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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshoot failed or incomplete calibration caused by consumables, environmental conditions, fluidics readiness, analyzer status, or recurring service-level faults.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect Patient Testing and Confirm the Calibration Failure
Do not release patient results from an analyzer that has failed required calibration or cannot establish a valid calibrated state. Redirect testing to another verified analyzer as needed.
Record the exact calibration failure message, affected measurement if displayed, and whether the failure is intermittent or repeated.
Expected outcome: The calibration problem is clearly documented and the analyzer is withheld from patient use until acceptable performance is established.
2. Verify Analyzer Readiness
Confirm the analyzer has completed initialization and is not displaying unresolved reagent, waste, temperature, fluidics, or other system conditions.
Calibration may fail when another required subsystem is not ready.
Expected outcome: No external readiness condition is preventing calibration. Correcting a readiness issue that allows calibration to complete successfully resolves the problem.
3. Verify Required Consumables
Inspect required reagent, calibration, wash, waste, or related consumables for correct installation, adequate status, expiration, damage, and proper seating.
Do not assume a consumable is acceptable solely because it was recently installed.
Expected outcome: Required consumables are appropriate, in date, recognized, and correctly installed. If replacement or reseating allows calibration to complete, continue to final verification.
4. Inspect Accessible Fluid Connections and Waste Conditions
Check user-accessible fluid paths, containers, waste connections, and associated tubing for kinks, loose connections, leaks, improper positioning, or obvious obstruction.
Do not open internal fluidics assemblies.
Expected outcome: External fluid and waste connections are secure and unrestricted. If correcting an external fluidics issue restores calibration, troubleshooting can stop after verification.
5. Check Environmental Conditions
Verify the analyzer is in its normal installed location with unobstructed ventilation and no obvious extreme temperature, direct heat source, excessive moisture, vibration, or recent relocation that could affect stable operation.
Expected outcome: The analyzer is operating in an appropriate environment. If environmental correction results in successful calibration, verify stability before return to service.
6. Repeat Calibration Only After Correcting a Suspected Cause
Do not repeatedly initiate calibration without changing a condition. After correcting an identified external cause, initiate the normal approved calibration process.
Document whether the same parameter or stage fails again.
Expected outcome: Calibration completes successfully and the analyzer reports an acceptable calibrated state. If it fails repeatedly, proceed to escalation.
7. Compare With Quality-Control Performance
After successful calibration, run required quality-control material according to laboratory procedure. Calibration success alone does not confirm acceptable analytical performance.
Expected outcome: Required QC results are acceptable. If QC remains unacceptable, continue troubleshooting under the QC issue rather than returning the analyzer to service.
8. Perform Final Functional Verification
Confirm calibration status remains valid, the analyzer is in its normal ready state, and required QC and functional checks pass.
Expected outcome: Calibration and quality checks are acceptable and stable. The analyzer may be returned to service.
If the Problem Persists
Consumables, accessible fluidics, analyzer readiness, and obvious environmental causes have been ruled out. Repeated calibration failure may involve sensors, measurement components, internal fluidics, temperature regulation, calibration control, or another service-level condition.
The analyzer should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for repair or bench evaluation.
- Evaluated using appropriate Radiometer documentation and approved test equipment.
- Repaired or configured only by qualified personnel.
Do not adjust calibration values, access protected service functions, or replace internal measurement components without authorized procedures. Complete calibration and required QC before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
A completed calibration is not sufficient by itself; verify required QC before relying on patient blood gas results.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Laboratory staff reported repeated calibration failure on the Radiometer ABL90 FLEX PLUS."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found a required consumable was improperly seated and was not supplying the analyzer correctly."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering reseated the consumable, repeated calibration successfully, verified acceptable QC performance, and returned the analyzer to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact calibration message
- Measurement or parameter affected
- Whether failure is intermittent or repeatable
- Reagent and consumable status
- Fluid and waste connection condition
- Evidence of leaks or kinks
- Environmental observations
- Corrective action before recalibration
- Calibration result after correction
- QC result after calibration
- Final device status
Final Thought
Treat calibration as a system-performance check, not something to force through repeated attempts. Verify consumables, fluidics, readiness, and environment first, then escalate persistent failures and document final analytical verification.
That is successful troubleshooting.