If the patient is safe and site procedures permit, perform a normal restart of the affected workstation or software environment.
Do not repeatedly hard-cycle power or restart active treatment-system components without an approved process.
Expected outcome: The workstation restarts, reconnects, and remains responsive.
9. Verify Communication and Workflow
Confirm that the workstation communicates with required treatment, imaging, record, or network systems and that the affected workflow can be completed using an appropriate nonclinical verification.
Expected outcome: Communication remains stable and the required functions work normally. Troubleshooting can stop after applicable verification.
10. Escalate Persistent Communication Failure
If the workstation continues to freeze or lose communication after power, peripherals, network connections, infrastructure, and approved restart checks, stop troubleshooting.
Expected outcome: The affected system is withheld from clinical use until service-level evaluation is completed.
If the Problem Persists
External causes have been ruled out. Remaining possibilities may include workstation hardware, operating-system or application issues, internal treatment-system communications, network configuration, server availability, interface services, or other service-level conditions.
The Versa HD should be:
- Removed from affected clinical use.
- Labeled Out of Service when treatment safety depends on the failed workstation.
- Evaluated using appropriate Elekta and institutional IT documentation.
- Repaired or configured only by qualified personnel.
- Fully functionally verified before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Verify the complete treatment communication path after a workstation recovery; a responsive screen alone does not prove that treatment-system communications are restored.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Radiation Oncology reported that a Versa HD workstation became unresponsive and stopped communicating with the treatment system."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found a loose external network connection at the affected workstation."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering secured the connection, restarted the workstation using the approved process, and verified stable communication and normal workflow before return to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Workstation affected
- Exact message or freeze behavior
- Last successful action
- Power and display status
- Keyboard and mouse operation
- Network link status
- Cables inspected
- Other systems affected
- Recent IT or power changes
- Results after restart
- Final communication status
Final Thought
Separate peripheral, workstation, network, and infrastructure problems methodically. Confirm the entire communication path before return to service and escalate persistent freezes rather than repeatedly restarting an unreliable system.
That is successful troubleshooting.