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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting failure to resume ventilation caused by screen prompts, incomplete settings, circuit problems, gas supply, accessories, or system faults.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Ensure Patient Safety First
Do not troubleshoot a Servo-i that will not start ventilation while a patient is dependent on it.
- Immediately notify respiratory therapy and the clinical team.
- Transfer the patient to another verified ventilator or approved ventilation method.
- Provide manual ventilation support when clinically required and directed by qualified staff.
- Confirm that the replacement equipment is operating correctly before continuing.
Expected outcome: The patient is safely supported without relying on the affected ventilator.
Continue Clinical Engineering troubleshooting only after the Servo-i has been removed from patient use.
2. Confirm the Reported Behavior
Determine exactly what happens when the Start/Standby key is pressed.
Check whether:
- The key produces no response.
- A confirmation prompt appears but ventilation does not begin.
- The ventilator briefly starts and immediately returns to Standby.
- An alarm, message, or technical error appears.
- The system remains responsive but indicates that settings or connections are incomplete.
Record the exact message, alarm text, and indicator-light behavior.
Expected outcome: The failure is clearly defined before components are changed.
3. Verify the Start/Standby Sequence
Press the Start/Standby key and follow the on-screen confirmation prompts. The Servo-i uses the Start/Standby control and a confirmation selection when changing between ventilation and Standby.
- Confirm that the correct on-screen option is selected.
- Verify that the touchscreen registers the selection.
- Do not repeatedly press the key rapidly.
- Allow the ventilator time to process the command.
If ventilation begins normally, confirm stable operation with a test lung and stop troubleshooting.
Expected outcome: The ventilator leaves Standby and begins delivering breaths.
4. Check for Incomplete Patient or Ventilation Settings
Review the active patient category, ventilation mode, and required settings.
Confirm that:
- The correct patient category is selected.
- A valid ventilation mode is active.
- Required pressure, volume, rate, PEEP, oxygen, and trigger settings contain acceptable values.
- No required field remains highlighted, blank, or awaiting confirmation.
- Recent setting changes have been accepted.
Do not alter clinical settings from the reported configuration without coordinating with respiratory therapy. For bench testing, use facility-approved test settings.
Expected outcome: The ventilator has a complete and accepted configuration that permits ventilation to start.
5. Inspect the Patient Circuit
Connect a known-good, correctly assembled patient circuit and test lung.
Inspect for:
- Disconnected inspiratory or expiratory limbs
- Loose connections at the patient outlet
- Incorrectly installed expiratory cassette
- Occluded tubing or filters
- Water accumulation
- Damaged tubing
- Incorrect circuit accessories
- Open nebulizer, sampling, or accessory ports
Reseat all accessible connections.
If ventilation starts with the known-good circuit, replace the defective circuit component and document the finding.
Expected outcome: The circuit is complete, unobstructed, and capable of supporting a controlled test breath.
6. Inspect and Reseat the Expiratory Cassette
Verify that the expiratory cassette is:
- The correct cassette for the Servo-i
- Fully inserted and latched
- Clean and dry
- Free from visible damage
- Not blocked by moisture or debris
Remove and reinstall the cassette according to facility infection-control procedures. Do not use a cassette that is wet, cracked, contaminated, or physically damaged.
Expected outcome: The ventilator recognizes the expiratory cassette and permits ventilation.
7. Verify Air and Oxygen Supplies
Confirm that both gas hoses are fully connected to the ventilator and the facility gas outlets.
Check:
- Air and oxygen wall outlets are active.
- Hose fittings are fully seated.
- Hoses are not kinked, crushed, or visibly damaged.
- Gas-source alarms are not active.
- Alternate verified gas outlets produce the same result.
- Cylinder regulators, when used, are open and provide adequate pressure.
If available, verify source pressure using approved test equipment rather than relying only on the wall outlet appearance.
Expected outcome: Adequate air and oxygen supplies are available to the ventilator.
8. Check Electrical Power and Battery Status
Verify that the Servo-i is connected to a known-good hospital-grade outlet.
Confirm:
- The AC power indicator is illuminated.
- The power cord is fully seated.
- The outlet passes a basic power check.
- Battery modules are properly installed.
- No battery, power-supply, or charging alarms are present.
A ventilator may remain powered while still having a power-related condition that prevents reliable operation.
Expected outcome: The ventilator has stable AC power and no active power-system fault.
9. Review Active Alarms and System Messages
Open the alarm and message displays and record all active or recently generated conditions.
Pay particular attention to messages involving:
- Expiratory cassette
- Gas supply
- Patient circuit
- Pressure transducer
- Flow measurement
- Configuration
- Pre-use check
- Internal technical error
- Battery or power supply
Do not clear or dismiss messages before recording them. The displayed information may identify the condition preventing ventilation.
Expected outcome: Any external condition blocking startup is identified and corrected.
10. Perform a Controlled Restart
With the ventilator disconnected from any patient:
- Place the unit in Standby.
- Switch the ventilator off using the normal shutdown process.
- Disconnect AC power briefly.
- Reconnect AC power.
- Power the unit on.
- Allow the startup sequence to complete without interruption.
Do not repeatedly cycle power if the unit displays a persistent technical error.
Expected outcome: A temporary software or control-state problem clears and the system starts normally.
11. Run the Pre-Use Check
Connect the required test equipment and run the Servo-i pre-use check according to facility procedure and the applicable manufacturer instructions.
Verify successful completion of:
- Internal system checks
- Gas-supply checks
- Circuit leakage testing
- Pressure and flow checks
- Expiratory cassette checks
- Alarm-system checks
Do not return the ventilator to service if the pre-use check fails, is interrupted, or cannot be completed.
Expected outcome: The ventilator passes its pre-use verification and starts ventilation with a test lung.
12. Test with Known-Good External Components
When compatible components are available, repeat the test using:
- A known-good patient circuit
- A known-good expiratory cassette
- Verified air and oxygen hoses
- A verified test lung
- A different approved electrical outlet
Change one component at a time so the actual cause can be identified.
If replacing an external component resolves the problem, repeat the pre-use check before returning the ventilator to service.
Expected outcome: The defective external component is isolated or external causes are ruled out.
If the Problem Persists
If the Servo-i still will not start ventilation after the controls, settings, circuit, expiratory cassette, gas sources, electrical supply, alarms, and pre-use check have been evaluated, common external causes have been ruled out.
The problem may involve an internal control, gas-delivery, sensor, power-supply, user-interface, or software fault.
The ventilator should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for qualified repair or bench evaluation
- Evaluated using the applicable Getinge service documentation and approved test equipment
Do not perform internal board-level repair or bypass a startup interlock during routine floor troubleshooting. Knowing when to stop and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never troubleshoot a failure to start ventilation while the Servo-i is connected to an active patient. Move the patient to another verified ventilation method first and troubleshoot only under controlled conditions.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Respiratory therapy reported that the Getinge Servo-i remained in Standby and would not begin ventilation when the Start/Standby control was selected."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Inspection found that the expiratory cassette was not fully seated, preventing the ventilator from completing the transition from Standby to active ventilation."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Reseated the expiratory cassette, connected a test lung, completed the pre-use check successfully, verified stable ventilation and alarms, and returned the unit to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact alarm or system message
- Start/Standby key response
- Touchscreen confirmation response
- Patient category and ventilation mode
- Air and oxygen supplies verified
- Gas hoses reseated or swapped
- Outlet tested
- AC power indicator status
- Battery condition
- Circuit and filters inspected
- Expiratory cassette inspected or exchanged
- Pre-use check results
- Test-lung results
- Technical error code
- Final device status
Final Thought
A failure to leave Standby can result from a simple unconfirmed command, incomplete settings, an improperly installed circuit component, unavailable gas, or an internal fault. Protect the patient first, verify external conditions logically, complete functional testing, and escalate when the ventilator cannot pass its required checks. Clear CCR documentation preserves the troubleshooting history and supports safe repair decisions.
That is successful troubleshooting.