GE Healthcare Avance

Battery Not Charging or Short Backup Runtime

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Asset Type

Anesthesia Machine

Manufacturer

GE Healthcare

Model

Avance

What This Guide Helps With

Troubleshooting charging alarms, missing battery indications, rapid battery depletion, or reduced backup runtime caused by AC power, storage, connections, or battery deterioration.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Ensure Patient Safety First

Do not test battery runtime or disconnect AC power while the Avance is supporting an active patient.

If a battery or power alarm occurs during a procedure:

Expected: Patient ventilation and anesthesia delivery do not depend on a machine with questionable backup power.

Loss of battery power following an AC failure may result in loss of mechanical ventilation. GE has also issued a safety notice concerning certain replacement batteries that could fail earlier than expected.

If the machine is no longer supporting a patient, continue troubleshooting in a controlled Clinical Engineering setting.

2. Confirm the Exact Failure Condition

Review the reported symptoms and displayed messages. Determine whether the complaint involves:

Record the complete message, battery indication, and conditions present when the failure occurred.

Expected: The complaint is clearly identified as a charging, detection, capacity, or AC-input problem.

3. Verify the AC Outlet

Connect an approved electrical safety analyzer or another suitable test device to the outlet.

Confirm:

Do not rely only on other equipment plugged into the same outlet.

Expected: The wall outlet provides stable AC power.

If the outlet is faulty, move the Avance to a verified outlet and notify Facilities. If charging resumes, stop troubleshooting.

4. Inspect the Power Cord and Connection

Examine the power cord from the plug to the machine inlet.

Check for:

Reconnect both ends securely. Replace a removable cord only with an approved equivalent when permitted by facility policy.

Expected: The cord is undamaged and firmly connected.

If reseating or replacing the cord restores AC recognition and charging, verify proper operation and stop.

5. Confirm AC Power Recognition

With the Avance connected to a verified outlet, observe the mains-power indicator and battery display.

The mains indicator should show that AC power is connected. When the battery is not already fully charged, the system should charge it while connected to AC power.

If available on the installed software version, review:

System Setup > System Status

Confirm whether the system reports:

Expected: The machine recognizes AC power and displays a valid battery condition.

If AC is present at the outlet but the machine does not recognize it, remove the device from service for bench evaluation.

6. Allow Adequate Charging Time

If the machine was unplugged, stored, transported, or recently discharged, leave it connected to verified AC power with the system positioned according to facility and manufacturer charging practices.

For a formal battery-performance evaluation, GE’s safety-notice procedure specifies connecting the anesthesia machine to mains power for eight hours before testing.

During charging:

Expected: The displayed battery level increases or reaches a fully charged condition.

If the charge level does not increase after adequate charging time, continue.

7. Check Storage and Usage History

Review the work-order history and ask the department whether the Avance:

Prolonged discharge and repeated storage without AC power can reduce battery capacity. GE recommends keeping affected anesthesia devices connected to AC power when not in use to prevent battery discharge and degradation.

Expected: Storage or usage history identifies whether battery deterioration is likely.

8. Inspect Accessible Battery-Related Areas

With the device powered down and disconnected according to facility safety procedures, inspect only externally accessible battery areas.

Look for:

Do not open internal power assemblies or bypass battery interlocks.

Expected: No visible evidence of physical battery or enclosure damage is present.

If swelling, heat, odor, leakage, or deformation is found, do not reconnect the machine. Label it Out of Service and escalate immediately.

9. Review Battery Age and Applicable Safety Notices

Check the battery installation date, replacement records, part number, and serial-number history.

GE issued a correction involving certain field-replacement batteries distributed on or after April 1, 2019 for Avance and related anesthesia systems because those batteries could fail earlier than expected. The associated battery kits included part numbers 1009-5682-000-S and 5856787-S.

Confirm whether:

Expected: Battery age, part number, and correction status are known.

Escalate uncertain or affected battery history through the facility’s recall-management process.

10. Perform an Approved Battery Runtime Test

Perform runtime testing only:

After a full charge, configure and operate the machine using the approved battery-performance test conditions. Disconnect AC power only after confirming that alternate power and immediate shutdown controls are available.

Observe:

GE’s 2022 battery-performance procedure used 60 minutes of continued operation as the acceptance threshold for affected systems and instructed replacement when that duration was not achieved. Follow the procedure applicable to the machine’s configuration and service documentation.

Expected: The Avance remains operational for the required test duration without abnormal shutdown.

If runtime is short, unstable, or inconsistent with the displayed battery status, stop testing and remove the machine from service.

11. Recharge and Complete Functional Verification

After any battery-discharge test:

GE’s battery-performance instructions specify recharging the system for eight hours after testing before patient use.

Expected: The machine passes its checkout, recognizes AC power, charges normally, and is ready for clinical use.

If the Problem Persists

If the outlet, power cord, AC connection, charging time, storage history, battery age, and approved runtime test have been evaluated, common external causes have been ruled out.

The likely cause may involve:

The device should be:

Do not return the Avance to service based only on operation while connected to AC. Backup-power reliability is part of the machine’s safety function. Knowing when to stop and escalate is proper troubleshooting.

Clinical Use Tip

Never test backup runtime by unplugging an anesthesia machine that is supporting a patient. Move the patient to verified equipment first and perform battery testing only with a test lung in a controlled environment.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"Anesthesia staff reported that the GE Healthcare Avance displayed a battery charging warning and provided only brief backup operation when AC power was disconnected."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"The AC outlet and power cord tested normally, but the fully charged battery failed the approved runtime test and depleted significantly earlier than required."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"Removed the Avance from service, labeled it Out of Service, and referred it for approved battery replacement and post-repair performance verification."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

Final Thought

Battery troubleshooting on an anesthesia machine requires more than confirming that it works while plugged in. Verify the external power path, charging behavior, battery history, and actual backup performance. Remove unreliable equipment from service and document the complaint, cause, and resolution clearly.

That is successful troubleshooting.

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