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What This Guide Helps With
Touchscreen or control inputs respond slowly, intermittently, or not at all because of contamination, physical damage, startup issues, or internal control-system faults.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect the Patient and Maintain Ventilation
Do not troubleshoot unresponsive controls while a patient depends on the ventilator. Inability to change settings or respond to alarms can make the device unsafe even if ventilation currently continues.
Move the patient to another verified ventilator before further testing.
Expected outcome: The patient is supported by equipment with reliable controls.
2. Confirm Which Controls Are Affected
Determine whether the problem involves:
- Entire touchscreen
- Specific screen areas
- Physical controls
- Delayed response
- Intermittent response
- Frozen display with no control response
Record whether displayed waveforms or values continue updating.
Expected outcome: The control failure is clearly characterized.
3. Inspect the Screen and Control Surface
Check for moisture, cleaning residue, contamination, protective film problems, cracked glass, impact damage, or anything physically interfering with normal operation.
Clean only using approved methods.
Expected outcome: The external user interface is clean, dry, and free of obvious obstruction or damage. If responsiveness returns and remains stable, continue to functional verification.
4. Verify Basic Power Stability
Confirm the ventilator is connected to known-good AC power and is not repeatedly transitioning between power sources.
Observe for unexpected restarts, display flicker, or other symptoms suggesting unstable power.
Expected outcome: Power is stable and unrelated power problems are ruled out.
5. Perform a Controlled Restart
With the ventilator removed from patient care, perform a normal shutdown and restart using approved operating controls.
Do not force power interruption unless manufacturer documentation specifically permits it.
Expected outcome: The ventilator boots normally and controls respond consistently. If normal function returns, continue testing for recurrence before returning to service.
6. Check All Normal User Inputs
Verify the touchscreen and accessible physical controls respond across their intended operating functions without entering restricted service menus.
Expected outcome: Control response is consistent and repeatable.
7. Run the Pre-Use Check
Perform the complete manufacturer-approved pre-use check after restart.
Expected outcome: The ventilator completes testing without control or display faults.
8. Perform Functional Verification
Using a test lung, verify that settings can be entered, confirmed, and changed normally and that displayed information updates appropriately.
Confirm alarms can be acknowledged through normal controls.
Expected outcome: The user interface functions reliably throughout normal ventilator operation.
9. Escalate Intermittent or Persistent Failure
If any touchscreen region or physical control remains intermittent, unresponsive, or unreliable, remove the ventilator from service even if a restart temporarily restores operation.
Expected outcome: A ventilator with unreliable user controls is not returned to patient care.
If the Problem Persists
External contamination, physical obstruction, AC stability, and normal restart have been evaluated. Remaining causes may involve the display assembly, touch interface, control electronics, software, internal connections, or other service-level systems.
The ventilator should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for repair or bench evaluation
- Evaluated using appropriate Getinge documentation and approved test equipment
- Repaired or configured only by qualified personnel
Complete full functional, control, alarm, and safety testing before return to service. Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
A ventilator with intermittent controls is unsafe even if current ventilation appears normal because rapid setting changes may be required during patient deterioration.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Respiratory Therapy reported that the Servo-c touchscreen did not consistently respond to selections."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found dried cleaning residue across the touchscreen surface interfering with reliable touch input."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"The screen was cleaned using the approved method, touch response was verified across normal operating functions, and the ventilator passed pre-use and functional testing."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Touchscreen or physical control affected
- Intermittent or continuous failure
- Display activity
- Contamination or damage found
- AC power status
- Restart result
- Pre-use check result
- Controls tested
- Recurrence during bench testing
- Final device status
Final Thought
Unresponsive controls are a patient-safety concern. Verify simple external causes first, confirm reliable operation through repeated testing, and remove the ventilator from service if any control remains intermittent.
That is successful troubleshooting.