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What This Guide Helps With
This guide helps troubleshoot the ICU Medical CADD-Solis Disposable attached improperly alarm. This is a high-priority alarm that occurs when the pump detects that the cassette or administration set is not correctly attached, latched, or locked to the pump.
The latch/lock sensor circuit helps prevent delivery when the disposable is not properly secured. If the disposable is attached incorrectly, medication delivery may stop or may be prevented from starting until the cassette or administration set is correctly installed.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
- Do not troubleshoot the infusion pump while it is actively delivering medication to a patient unless clinical staff determine it is safe.
- If therapy must continue, have clinical staff move the patient to a backup pump or approved alternate delivery method first.
- Confirm whether the pump stopped delivery, paused therapy, or prevented delivery from starting.
- Verify the medication, dose, route, and delivery status with clinical staff before restarting therapy.
Verify the Alarm Message
- Confirm the exact alarm shown is Disposable attached improperly.
- Ask staff whether the alarm appeared after cassette installation, bag change, tubing change, pump programming, cleaning, or patient movement.
- Check whether the cassette or administration set appears loose, crooked, partially seated, or not fully locked.
- Confirm the pump is not being forced to run with an incorrectly attached disposable.
Remove and Reattach the Disposable
- Stop the pump according to clinical procedure before handling the cassette or administration set.
- Remove the cassette or administration set from the pump.
- Inspect the disposable for misalignment, damage, bent features, debris, or anything preventing it from seating flat against the pump.
- Reattach the cassette or administration set carefully, making sure it sits fully against the pump.
- Verify the latch is fully closed and the disposable is locked before attempting to restart delivery.
Inspect the Latch and Lock Area
- Check the pump latch area for visible damage, contamination, dried medication, debris, or anything blocking full latch movement.
- Confirm the latch moves normally and does not feel loose, cracked, jammed, or partially engaged.
- Inspect the cassette interface area for broken plastic, foreign material, or signs that the pump was dropped or impacted.
- Do not force the latch closed if the cassette or administration set does not seat correctly.
Try a Known-Good Disposable Set if Available
- Replace the cassette or administration set with a known-good compatible disposable if the alarm continues.
- Make sure the replacement disposable is correct for the pump and therapy setup.
- Recheck that the replacement cassette or set fully latches and locks into place.
- If the alarm clears with a replacement disposable, remove the suspect disposable from use according to facility procedure.
Verify Pump Status Before Returning to Use
- Confirm the alarm clears after the disposable is correctly attached.
- Verify the pump recognizes the cassette or administration set normally.
- Confirm there are no additional alarms related to occlusion, air in line, battery, cassette, or delivery status.
- Have clinical staff verify the therapy setup and delivery status before the pump is returned to patient use.
If the Problem Persists
If the alarm continues after the cassette or administration set has been removed and correctly reattached, a known-good compatible disposable has been tried, and the latch/lock area has been inspected for obvious external issues, remove the pump from service.
Label the device Out of Service and send it for repair or bench evaluation. Continued alarms may indicate a latch, lock, cassette detection, sensor, housing, or internal circuit issue that requires qualified service evaluation.
Clinical Use Tip
Never troubleshoot this alarm on an active patient while medication delivery is still needed. Move the patient to a backup pump or approved alternate delivery method first, then troubleshoot the CADD-Solis pump after patient therapy is protected.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"ICU Medical CADD-Solis pump alarming Disposable attached improperly and would not allow delivery to continue."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Cassette was not fully seated and latch was not completely locked. Latch area inspected with no visible damage or debris found."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Removed and reattached cassette correctly, verified cassette fully latched and locked, cleared alarm, and confirmed pump returned to normal operation before clinical use."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Alarm behavior
- Accessories swapped
- Power behavior
- Environmental factors
- Indicator lights
- Final device status
Final Thought
The Disposable attached improperly alarm should be handled as a safety stop, not just a nuisance alarm. Start with patient safety, confirm the disposable is correctly installed, inspect the latch and cassette area, try a known-good disposable when appropriate, and escalate the pump if the alarm does not clear reliably.
That is successful troubleshooting.