Siemens Healthineers ARTIS Q Series

Table control, collision protection, or room control communication issue

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Asset Type

Angiography System

Manufacturer

Siemens Healthineers

Model

ARTIS Q Series

What This Guide Helps With

Troubleshooting ARTIS Q table control, collision protection, or room control communication issues using safe external checks before escalation.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Ensure Patient Safety First

Confirm whether a patient is on the angiography table or positioned near the C-arm, table, ceiling-mounted equipment, monitors, or room controls.

Stop all table, C-arm, and room movement if motion is unreliable, unexpected, blocked, or not responding normally.

Expected outcome: The patient and staff are protected from unintended table motion, collision risk, or incomplete system communication.

If patient safety is affected, remove the system from clinical use and escalate immediately.

Confirm the Reported Symptom

Ask the technologist, nurse, or physician what control failed and when it occurred.

Identify whether the issue involves:

Expected outcome: The failure mode is clearly identified before troubleshooting begins.

Check for Active Collision or Motion Inhibit Warnings

Review the ARTIS Q operator display, room control indicators, and any system messages related to collision protection, table position, movement inhibit, or safety interlock.

Do not bypass or ignore collision-related warnings.

Expected outcome: A valid safety inhibit is identified before controls or hardware are suspected.

If a collision protection warning is active, correct any external obstruction first before attempting movement again.

Inspect the Patient and Equipment Area for Obstructions

Check around the table, base, floor rails if applicable, C-arm travel path, detector, tube housing, monitor suspension, IV poles, anesthesia equipment, leads, cables, and accessory carts.

Remove any object that could interfere with table or system movement.

Expected outcome: The movement path is clear and collision protection is not being triggered by equipment placement.

If clearing the obstruction restores normal movement, document the finding and stop.

Verify Table Locks, Brakes, and Positioning State

Confirm the table is properly positioned, not physically blocked, and not left in an incomplete movement or locked state.

Check whether tabletop float, longitudinal movement, height movement, tilt, or cradle motion is affected.

Expected outcome: The table is in a valid operating state and not mechanically restricted by an external condition.

Check Table Controls and Room Control Inputs

Test the affected control only when the patient is safe and the movement path is clear.

Compare operation from available control points, such as:

Expected outcome: The issue is narrowed to one control input, one control location, or the entire motion/control system.

If one control works but another does not, the fault may be isolated to that control device, cable, connector, or communication path.

Verify Emergency Stop and Safety Stop Status

Confirm no emergency stop, safety stop, or motion inhibit button is engaged at the table, room control area, or nearby system control location.

Reset only according to site procedure and only after confirming it is safe to do so.

Expected outcome: A simple safety stop condition is ruled out before escalating the issue.

If resetting the safety stop restores function, document the cause and verify normal control operation.

Inspect External Cables and Connectors

Look for loose, damaged, pinched, contaminated, or stressed cables connected to table controls, room controls, footswitches, hand controls, or accessory control modules.

Do not open covers or disturb internal wiring.

Expected outcome: External cable or connector problems are identified without invasive repair.

If reseating an external accessory connector restores operation, perform a safe functional check and document the corrective action.

Check for Fluid, Damage, or Contamination

Inspect the control modules, table-side controls, footswitches, room panels, and nearby cable areas for spilled contrast, saline, blood, cleaning fluid, cracked housings, sticky buttons, or damaged keypads.

Expected outcome: Control input failure caused by contamination or physical damage is identified.

If fluid intrusion or damaged controls are found, remove the system or affected accessory from service and escalate for repair.

Confirm the Issue Is Not Procedure Setup Related

Verify that the ARTIS Q is in the correct operating mode and not waiting for a specific system state, table position, C-arm position, parking condition, or room configuration before allowing movement.

Ask staff whether the issue began after a room setup change, table accessory installation, system restart, or procedure workflow change.

Expected outcome: A workflow or setup condition is ruled out before assuming a communication fault.

Perform a Controlled System Reset Only If Safe

If no patient is on the table and the procedure is not active, follow the site-approved restart or reset process for the angiography system and room controls.

Avoid repeated resets if the issue returns immediately.

Expected outcome: A temporary communication lockup clears, or the fault repeats and supports escalation.

If the issue resolves after one safe reset, verify movement, collision protection behavior, and room control response before returning the system to service.

Verify Function After Any Correction

Test table movement, control response, collision protection status, and room control communication through a limited, controlled functional check.

Confirm there are no active warnings and that all movement stops respond normally.

Expected outcome: The system operates predictably and is safe for clinical use.

If any movement remains intermittent, delayed, blocked, or unpredictable, do not return the room to service.

If the Problem Persists

If the ARTIS Q Series continues to show table control, collision protection, or room control communication issues after external checks, common setup and accessory causes have been ruled out.

The issue may involve internal control electronics, safety interlock circuits, table drive components, communication modules, room control hardware, or collision protection sensors.

The device should be:

Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Do not bypass collision protection, force table movement, or continue patient procedures with unreliable motion control.

Clinical Use Tip

Do not troubleshoot table movement or collision protection faults during an active patient procedure unless immediate action is required for patient safety. Stabilize the patient, stop motion, and move care to another room or workflow before testing controls.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"Clinical staff reported the ARTIS Q table controls were intermittently unresponsive and a collision protection warning appeared during room setup."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"Clinical Engineering found an IV pole and accessory cable positioned in the table and C-arm movement path, triggering motion inhibit behavior."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"Cleared the obstruction, verified table-side and room control response, confirmed no active collision warnings, and returned the ARTIS Q room to service."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

Final Thought

ARTIS Q table and room control issues must be handled with patient safety first because motion, collision protection, and communication faults can create immediate procedural risk. Start with obstructions, safety stops, control inputs, external cables, and setup conditions before escalating. Clear documentation helps separate user setup issues from true system faults and supports safe repair decisions.

That is successful troubleshooting.

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