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What This Guide Helps With
Addresses unresponsive touchscreen or controls caused by contamination, obstruction, startup state, power instability, accessories, or service-level control faults.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient
If controls cannot be reliably operated during ventilation, move the patient to another verified ventilator or appropriate alternate ventilation method.
Do not continue clinical use when settings or alarms cannot be reliably accessed.
Expected outcome: Patient support does not depend on an unreliable control interface.
2. Confirm the Exact Input Failure
Determine whether the entire touchscreen is unresponsive, only part of the screen fails to respond, a specific control is affected, or the interface is frozen.
Observe whether displayed waveforms, clock, or other indicators continue updating.
Expected outcome: The failure is characterized as localized input loss, complete interface freeze, or broader system problem.
3. Inspect the Screen and Controls
Check for moisture, gel, cleaning residue, tape, protective film, gloves or objects pressing against the screen, and visible physical damage.
Clean the exterior according to approved procedures.
Expected outcome: The screen and controls are clean, dry, unobstructed, and undamaged. If responsiveness returns, complete functional verification.
4. Verify Stable Power
Confirm operation on a known-good AC source and inspect the power cord.
Power instability can produce apparent interface problems or repeated resets.
Expected outcome: The ventilator receives stable AC power without abnormal rebooting.
5. Perform a Normal Restart
With the ventilator removed from patient use, perform a normal shutdown and restart using approved operating controls.
Do not force undocumented resets or access unauthorized service functions.
Expected outcome: The interface initializes and responds normally. If the problem clears, continue testing to confirm it does not recur.
6. Remove Nonessential External Connections
Disconnect optional data, serial, USB, network, or other external accessories that are not required for basic operation.
Restart and retest.
Expected outcome: The touchscreen and controls remain responsive in a basic configuration. Reconnect accessories one at a time if an external device appears related.
7. Check for Intermittent or Localized Failure
Test normal user-accessible controls across the display and observe for dead areas, delayed response, unintended activation, or intermittent freezing.
Do not calibrate the touchscreen through undocumented or restricted menus.
Expected outcome: All required controls respond consistently. Any persistent dead area or erratic activation requires removal from service.
8. Verify Alarm and Setting Interaction
Using a safe test setup, confirm that settings can be selected and adjusted normally and that alarms can be acknowledged through the intended controls.
Expected outcome: The operator interface supports reliable control of ventilation and alarms.
9. Complete Functional Verification
Run the required pre-use check and verify the unit remains responsive throughout normal test operation.
Expected outcome: Controls remain stable and responsive. Troubleshooting can stop if the issue does not recur.
10. Escalate Persistent Interface Failure
If the touchscreen freezes, has dead areas, activates unpredictably, or remains unresponsive after basic external checks and a normal restart, stop troubleshooting.
Expected outcome: The ventilator remains out of service for qualified evaluation.
If the Problem Persists
Common contamination, obstruction, power, and external-accessory causes have been ruled out. The remaining issue may involve the display assembly, touch interface, control electronics, software, internal connections, or system hardware.
Remove the ventilator from service, label it Out of Service, and send it for repair or bench evaluation using appropriate Getinge documentation.
After repair, verify all operator controls, alarm interaction, ventilation performance, startup, and pre-use testing before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
A ventilator with an intermittently frozen or partially responsive touchscreen is unsafe for clinical use even if ventilation continues at the current settings.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Respiratory Therapy reported that the Servo-air touchscreen stopped responding during setup."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found dried cleaning residue across the touchscreen causing unreliable touch response."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering cleaned and dried the touchscreen using the approved method, verified reliable control response, completed the pre-use check, and returned the ventilator to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Entire screen or localized area affected
- Display activity during failure
- Physical damage or residue
- AC power status
- Restart result
- External connections removed
- Intermittent behavior
- Pre-use test result
- Final device status
Final Thought
An operator interface must be fully reliable before clinical use. Eliminate simple external causes first, verify complete control operation, and escalate intermittent or persistent failures.
That is successful troubleshooting.