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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting Urisys 1100 optical, strip reading, photometer, or reflectance failures caused by external or user-correctable conditions.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm the Urisys 1100 is not being used to process or report active patient urine results.
If patient testing is needed, have laboratory staff use another validated analyzer or follow the approved downtime/manual testing process.
Expected outcome: Patient results are not reported from an analyzer with unresolved optical or photometer read concerns.
Verify the Reported Failure
Ask laboratory staff when the read failure occurs.
Check whether it happens:
- During startup
- During calibration or self-check
- When reading a urine strip
- With every strip
- With one strip lot
- Intermittently after cleaning or maintenance
Expected outcome: The failure pattern is understood before optics or internal hardware are suspected.
Check for Obvious Contamination Around the Strip Area
Inspect the strip tray, strip guide, and reading area for urine residue, dried control material, strip debris, dust, or cleaning residue.
Clean only external and user-accessible areas using the facility-approved method and Roche-approved cleaning guidance.
Expected outcome: The strip path and optical read area are free of visible contamination.
If cleaning resolves the error, return the analyzer to service only after successful QC and document the work order. Stop here.
Verify Correct Strip Type
Confirm the analyzer is being used with the correct Roche-compatible urine test strips for the Urisys 1100 configuration.
Make sure staff are not using an incorrect strip type, expired strips, or strips from a compromised bottle.
Expected outcome: The analyzer is reading the correct strip format and chemistry pad layout.
Check Strip Storage and Handling
Verify the strip bottle cap is closed, strips are dry, and the bottle has not been exposed to moisture, heat, light, or contamination.
Ask whether the issue began after opening a new strip bottle or changing lots.
Expected outcome: Strip quality is ruled out as the cause of abnormal reflectance or photometer read failure.
Run a Known-Good Strip or QC Check
Have laboratory staff run QC or an approved check using a known-good strip lot and proper workflow.
Observe whether the analyzer reads normally, rejects the strip, or produces the same optical/photometer error.
Expected outcome: The issue is confirmed as analyzer-related or narrowed to strip/QC material handling.
Inspect Strip Placement and Timing
Confirm the strip is being placed correctly on the tray and inserted according to the normal analyzer workflow.
A misaligned strip, delayed placement, excess sample, or poor blotting can interfere with the photometer reading.
Expected outcome: The strip is positioned consistently and reaches the read area correctly.
Check for Excess Sample or Carryover
Ask staff to confirm strips are blotted properly and not dripping urine or control material into the tray area.
Look for pooling, wet surfaces, or residue that could affect optical reflection.
Expected outcome: The analyzer is not being affected by excess fluid, residue, or repeated contamination.
Verify Ambient Conditions
Confirm the analyzer is on a stable, level surface away from direct sunlight, strong glare, excessive vibration, heat, or condensation.
Optical urine analyzers can be affected by environmental conditions that interfere with consistent reflectance readings.
Expected outcome: The analyzer is operating in a suitable location.
Power Cycle the Analyzer Safely
Confirm no testing is in progress.
Power the analyzer off, wait briefly, and restart it.
Observe whether startup completes normally or the same photometer/read error returns.
Expected outcome: Temporary software or startup state issues are cleared.
If the analyzer completes startup and passes QC afterward, document the issue and return it to service. Stop here.
Check Power Source and Adapter
Verify the power adapter is fully seated and connected to a known-good outlet.
Check for loose power connections, damaged cords, flickering display behavior, or unexpected resets.
Expected outcome: Unstable power is ruled out as a contributor to read failures.
Review Error Behavior After Cleaning and QC
If the read failure continues after verifying strips, cleaning, environment, operator workflow, and power, do not continue repeated patient or QC testing.
Expected outcome: Common external causes have been ruled out without unnecessary internal disassembly.
If the Problem Persists
If the Urisys 1100 continues to show optics, photometer, reflectance, or strip read failures after the checks above, the issue is likely internal to the optical system, tray positioning, sensor path, lamp/LED system, photometer assembly, or internal electronics.
The device should be:
- Removed from service
- Labeled Out of Service
- Sent for repair, bench evaluation, or vendor service
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Do not attempt internal optical alignment, board-level repair, or service manual procedures unless authorized and properly equipped.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot a urine analyzer while patient results are being generated or released. Move testing to another validated analyzer or approved backup process first. Optical read failures can affect result reliability, so patient safety depends on stopping use until QC confirms acceptable performance.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Laboratory staff reported the Roche Urisys 1100 was producing photometer read errors during urine strip testing."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"External troubleshooting found dried urine residue on the strip tray and reading path, with QC failing before cleaning."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Cleaned user-accessible strip tray area, verified correct Roche-compatible strips, repeated QC successfully, and returned analyzer to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact error message displayed
- Whether failure occurs at startup or during strip reading
- Strip lot and expiration date checked
- QC lot and expiration date checked
- Strip tray inspected and cleaned
- Excess sample or residue found
- Outlet and power adapter checked
- Analyzer location checked for glare or vibration
- Alarm behavior
- Accessories swapped
- Power behavior
- Environmental factors
- Indicator lights
- QC result after troubleshooting
- Final device status
Final Thought
Optics and photometer failures should be approached logically. Start with patient safety, then rule out strip issues, contamination, placement, environmental conditions, and power. If the analyzer still cannot read reliably, remove it from service and escalate for repair. Clear CCR documentation protects patient results and shows that troubleshooting was performed correctly.
That is successful troubleshooting.