GE Healthcare Aisys

Asset Type

Anesthesia Machine

Manufacturer

GE Healthcare

Model

Aisys

What This Guide Helps With

This guide helps troubleshoot a Circuit check failed message during system checkout on a GE Healthcare Aisys anesthesia machine. This condition can prevent checkout completion and may indicate a breathing circuit leak, obstruction, loose accessory, absorber seating issue, gas supply problem, or machine-related fault.

A failed circuit check should be treated as a failed pre-use safety check. The machine should not be used for patient care until the checkout issue is corrected and the required checkout passes successfully.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Ensure Patient Safety First

• Remove the anesthesia machine from patient use until the checkout issue is corrected.
• Do not use the machine for a patient case if the circuit check cannot be completed successfully.
• Provide another anesthesia machine or alternate approved setup if the room needs to remain operational.
• Confirm the full required checkout passes before returning the machine to service.

Expected outcome: The patient is not connected to an anesthesia machine with an unresolved checkout failure.

Why it matters: A circuit check failure may indicate a leak, blockage, incorrect setup, or device fault that could affect ventilation or gas delivery.

2. Verify the Reported Alarm and Behavior

• Confirm the displayed message is exactly: Circuit check failed.
• Identify whether the failure occurs during full system checkout, breathing circuit checkout, or after changing the circuit setup.
• Ask whether the issue began after replacing hoses, filters, the bag, absorber canister, adapters, or other disposable accessories.
• Observe any associated prompts, suggested actions, or related checkout messages on the screen.

Expected outcome: The checkout failure is confirmed and the exact failure point is identified.

Why it matters: Checkout failures are often caused by setup or accessory issues, not always internal machine failure.

3. Follow the On-Screen Suggested Action First

• Read the specific suggested action displayed with the checkout failure.
• Correct the listed issue if one is provided.
• Repeat the system checkout after the correction.
• If the checkout passes, document the correction and return the machine to service only after the required checkout is complete.

Expected outcome: The checkout passes after following the displayed corrective action.

Why it matters: The Aisys checkout process may identify a specific portion of the test that failed, which helps narrow the problem quickly.

4. Check the Breathing Circuit Setup

• Inspect the breathing circuit from the machine connection to the patient connection.
• Confirm the inspiratory and expiratory limbs are connected correctly.
• Make sure all circuit connections are fully seated.
• Verify the patient Y-piece is properly connected or capped as required for checkout.
• Look for loose, cracked, kinked, disconnected, or incorrectly routed hoses.
• Confirm filters, HMEs, and adapters are installed correctly.

Expected outcome: The breathing circuit is correctly assembled with no obvious leaks, restrictions, or loose connections.

Why it matters: A simple circuit connection problem is one of the most common reasons for a checkout circuit failure.

5. Check the Manual Bag and Bag Arm Setup

• Inspect the manual ventilation bag and bag connection.
• Confirm the bag is attached securely.
• Check the bag for tears, cracks, stiffness, or leaks.
• Verify the bag arm or bag port is not loose or damaged.
• Check that the APL valve is not damaged, stuck, or obviously misadjusted for the checkout process.
• Confirm the manual bag circuit is set up correctly for checkout.

Expected outcome: The manual ventilation path is intact and not leaking.

Why it matters: A leak in the manual bag or bag connection can cause the system checkout to fail.

6. Check the Absorber Canister and Breathing System Seating

• Inspect the CO2 absorber canister and breathing system components.
• Confirm the absorber canister is installed correctly and fully seated.
• Check that the canister is fully locked or latched.
• Look for displaced gaskets, damaged seals, cracked plastic, or foreign material.
• Confirm the breathing system is fully latched and seated.
• Remove absorbent dust or debris that may prevent a proper seal.

Expected outcome: The absorber and breathing system are properly installed with no visible sealing issue.

Why it matters: Poor absorber seating or damaged seals can create leaks that are detected during checkout.

7. Check Disposable Accessories and Filters

• Remove and inspect any recently changed disposable accessories.
• Check breathing filters, HME filters, sampling line adapters, circuit adapters, and checkout plugs or caps.
• Look for blocked filters, incorrect adapters, missing caps, loose fittings, or damaged disposable parts.
• Replace questionable accessories with known-good parts.
• Repeat the checkout after replacing suspect accessories.

Expected outcome: The circuit check passes after removing or replacing a defective or incorrect accessory.

Why it matters: A blocked filter, incorrect adapter, missing cap, or leaking disposable can cause checkout failure even when the machine itself is working normally.

8. Check for Obstruction or Flow Restriction

• Inspect the breathing circuit and accessories for restriction.
• Look for kinked hoses, crushed tubing, blocked filters, occluded patient connections, and incorrectly installed valves or adapters.
• Check for foreign material in ports or connectors.
• Correct any restriction and repeat checkout.

Expected outcome: Gas flow paths are open and unrestricted.

Why it matters: The circuit check may fail if the machine detects abnormal pressure or flow behavior during checkout.

9. Check Fresh Gas and Gas Supply Conditions

• Confirm the machine has appropriate gas supply for checkout.
• Check wall gas connections and pipeline pressure indicators.
• Verify O2 supply availability.
• Check cylinder backup status if applicable.
• Confirm fresh gas flow setup if prompted by the checkout process.

Expected outcome: Gas supplies are connected and within the expected operating range.

Why it matters: Some checkout failures may occur if the machine cannot properly pressurize or test the breathing system.

10. Repeat Checkout With a Known-Good Circuit

• Remove the current breathing circuit setup.
• Install a known-good breathing circuit, known-good bag, and correct checkout plug or test setup.
• Run the system checkout again.
• If the checkout passes, inspect the original circuit, bag, filter, absorber connection, or adapter for the failure source.

Expected outcome: The checkout passes with known-good external components, or the failure repeats and points toward a machine-related issue.

Why it matters: This helps separate an accessory or setup problem from a machine-related problem.

11. Inspect for Physical Damage or Contamination

• Visually inspect the machine connection points and breathing system area.
• Look for broken ports, damaged latches, cracked plastic, loose fittings, missing seals, liquid intrusion, absorbent dust, or debris.
• Check the flow sensor area and breathing system seating surfaces for visible damage or contamination.
• Do not disassemble internal machine components during room-level troubleshooting.

Expected outcome: No visible damage, contamination, or missing sealing surfaces are found.

Why it matters: Physical damage or contamination can prevent the system from sealing or testing correctly.

12. Determine Whether the Issue Is Accessory, Setup, Environmental, or Device-Related

• Consider the issue accessory-related if the failure clears with a known-good circuit, bag, filter, or absorber canister.
• Consider the issue setup-related if the failure clears after correcting circuit routing, caps, connections, or checkout setup.
• Consider the issue environmental or supply-related if the failure changes with gas supply, wall outlet, or pipeline connection.
• Consider the issue device-related if the failure repeats with known-good accessories and proper setup.

Expected outcome: The failure is narrowed down before repair escalation.

Why it matters: Clinical Engineering should avoid assuming internal failure until external and setup-related causes are ruled out.

13. Stop When Resolved

• If the circuit check passes after correcting the issue, complete the full required checkout.
• Confirm no related alarms remain.
• Return the anesthesia machine to service only after checkout completes successfully.
• Document the corrected issue in the work order.

Expected outcome: The machine passes checkout and is safe to return to service.

Why it matters: Passing the full checkout confirms the corrected setup can be safely used again.

If the Problem Persists

If Circuit check failed continues after checking the setup, breathing circuit, bag, absorber, filters, gas supply, and known-good accessories, external and common causes have been ruled out.

Persistent checkout failure may indicate an internal leak, sensor issue, valve problem, breathing system fault, or other machine-level failure.

• Remove the anesthesia machine from service.
• Label it Out of Service.
• Send it for repair or bench evaluation.
• Do not return the machine to patient use until the system checkout passes.

Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting.

Clinical Use Tip

Never troubleshoot a failed anesthesia machine checkout on an active patient. Move the patient to a verified machine or approved backup ventilation method first. A machine that cannot pass checkout should not be trusted for anesthesia delivery.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"GE Healthcare Aisys anesthesia machine displayed Circuit check failed during system checkout. Machine could not complete checkout and was removed from patient use."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"Circuit check failure confirmed during checkout. Breathing circuit setup, bag connection, absorber seating, filters, gas supply, and accessory condition were inspected. Failure was caused by a loose breathing circuit connection."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"Reseated breathing circuit connections, verified bag and absorber installation, repeated system checkout, and confirmed checkout passed without further alarms. Returned machine to service."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

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

Final Thought

A Circuit check failed alarm should be treated as a failed pre-use safety check. Start with the patient safety decision, then verify the message, follow the on-screen action, and work through the circuit, bag, absorber, filters, gas supply, and known-good accessories before escalating. Proper documentation protects the patient, the clinical team, and the repair process.

That is successful troubleshooting.