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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting inaccurate bladder volume readings, poor targeting, weak image acquisition, or inconsistent scan results caused by external setup issues.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm the Portascan 3D is not being actively used for a clinical decision that could affect immediate patient care.
If the reported bladder volume seems clinically inconsistent, instruct staff to verify the result per facility policy before catheterization or treatment decisions are made.
Expected outcome: Patient care is not based on a questionable scan result.
If the issue occurs during active patient care, move to another verified bladder scanner before continuing equipment troubleshooting.
Confirm the Reported Problem
Ask staff what was observed.
Common reports may include:
- Inaccurate bladder volume
- Unexpectedly high or low reading
- Poor bladder targeting
- Bladder not centered on scan
- Repeated failed scans
- Inconsistent results between scans
- Volume does not match catheter output
- Difficulty locating the bladder
Expected outcome: The failure mode is clearly identified before assuming scanner malfunction.
Verify Proper Patient and Scan Conditions
Confirm the patient was positioned appropriately and that the scan was performed over the expected bladder location.
Check whether the issue occurred on one patient, multiple patients, or only with difficult anatomy.
Bladder scanners can be affected by body habitus, abdominal wounds, ascites, surgical dressings, pregnancy status, bladder shape, or incorrect probe placement.
Expected outcome: The scanner issue is separated from patient-specific scanning difficulty.
If repeat scanning on a test subject or known-good condition produces normal results, document the finding and stop.
Check Probe Placement and Targeting Technique
Review whether the probe was aimed correctly toward the bladder and held steady during acquisition.
The Portascan 3D is designed for automatic 3D scanning with targeting features and real-time scanning modes, so poor alignment or movement during scanning can still affect volume reliability.
Expected outcome: The bladder is centered or targeted correctly before the volume is accepted.
If improved technique resolves the inaccurate reading, educate staff, document no equipment failure found, and stop.
Inspect Ultrasound Gel Use
Confirm that adequate ultrasound gel was used between the probe and the patient.
Look for dry scanning, too little gel, air gaps, old gel residue, or contamination on the probe face.
Ultrasound bladder scanners rely on transmitted and reflected ultrasound signals to differentiate the bladder from surrounding tissue and calculate bladder volume.
Expected outcome: Proper acoustic coupling is restored.
If applying fresh gel and rescanning resolves the issue, clean the probe, document the cause, and stop.
Inspect the Probe Face
Visually inspect the probe surface for cracks, dents, residue, dried gel, damaged lens material, or signs of impact.
Do not use sharp tools or harsh chemicals on the probe face.
Expected outcome: The probe surface is clean, smooth, and undamaged.
If physical damage is found, remove the device from service and send it for repair evaluation.
Check the Probe Cable and Connector
Inspect the probe cable for cuts, kinks, crushed sections, strain near the connector, or intermittent connection.
Confirm the probe connector is fully seated and secure.
Expected outcome: The scanner has a stable probe connection with no obvious external damage.
If moving the cable causes image dropouts, scan failures, or changing results, remove the device from service for repair.
Clean the Probe and Scanner Surfaces
Clean the probe according to facility-approved cleaning procedures.
Remove gel buildup around the probe face, cable strain relief, and scanner contact areas.
Expected outcome: Signal quality is not being affected by residue or contamination.
If cleaning restores normal targeting and volume readings, document the corrective action and return the scanner to service.
Verify the Correct Scan Mode or User Selection
Confirm staff are using the appropriate scan function for bladder volume or post-void residual workflow.
Check for incorrect menu selection, incomplete scan process, or saved result being confused with a new scan.
The Portascan 3D supports bladder volume and PVR scanning workflows, so workflow confusion can appear as an inaccurate device reading.
Expected outcome: The scan mode matches the clinical task.
If incorrect operation caused the concern, provide user guidance, document no equipment failure found, and stop.
Check Battery and Power Status
Verify the scanner has adequate battery charge.
Low or unstable power can contribute to interrupted scans, incomplete acquisition, or unreliable operation.
Expected outcome: The scanner remains powered throughout scan acquisition and result display.
If the issue only occurs on battery power, charge the unit fully and retest. If the problem persists, remove the device from service for battery or power evaluation.
Perform a Repeat Scan Under Controlled Conditions
With clinical approval, repeat scanning under stable conditions using proper gel, clean probe surface, correct placement, and steady probe handling.
Compare repeated results for consistency rather than relying on a single questionable scan.
Expected outcome: Repeated scans are reasonably consistent and the bladder target is identifiable.
If the scanner remains inconsistent despite controlled technique, continue troubleshooting.
Compare Against Another Verified Scanner
If available, compare the Portascan 3D result with another known-good bladder scanner under similar conditions.
Do not treat minor differences as equipment failure; focus on major discrepancies, repeated targeting failure, or clinically unreasonable results.
Expected outcome: The suspected scanner either performs similarly to a known-good device or shows repeatable abnormal behavior.
If another scanner produces reliable targeting and the Portascan 3D does not, remove the Portascan 3D from service.
Review Stored Results or Printouts
Check whether the reported volume came from a current scan, stored result, or printed record.
Confirm the result was not misread, assigned to the wrong patient, or confused with a previous scan.
Expected outcome: Documentation and displayed results match the actual scan performed.
If the problem was user workflow or record confusion, document the finding and stop.
Check for Display or Touchscreen Issues
Verify the screen clearly shows targeting information, bladder outline, scan status, and result values.
Confirm the touchscreen responds correctly and does not select the wrong function.
Expected outcome: The operator can clearly view and select the correct scan workflow.
If display or touchscreen problems affect scan targeting or result interpretation, remove the device from service for repair.
Evaluate for Repeated Error Behavior
Ask staff whether any error messages, failed scan prompts, abnormal sounds, startup issues, or freezing occurred.
Observe whether the scanner repeatedly fails to acquire a target under normal use.
Expected outcome: Any repeatable scanner behavior is identified before escalation.
If the scanner freezes, fails acquisition repeatedly, or cannot produce a stable result, remove it from service.
If the Problem Persists
If patient positioning, gel use, probe placement, probe condition, cable connection, power status, scan mode, and repeat scanning have all been checked, common external causes have been ruled out.
The issue may involve the probe, internal ultrasound acquisition system, touchscreen interface, software, or scanner electronics.
The device should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for repair or bench evaluation
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. A bladder scanner that gives unreliable volume readings should not remain in clinical use.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot inaccurate bladder volumes during active patient decision-making. Move staff to another verified bladder scanner first, especially when the result may affect catheterization, urinary retention assessment, or post-void residual documentation.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Nursing reported the Laborie Portascan 3D was giving inconsistent bladder volume readings and was difficult to target during patient scans."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found dried gel buildup on the probe face and inconsistent probe positioning during repeat scan review."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Probe was cleaned, proper gel use and targeting technique were verified, repeat scans were consistent, and the scanner was returned to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Outlet or battery status checked
- Battery charge level
- Probe face condition
- Probe cable condition
- Gel use confirmed
- Patient positioning reviewed
- Scan mode verified
- Targeting behavior observed
- Repeat scan results
- Comparison with known-good scanner
- Any displayed error messages
- Touchscreen response
- Printer or stored result reviewed
- Final device status
Final Thought
Bladder scanner troubleshooting should focus on patient safety, scanning technique, acoustic coupling, probe condition, and repeatability before assuming internal failure. Inaccurate volume complaints are often caused by external setup issues, but a scanner that remains inconsistent after controlled testing should be removed from service. Clear CCR documentation helps show what was reported, what was found, and why the device was either returned to use or escalated for repair.
That is successful troubleshooting.