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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshoots repeated flow, air, volume, obstruction, or fluid-transfer conditions that may be described as clot, bubble, or sample-volume errors.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect Specimens
If the repeated condition occurs during an active processing cycle, have laboratory personnel evaluate specimen status before additional test cycles or fluid movement are attempted.
Expected outcome: Specimens are protected from repeated or incomplete processing conditions.
2. Confirm the Actual Message and Context
Record the exact message displayed by the processor. Determine whether “clot,” “bubble,” or “sample-volume” is staff terminology for a more general fluid-level, flow, air, pressure, or reagent-transfer problem.
Note which stage and reagent were involved.
Expected outcome: The true device-reported condition is identified.
3. Verify Reagent Quantity and Container Setup
Check that the appropriate reagent container is installed correctly and that its contents are consistent with laboratory operating requirements.
Look for an empty, improperly filled, incorrectly positioned, or loosely connected container.
Expected outcome: Reagent availability and container setup are correct.
4. Inspect Accessible Tubing and Connections
Look for kinks, loose fittings, damaged tubing, pinched sections, poor container connections, or visible air entry at accessible interfaces.
Do not dismantle internal fluid pathways.
Expected outcome: External fluid connections are secure and free of obvious conditions that could introduce air or restrict flow.
5. Inspect for Residue or Obstruction
Check routinely accessible fluid-contact and seating areas for tissue debris, paraffin, dried reagent, or other contamination that may affect normal fluid transfer.
Clean only according to approved procedures.
Expected outcome: Accessible areas are free of visible obstruction.
6. Check Waste and Drain Conditions
Verify that accessible waste containers and drainage connections are installed correctly and are not creating an obvious restriction.
Expected outcome: Waste handling is not interfering with fluid movement.
7. Determine Whether the Error Follows One Position
Review whether the repeated condition occurs with one specific reagent position or across multiple positions.
If limited to one position, inspect its container and accessible connections carefully and compare them with a normally functioning position.
Expected outcome: The failure either follows an external reagent setup or is shown to be processor-related.
8. Run an Approved Fluidics Verification
With specimens removed from risk, perform an approved operational check of the affected function if authorized.
Do not repeatedly run cycles simply to see whether the fault returns.
Expected outcome: The fluidics function completes normally without recurring air, flow, or volume-related warnings.
9. Confirm Stable Operation
Verify that the problem does not recur during the approved check and that no leakage, unusual sounds, or secondary fluidics warnings are present.
Expected outcome: Fluid movement is stable and normal. Troubleshooting can stop.
If the Problem Persists
If reagent quantity, container setup, accessible tubing, connections, waste conditions, residue, and external restrictions have been checked and the error continues, common external causes have been ruled out.
Possible remaining causes include internal tubing restrictions, pressure or vacuum abnormalities, pumps, valves, fluid-level sensing, air leaks, internal contamination, or related service-level conditions.
The device should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for repair or qualified service evaluation.
- Evaluated using appropriate Sakura Finetek documentation and approved test equipment.
- Repaired only by qualified personnel.
Do not continue clinical processing with a repeated fluid-volume or flow-related error. Complete applicable fluidics and operational verification before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Repeated air, flow, or volume faults should not be dismissed simply because the processor eventually completes a cycle; reagent exposure may still have been affected.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Laboratory staff reported a repeated fluid-volume-related warning during processing."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found a loose accessible connection at the affected reagent container that could allow inconsistent fluid transfer."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"The connection was secured, the external fluid path was inspected, approved operation completed without recurrence, and the processor was returned to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact displayed message
- Reagent or processing stage involved
- Whether the error repeats in one position
- Reagent quantity
- Container condition
- Tubing and fitting condition
- Visible bubbles or leakage
- Waste setup
- Results of approved functional testing
- Final device status
Final Thought
Treat repeated flow and volume problems as specimen-processing concerns, verify containers and external fluid paths first, avoid unnecessary internal disassembly, and escalate when reliable operation cannot be demonstrated.
That is successful troubleshooting.