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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting unreadable, unstable, or unresponsive display conditions caused by power, brightness settings, environmental conditions, connections, or device malfunction.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Ensure Patient Safety First
Do not troubleshoot an unreliable display while the pump is actively delivering medication to a patient.
- Notify the responsible clinical staff.
- Transfer the infusion to another verified pump when continued therapy is required.
- Confirm the replacement pump is programmed correctly before placing it into service.
- Use additional caution with vasoactive, sedating, high-alert, or short-half-life medications.
Expected outcome: Patient therapy continues without dependence on a pump whose settings, status, or alarms cannot be reliably viewed.
A pump with a blank, severely flickering, or frozen display must not remain in clinical use.
2. Confirm the Exact Display Complaint
Determine whether the display is:
- Completely blank.
- Very dim but still readable.
- Flickering continuously or intermittently.
- Frozen on one screen.
- Showing incomplete, distorted, or missing characters.
- Unresponsive while the keypad or indicators remain active.
- Affected only when operating on battery or external power.
Record whether audible alarms, keypad tones, infusion indicators, or other lights continue to operate.
Expected outcome: The failure is clearly identified as a brightness, power, software-response, or display-hardware problem.
3. Inspect the Pump for Damage or Contamination
Examine the display window and surrounding housing for:
- Cracks or impact damage.
- Liquid intrusion or dried residue.
- Cleaning-agent buildup.
- Condensation beneath the display window.
- Loose, separated, or distorted housing.
- Evidence that the pump was dropped.
Do not apply excessive pressure to the display or introduce liquid into the housing.
Expected outcome: No external damage or contamination is found that could obstruct the display or indicate unsafe internal exposure.
If liquid intrusion, housing damage, or condensation beneath the screen is present, remove the pump from service and stop troubleshooting.
4. Check for Day or Night Display Mode
If the screen is dim but readable, determine whether the pump is operating in night mode.
The Agilia night-mode configuration can reduce screen brightness and dim the infusion indicators. Return the pump to day mode when permitted by facility configuration and verify whether normal brightness returns.
Expected outcome: The screen becomes normally visible after night mode is disabled.
If this resolves the complaint, verify normal operation and stop.
5. Check the Configured Screen Contrast
If the display is present but unusually faint, washed out, or difficult to read, inspect the available screen-contrast setting.
Adjust the contrast through the authorized pump settings only. Do not enter protected service or maintenance menus unless qualified and authorized.
The Agilia operating configuration includes an adjustable screen-contrast setting.
Expected outcome: Characters and screen information become clearly readable across the normal viewing angle.
If contrast adjustment restores a stable, readable display, complete an operational check and stop.
6. Verify External Power
Connect the pump directly to a known-good hospital-grade electrical outlet using the approved power cord or power interface.
Check for:
- External-power indication.
- A secure connection at the pump or Agilia docking system.
- Damage to the cord, plug, or power contacts.
- Loose docking or rack engagement.
- Evidence that the display changes when the power connection is moved.
Do not use a damaged cord or power accessory.
Expected outcome: The pump recognizes stable external power and the display remains continuously illuminated.
If the problem occurs only with one outlet, cord, dock position, or power accessory, remove the defective accessory from service and stop.
7. Compare Battery and External-Power Operation
With the pump removed from patient use, observe the screen while operating from:
- External power.
- Internal battery.
- A verified Agilia Link or docking position, when applicable.
Do not repeatedly disconnect power while the pump is performing a software update or configuration transfer.
Expected outcome: The display behaves consistently on both power sources.
A display that blanks, dims, or flickers only on battery may indicate a depleted battery or internal power problem. A failure limited to a dock position may indicate a docking or power-contact issue.
8. Allow the Pump to Reach Room Temperature
If the device was recently moved from cold storage, a hot environment, or a transport vehicle, allow it to stabilize at normal room temperature.
Inspect for condensation before applying power.
Expected outcome: The display operates normally after the device reaches a stable operating temperature.
If condensation is present, do not operate the pump until it is completely dry and has been evaluated according to facility policy.
9. Perform a Controlled Power Cycle
Only after the pump has been removed from patient use:
- Stop any simulated or test infusion.
- Power the pump off normally.
- Disconnect it from the rack or external power.
- Wait approximately 30 seconds.
- Reconnect known-good external power.
- Power the pump on and observe the entire startup sequence.
Do not use repeated power cycling as a substitute for repair.
Expected outcome: The startup screen appears normally, the pump completes initialization, and the display remains responsive.
If the display returns to normal, continue with a complete functional inspection before returning the pump to service.
10. Check the Keypad and Display Response
Using a test setup, navigate through normal menus and confirm:
- Each screen updates when a key is pressed.
- Highlighted selections move correctly.
- Numeric values refresh normally.
- No characters remain permanently displayed.
- The screen does not freeze during programming.
- Keypad tones and visual responses correspond to each input.
Do not begin an actual infusion.
Expected outcome: The display updates immediately and accurately with each authorized control input.
A responsive keypad with a frozen display suggests a display or software problem. An unresponsive keypad and frozen display may indicate a broader system lockup.
11. Run the Authorized User Test
Perform the pump’s normal user test or operational checkout according to the applicable Agilia model, software version, and facility procedure.
Verify:
- Display segments and symbols appear correctly.
- Audible alarms function.
- Indicator lights illuminate.
- Keypad inputs are recognized.
- The pump completes the test without a technical error.
Expected outcome: The pump passes the complete user test with a stable and readable display.
If any portion of the display is missing, distorted, unstable, or frozen, remove the pump from service.
12. Check for Repeatability
Operate the pump in a controlled test environment long enough to determine whether the problem returns.
Gently reposition the pump and approved external power connection without striking, twisting, or opening the housing.
Observe whether the display changes with:
- Warm-up time.
- Battery operation.
- Docking.
- Normal keypad use.
- Minor movement.
- Alarm activation.
Expected outcome: The display remains stable throughout the test.
An intermittent display failure is still a failure. Do not return the pump to clinical use simply because the screen temporarily recovered.
If the Problem Persists
If the display remains blank, flickering, frozen, distorted, or intermittently unreadable after external power, battery operation, day/night mode, contrast, temperature, and controlled restart checks, common external causes have been ruled out.
The problem may involve the display assembly, internal connections, power regulation, keypad interface, or system electronics.
The device should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for authorized repair or bench evaluation.
- Evaluated using the applicable Fresenius Kabi technical documentation and approved service tools.
Do not open the housing or attempt display-board repair unless specifically trained, authorized, and equipped to service the applicable Agilia configuration.
Knowing when to stop and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never rely on audible alarms, indicator lights, memory, or remote documentation to operate an infusion pump with an unreadable display.
Move the patient’s therapy to another verified pump before troubleshooting. Programming values, alarm messages, infusion status, and confirmation prompts must remain clearly visible throughout clinical use.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Clinical staff reported that the Fresenius Kabi Agilia display flickered intermittently and then froze during programming."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"The display continued to freeze after verifying night mode, screen contrast, external power, battery operation, and a controlled restart."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Removed the pump from service, labeled it Out of Service, and sent it for bench evaluation due to a repeatable display failure."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact display symptom recorded
- Device removed from active patient use
- Housing and screen inspected
- Liquid or impact damage noted
- Known-good outlet tested
- Power cord or dock position tested
- Battery and external-power operation compared
- Day/night mode checked
- Screen contrast checked
- Controlled power cycle completed
- Keypad response verified
- User test results recorded
- Technical error or alarm behavior documented
- Intermittent behavior reproduced
- Unusual heat, sound, or smell noted
- Final device status documented
Final Thought
A reliable display is essential for confirming infusion settings, status, prompts, and alarms. External power, configuration, and environmental causes should be checked first, but any persistent or intermittent loss of display integrity requires removal from service and appropriate repair escalation. Clear CCR documentation helps the repair team understand exactly what was observed and what has already been ruled out.
That is successful troubleshooting.