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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting PET/CT acquisition, reconstruction, host computer, syngo workstation, display, or workflow faults using safe external checks first.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm whether a patient is currently on the PET/CT table or in the middle of an active scan.
If acquisition, reconstruction, or workstation control becomes unreliable during patient care, stop nonessential troubleshooting and notify imaging staff immediately.
Expected outcome: Patient care is not dependent on an unstable acquisition or reconstruction system.
If the patient is still positioned in the scanner, prioritize safe table removal, scan cancellation per site procedure, and clinical handoff before technical troubleshooting continues.
Confirm the Exact Failure
Ask the technologist what failed and when it occurred.
Identify whether the issue involves:
- PET acquisition not starting
- CT acquisition not starting
- PET data acquired but not reconstructing
- Reconstruction stuck, failed, or delayed
- syngo workstation frozen or unresponsive
- Patient/study information mismatch
- Images not loading or displaying
- Acquisition computer communication fault
- Console error after startup, scan completion, or image transfer
Expected outcome: The issue is narrowed to acquisition, reconstruction, display, or workflow communication before checks begin.
Check for Active Clinical Use or Pending Data
Before restarting anything, ask staff whether a study is actively acquiring, reconstructing, transferring, or awaiting physician review.
Do not power-cycle the workstation or acquisition computer if unsaved patient data may be at risk.
Expected outcome: Troubleshooting does not cause avoidable loss of imaging data.
Review the On-Screen Error Message
Read and document the exact syngo, acquisition, reconstruction, or communication message.
Take a photo or screenshot if allowed by site policy and if no protected patient information is exposed.
Expected outcome: The fault is documented accurately for escalation instead of relying on a vague report such as “computer down.”
Check Workstation Responsiveness
Verify whether the mouse, keyboard, monitors, and user interface are responding.
If only the mouse or keyboard is unresponsive, check the USB connections, docking hardware, KVM if used, and any loose peripheral cables.
Expected outcome: A simple peripheral problem is corrected without unnecessary system restart.
If the workstation responds normally after reconnecting a loose peripheral, verify normal function with staff and stop.
Check Monitor and Display Connections
Confirm all workstation monitors are powered on and showing the correct input.
Check for loose video cables, power cables, or display power strips.
Expected outcome: Blank-screen complaints are separated from actual workstation or acquisition computer failures.
If the display returns and the workstation is functional, document the loose display or power connection and stop.
Verify System Power and UPS Status
Check that the syngo workstation, acquisition computer, reconstruction hardware, network equipment, monitors, and associated UPS units have power.
Look for tripped power strips, unplugged cords, UPS alarms, bypass lights, low-battery indicators, or unusual beeping.
Expected outcome: Power-related causes are ruled out before assuming a software or hardware failure.
If a UPS is alarming, overheated, or not supporting the system correctly, remove the affected equipment from clinical use and escalate.
Check for Network Connectivity Indicators
Inspect visible network cables at the workstation, acquisition computer, network drop, switch, or equipment cabinet if accessible without disassembly.
Confirm link lights are present where visible.
Expected outcome: Obvious disconnected or failed network links are identified.
If a network cable was disconnected and reconnecting it restores function, verify acquisition/reconstruction workflow with staff and stop.
Confirm RIS/PACS and Modality Worklist Status
Ask whether the workstation is receiving patient worklist data and whether completed studies can still be viewed or transferred.
A worklist or archive issue may look like a workstation problem but may actually involve network, RIS, PACS, or DICOM communication.
Expected outcome: The fault is separated from a broader hospital network or imaging-system issue.
Check Whether the Issue Affects PET, CT, or Both
Ask staff if CT acquisition works independently, PET acquisition works independently, or both are unavailable.
If only PET reconstruction fails, focus on PET acquisition/reconstruction workflow.
If only CT acquisition fails, the issue may be CT-side acquisition or scanner control related.
If both fail, suspect shared workstation, host, network, power, or system communication issues.
Expected outcome: The affected subsystem is identified before escalation.
Review Recent System Events
Ask whether anything changed shortly before the fault appeared, such as:
- Power outage
- Network maintenance
- PACS/RIS downtime
- Software update
- Restart or forced shutdown
- Failed daily QC
- Storage warning
- Prior reconstruction delay
- Room temperature or cooling concern
Expected outcome: Recent environmental or workflow changes are considered before assuming equipment failure.
Check for Storage or Queue Problems
Ask staff whether reconstruction, archive, or send queues are backed up.
If available to Clinical Engineering without service-level access, review visible queue status for stuck studies or repeated failed jobs.
Expected outcome: Workflow backlog is identified as a possible cause of delayed image availability.
Do not delete studies, clear queues, or modify patient data unless directed by approved site procedure or vendor support.
Check Environmental Conditions
Verify the equipment room or console area is not unusually hot and that vents around computers or cabinets are not blocked.
Listen for abnormal fan noise and check for unusual heat or odor.
Expected outcome: Cooling or environmental concerns are identified before continued operation.
If there is burning smell, excessive heat, smoke, or electrical odor, power down only if safe, remove from service, and escalate immediately.
Attempt a Controlled User-Level Recovery if Safe
If the workstation is responsive and no scan or reconstruction is actively running, have the technologist close only the affected application or workflow using normal software controls.
Expected outcome: A minor application lockup clears without interrupting system data or hardware communication.
If the application recovers and acquisition/reconstruction returns to normal, verify with a non-patient workflow or staff-approved test and stop.
Perform a Controlled Restart Only When Appropriate
If the workstation or acquisition computer is frozen and staff confirm no active acquisition, reconstruction, or unsaved patient workflow is at risk, follow the site-approved shutdown/restart process.
Do not hard-power-cycle the system unless normal shutdown is impossible and escalation guidance supports it.
Expected outcome: The system restarts cleanly and communication with scanner, reconstruction, and storage components is restored.
If normal operation returns, confirm with staff that the system is ready before clinical use resumes.
Verify System Readiness After Recovery
After any restart or recovery, confirm:
- syngo workstation opens normally
- Patient browser or worklist is available
- Acquisition interface loads
- PET/CT scanner communication is normal
- Reconstruction workflow is available
- Prior study data is visible as expected
- No recurring error messages appear
Expected outcome: The system is not returned to service based only on the desktop loading.
Confirm Required QC or Readiness Checks
Ask imaging staff whether PET daily QC, CT readiness checks, or site-required acceptance checks must be repeated after the fault or restart.
Clinical Engineering should not override nuclear medicine or radiology quality requirements.
Expected outcome: The system is returned to service only after the required clinical quality process is satisfied.
Document and Monitor for Recurrence
If the issue clears, document the symptom, action taken, and final system status.
Ask staff to report whether the fault returns during the next acquisition, reconstruction, or transfer.
Expected outcome: Intermittent workstation or acquisition faults are tracked instead of treated as isolated complaints.
If the Problem Persists
If acquisition, reconstruction, or syngo workstation faults continue after external checks, common user-accessible causes have been ruled out.
The Biograph mCT should be:
- Removed from clinical service if acquisition, reconstruction, image availability, or patient data integrity is affected
- Labeled Out of Service according to site policy
- Escalated for Siemens service, imaging IT, PACS/RIS support, or bench-level evaluation as appropriate
Persistent reconstruction failures, acquisition computer communication faults, repeated application crashes, storage warnings, or patient data handling issues should not be treated as routine operator problems.
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. On a PET/CT system, unresolved acquisition or reconstruction faults can affect patient care, radiation workflow, and image interpretation.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot workstation, acquisition, or reconstruction faults while a patient is actively dependent on the scanner unless the clinical team confirms it is safe. Move the patient out of the scanner or to an alternate workflow before extended troubleshooting.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Nuclear Medicine reported the Siemens Biograph mCT syngo workstation froze after PET/CT acquisition and the study would not reconstruct."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Workstation peripherals, power, UPS status, network cabling, display connections, and visible queue status were checked; no loose external connection was found, and the reconstruction fault returned after controlled restart."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"System was removed from service, labeled Out of Service, and escalated to Siemens service and imaging IT for acquisition/reconstruction system evaluation."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Whether a patient was on the table when the fault occurred
- Exact syngo or acquisition error message
- Alarm behavior or recurring workstation messages
- Whether PET, CT, or both were affected
- Whether acquisition completed before failure
- Whether reconstruction failed, stalled, or never started
- Whether prior studies were visible
- Whether DICOM send or archive was also affected
- Worklist availability
- Accessories swapped or peripherals reconnected
- Network link lights checked
- Power behavior, UPS status, and alarms
- Workstation responsiveness
- Monitor, mouse, and keyboard function
- Environmental factors such as recent power outage, network maintenance, software update, room heat, fan noise, smell, or shutdown behavior
- Indicator lights on network, UPS, workstation, monitor, or equipment cabinet if visible
- Whether restart was performed
- Final device status
Final Thought
For Biograph mCT workstation, acquisition, and reconstruction faults, start with patient safety and simple external checks before assuming internal failure. Protect patient data, avoid unnecessary power cycling, and escalate when image acquisition or reconstruction cannot be trusted. Clear CCR documentation helps separate workstation, network, reconstruction, and scanner-side problems.
That is successful troubleshooting.