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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting unavailable, unstable, or incorrect electronically controlled fresh-gas flow caused by gas supply, settings, power, startup, or internal control faults.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Ensure Patient Safety First
Do not perform extended flow-control troubleshooting while the Carestation 600 Series is supporting an active patient.
If fresh-gas delivery becomes unavailable, unstable, or inconsistent with the selected settings:
- Notify the anesthesia provider immediately.
- Confirm ventilation, oxygen concentration, airway pressure, and gas monitoring using independent measurements.
- Follow the facility’s anesthesia-machine failure procedure.
- Move the patient to another verified anesthesia machine or approved backup system when reliable gas delivery cannot be confirmed.
Expected outcome: Patient care no longer depends on equipment with uncertain fresh-gas delivery.
Continue troubleshooting only after the machine is safely removed from patient use.
2. Confirm the Exact Failure Condition
Record the complete displayed alarm or advisory message and determine whether:
- Electronic flow settings cannot be adjusted.
- Displayed flow does not match the selected value.
- One gas is unavailable.
- Fresh-gas flow is unstable or unexpectedly changes.
- The controls respond, but no corresponding flow is indicated.
- The problem appeared during startup or during operation.
- Manual or emergency oxygen functions are also affected.
Expected outcome: The affected gas, control, and operating condition are clearly identified.
3. Check the Medical Gas Supplies
Verify that the required pipeline hoses are:
- Connected to the correct wall outlets.
- Fully seated at the machine and wall connections.
- Free from visible damage, kinks, or restriction.
- Supplied by outlets known to provide proper pressure.
Check cylinder supplies when installed:
- Confirm adequate cylinder pressure.
- Verify cylinders are correctly installed.
- Close cylinders after testing when the pipeline supply is being evaluated.
A missing or inadequate gas supply can appear similar to an electronic flow-control failure.
Expected outcome: All required gases are available at normal supply pressure.
If restoring the gas supply resolves the malfunction, complete operational testing and stop troubleshooting.
4. Check for Gas-Supply Alarms or Indicator Changes
Review the display for:
- Low pipeline pressure alarms.
- Gas supply failure messages.
- Cross-connected or unavailable gas indications.
- Changes in pipeline or cylinder pressure readings.
- Multiple alarms occurring at the same time.
A supply-side problem should be corrected before evaluating the electronic flow controls.
Expected outcome: No unresolved gas-supply alarm remains.
5. Verify the Selected Fresh-Gas Settings
Confirm that:
- The intended carrier gases are selected.
- Total flow is not set at an unintended minimum.
- The selected oxygen concentration is appropriate.
- The flow settings are within the permitted operating range.
- No special operating mode is limiting or automatically controlling fresh-gas delivery.
- The controls respond normally when values are adjusted.
Return the machine to a basic, known configuration using facility-approved test settings.
Expected outcome: The requested settings are valid and the displayed values respond predictably.
If correcting an unintended setting restores normal flow, verify operation and stop troubleshooting.
6. Inspect the Flow-Control Interface
Examine the touchscreen, control knob, and surrounding control area for:
- A control knob that binds, skips, or does not confirm selections.
- Moisture, residue, tape, covers, or contamination affecting operation.
- A frozen or delayed display.
- Touchscreen areas that do not respond consistently.
- Physical damage to the control panel.
Clean only with approved methods and do not allow liquid to enter the controls.
Expected outcome: The user interface responds consistently and is free from external obstruction.
7. Check AC Power and Battery Status
Confirm that:
- The power cord is fully connected.
- The machine is plugged into a verified hospital-grade outlet.
- The AC power indicator is present.
- No battery, power-supply, or charging alarms are displayed.
- The malfunction did not begin during a power interruption or transfer to battery operation.
Unstable electrical power can affect electronically controlled systems even when the display remains active.
Expected outcome: The machine has stable AC power without related power alarms.
8. Perform a Controlled Restart
After the machine has been removed from patient use:
- Record all active alarms and displayed messages.
- Shut down the system using the normal shutdown procedure.
- Allow the shutdown to complete.
- Verify the gas supplies and AC connection.
- Restart the machine.
- Observe whether the malfunction returns during initialization.
Do not repeatedly restart a machine that continues to report a gas-delivery fault.
Expected outcome: The system completes startup without an electronic flow-control alarm.
If the fault clears, continue with a complete pre-use checkout before considering the device operational.
9. Run the Manufacturer’s System Checkout
Perform the standard Carestation 600 Series pre-use or system checkout with:
- A test lung installed.
- Correct breathing-system components in place.
- Required gas supplies connected.
- No patient attached.
Watch for failures involving:
- Gas delivery.
- Fresh-gas controls.
- Oxygen monitoring.
- Ventilation.
- Leak testing.
- System initialization.
GE HealthCare provides a user reference manual for the Carestation 600 Series containing the approved operating and checkout procedures.
Expected outcome: All required checkout tests pass without a recurring flow-control message.
If the checkout passes and the malfunction cannot be reproduced, inspect the alarm history and complete repeated functional testing before returning the machine to service.
10. Compare Selected and Measured Gas Delivery
Using approved, calibrated anesthesia test equipment:
- Select basic fresh-gas flow settings.
- Observe the displayed flow values.
- Verify delivered oxygen concentration and total flow externally.
- Repeat at several normal operating settings.
- Check for delayed response, instability, or failure of one gas channel.
Do not rely solely on the machine’s displayed values when the electronic flow-control system is in question.
Expected outcome: Measured gas delivery is stable and agrees with the selected settings within applicable specifications.
If the delivered mixture is incorrect, unstable, or cannot be verified, stop testing and remove the machine from service.
11. Check for an Intermittent Pattern
Determine whether the malfunction occurs:
- Only after startup.
- After the machine warms up.
- During battery operation.
- When a particular gas is selected.
- At low or high fresh-gas flow.
- When the control knob or touchscreen is used.
- After the machine is moved or a pipeline hose is disturbed.
Documenting the triggering condition can help authorized service personnel isolate the fault without unnecessary component replacement.
Expected outcome: Any repeatable pattern is documented.
If the Problem Persists
If the gas supplies, electrical power, settings, external controls, and startup conditions are correct but the electronic flow-control malfunction remains, the fault is likely within the electronic gas-control, sensing, communication, or power circuitry.
The device should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for authorized repair or bench evaluation.
- Evaluated using the applicable GE HealthCare service documentation and calibrated test equipment.
Do not open or adjust the electronic gas-control assembly without appropriate authorization, training, procedures, and test equipment.
Knowing when to stop after external causes have been eliminated is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never troubleshoot uncertain fresh-gas delivery on an active patient. Transfer care first and independently verify oxygen concentration, ventilation, and anesthetic-gas delivery.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Anesthesia staff reported an electronic flow-control malfunction and unstable fresh-gas flow during machine setup."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Pipeline pressures, settings, controls, and AC power were normal, but the flow-control fault returned during startup and delivered flow could not be verified."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Removed the Carestation 600 Series from service, attached an Out of Service label, and routed it for authorized gas-control system evaluation."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact alarm or advisory text recorded
- Time and operating mode when the fault occurred
- Pipeline outlets tested
- Pipeline hoses inspected or swapped
- Cylinder pressures checked
- AC outlet and power status verified
- Selected gas mixture and total flow recorded
- Displayed and externally measured values documented
- Startup and system-checkout results recorded
- Intermittent behavior identified
- Unusual sound, heat, or smell noted
- Final device status documented
Final Thought
Fresh-gas delivery faults require immediate attention because oxygen and anesthetic delivery may be affected. Protect the patient, verify external supplies and settings logically, independently test performance, and escalate persistent electronic faults with complete documentation.
That is successful troubleshooting.