On this page
Asset Type
Manufacturer
Model
What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting fluoro unavailable, X-ray generation inhibit, exposure block, or system-not-ready conditions using safe external checks first.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm whether a patient is on the angiography table or an active procedure is underway.
If fluoro or exposure becomes unavailable during a case, notify the clinical team immediately and follow the site’s emergency imaging backup process.
Expected outcome: Patient care is not delayed by unsafe or prolonged troubleshooting during an active procedure.
If the patient is unstable or the procedure is urgent, stop troubleshooting and escalate immediately.
Confirm the Exact Reported Condition
Ask staff what message appeared and when the inhibit occurred.
Check whether the issue involves:
- Fluoro pedal does not initiate imaging
- X-ray exposure button does not work
- System says X-ray is inhibited
- Generator not ready
- Tube cooling or heat warning
- Door, table, C-arm, or collision-related inhibit
- Acquisition available but fluoro unavailable
- Fluoro available but exposure/acquisition blocked
Expected outcome: The failure mode is clearly identified before power, accessory, or system readiness checks begin.
Check Room and Radiation Safety Interlocks
Verify that all procedure room doors are fully closed and that any door interlock indicators are normal.
Confirm that no emergency stop, radiation disable, or room safety switch has been activated.
Expected outcome: External room safety interlocks are not preventing X-ray generation.
If a door or safety interlock was open and closing/resetting it restores fluoro, document and stop.
Check the System Ready State at the Console
Confirm the ARTIS Q system is fully booted and not paused at a warning, startup prompt, login screen, system message, or procedure selection screen.
Review any displayed messages on the control room monitor, imaging workstation, or tableside controls.
Expected outcome: The system is in a ready state and not waiting for user acknowledgement.
If acknowledging a non-critical prompt restores X-ray availability, document and stop.
Verify Footswitch and Hand Switch Operation
Inspect the fluoro footswitch, exposure hand switch, and any connected control accessories.
Make sure the footswitch is connected, positioned correctly, and not physically damaged, stuck, wet, or obstructed.
If safe and available, try an alternate approved footswitch or hand switch.
Expected outcome: A faulty or disconnected operator control is ruled out.
If swapping or reseating the switch restores fluoro or exposure, document the accessory issue and remove the defective accessory from service.
Check Tableside Control and Control Room Selection
Confirm that the correct control location is active and that the system is not expecting input from a different console, tableside module, or control station.
Check for active lockout, disabled control, or mode selection mismatch.
Expected outcome: The intended operator control is enabled and recognized by the system.
Check C-Arm, Table, and Collision Status
Inspect the C-arm, detector, tube housing, table, and nearby equipment for possible collision or obstruction.
Look for collision warnings, table position limits, parking position issues, or movement faults that may inhibit X-ray.
Expected outcome: The system is not blocking exposure due to unsafe geometry, position, or collision detection.
If clearing an obstruction or returning the system to a safe position restores X-ray availability, document and stop.
Verify Required Imaging Components Are Ready
Confirm that the detector, X-ray tube, collimator, generator, and image acquisition system show normal ready status.
Check for obvious external indicators such as warning lights, unavailable detector status, or console messages related to image chain readiness.
Expected outcome: Imaging chain readiness is confirmed before suspecting generator failure.
Check Tube Heat, Cooling, and Dose-Related Inhibits
Review the system display for tube heat, cooling delay, generator temperature, or dose-related warnings.
Allow the system to cool if the message indicates a temporary thermal limit.
Expected outcome: Temporary thermal protection is identified and allowed to clear without bypassing safety features.
If fluoro returns after the cooldown period, document the heat or workload condition and advise staff to monitor recurrence.
Confirm Exam, Protocol, and Mode Selection
Verify that a valid exam, procedure, patient, and imaging protocol are selected.
Check whether the selected mode supports fluoro or acquisition from the current system position and configuration.
Expected outcome: X-ray is not inhibited by an incomplete exam setup or incompatible imaging mode.
Check Image System and Network-Dependent Workflow Status
Confirm that the imaging workstation is responsive and not frozen during patient loading, image storage, or acquisition setup.
If the system is waiting for patient data, storage acknowledgement, or image system readiness, follow site downtime workflow or local reset policy.
Expected outcome: X-ray generation is not blocked by a workstation or workflow readiness issue.
Perform a Controlled System Reset Only If Safe
If no patient is dependent on the system and site policy allows it, perform a controlled application restart or system reboot.
Do not power-cycle imaging equipment during an active procedure unless directed by Siemens service or site emergency procedure.
Expected outcome: Software readiness or temporary communication faults are cleared without creating patient risk.
If reboot restores normal fluoro and exposure, complete operational checks, document the event, and return the system to service only if performance is stable.
Perform a Basic Functional Check
After the issue clears, verify that fluoro, exposure control, image display, and operator controls function normally using site-approved test conditions.
Confirm no active radiation safety, generator, detector, or cooling warnings remain.
Expected outcome: The system is safe and ready for clinical use.
If the Problem Persists
If fluoro remains unavailable or X-ray generation continues to be inhibited after external checks, common user-accessible causes have been ruled out.
The issue may involve the generator, X-ray tube circuit, detector communication, interlock circuit, control electronics, workstation communication, cooling system, or internal safety chain.
The device should be:
- Removed from clinical use
- Labeled Out of Service
- Escalated to Siemens service or qualified imaging service personnel for bench/system evaluation
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Do not bypass radiation safety interlocks or attempt internal generator or X-ray circuit repair during clinical troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot fluoro or exposure failures while an active patient procedure is depending on the system unless directed by the clinical lead and site emergency policy. Move the case to another imaging room or backup workflow when patient care requires immediate imaging.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Clinical staff reported that the Siemens ARTIS Q system displayed an X-ray inhibit message and fluoro was not available during room setup."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Troubleshooting found the procedure room door interlock was not satisfied because the control room door was not fully latched."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Door was secured, interlock cleared, fluoro availability was confirmed, and the system was returned to service after a basic functional check."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Exact inhibit or generator message displayed
- Whether fluoro, exposure, or both were unavailable
- Whether the issue occurred during startup, room setup, or active procedure
- Door interlock status
- Emergency stop or radiation disable status
- Footswitch or hand switch condition
- Whether alternate controls were tested
- Table and C-arm position
- Collision or obstruction warnings
- Tube heat or cooling messages
- Detector or acquisition workstation status
- Whether reboot was performed
- Final device status
Final Thought
Fluoro and exposure inhibits should always be treated as patient safety and radiation safety events first. Clinical Engineering should verify external interlocks, controls, system readiness, cooling status, and workflow setup before suspecting internal failure. If the ARTIS Q system does not return to a stable ready state, remove it from service and escalate with clear CCR documentation.
That is successful troubleshooting.