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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting AWS workstation, DICOM transfer, printer, archive, or network communication failures using external checks before escalation.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm the patient is no longer being positioned, compressed, or actively imaged before troubleshooting.
If the issue occurs during an active exam, do not repeat exposures only to test communication. Make sure acquired images are safely visible and preserved on the AWS workstation before proceeding.
Expected outcome: Patient care is protected, and no unnecessary radiation exposure is performed for troubleshooting.
Confirm the Exact Communication Failure
Ask the technologist what failed and when it occurred.
Determine whether the issue involves:
- AWS workstation application problem
- DICOM send failure
- PACS/archive unavailable
- Printer not receiving images
- Modality worklist unavailable
- Images stuck in queue
- Network or destination error message
- Failed transfer after the exam was completed
Expected outcome: The failure is clearly identified as workstation, network, DICOM, printer, or archive-related before deeper troubleshooting begins.
Verify Images Are Still Available Locally
Check whether the exam images are present on the AWS workstation.
Confirm that the images can be opened, reviewed, and associated with the correct patient and accession.
Expected outcome: Local image data is intact before attempting resend, reboot, or escalation.
If images appear missing or patient data is incorrect, stop and escalate to imaging service/PACS support before attempting further changes.
Check for Obvious AWS Workstation Issues
Observe the AWS workstation display, keyboard, mouse, application status, and any active error messages.
Confirm whether the application is frozen, logged out, displaying a warning, or waiting for user action.
Expected outcome: A simple workstation lockup, login issue, or pending prompt is identified.
If the AWS application resumes normally and communication restores, document and stop.
Check AWS Workstation Power and Peripherals
Verify the AWS workstation, monitors, keyboard, mouse, and any connected local peripherals are powered and responsive.
Check that no power strip, UPS, or workstation cable has been bumped, disconnected, or turned off.
Expected outcome: The workstation is fully powered and usable.
If restoring power or reconnecting a loose cable resolves the issue, confirm successful image transfer or print output, document, and stop.
Check Network Cable and Wall Jack Connection
Inspect the network cable at the AWS workstation and wall jack.
Make sure the cable is fully seated and not damaged, stretched, or unplugged.
If the workstation uses a labeled network jack, verify it is connected to the correct port and has not been moved to an unknown outlet.
Expected outcome: The AWS workstation has a secure physical network connection.
If reconnecting the network cable restores DICOM, worklist, printer, or archive communication, document and stop.
Check for Network Link Indicators
If visible, check the network port link lights at the workstation or network device.
A missing link light may indicate a disconnected cable, inactive wall jack, switch issue, or workstation network adapter problem.
Expected outcome: Network link status supports whether the problem is local connection-related or beyond the workstation.
Confirm Whether Other Imaging Devices Are Affected
Ask staff whether other modalities, workstations, PACS viewers, printers, or DICOM destinations are also failing.
If multiple devices cannot send to PACS or print, the issue is more likely network, PACS, printer, or archive-side rather than the MAMMOMAT Inspiration itself.
Expected outcome: The fault is narrowed to one mammography system or a broader network/PACS issue.
Check DICOM Queue or Transfer Status
Review the AWS workstation’s send queue, transfer status, or exam export status if accessible without advanced service access.
Look for failed, pending, retrying, or blocked studies.
Expected outcome: The system shows whether images are queued locally but not reaching the destination.
If a resend option is available through normal operator workflow, attempt one resend only after confirming patient data and destination are correct.
Verify the Correct Destination Was Selected
Confirm the technologist selected the correct DICOM destination, PACS archive, printer, or export route.
Check for incorrect destination selection, test destination use, or sending to an offline printer/archive.
Expected outcome: The failure is not caused by sending to the wrong configured destination.
If selecting the correct destination resolves the issue, confirm receipt at PACS or printer, document, and stop.
Check Modality Worklist Separately
If the issue is worklist-related, confirm whether scheduled patients are unavailable, partially loading, or showing outdated information.
Worklist failure may occur even when image send still works, so separate worklist communication from DICOM storage failure.
Expected outcome: The affected communication path is isolated.
If worklist is down but DICOM send works, escalate to PACS/RIS/interface support with that distinction documented.
Check Printer Status
If printing is the issue, inspect the mammography printer or print destination.
Verify power, ready status, paper/film supply, error lights, jam indicators, and network connection.
Expected outcome: Printer-side problems are ruled in or out before blaming the AWS workstation.
If correcting printer power, media, or an obvious printer fault restores printing, document and stop.
Confirm PACS or Archive Availability
Ask PACS or imaging IT support whether the archive destination is online and receiving studies from other systems.
Provide the affected modality, AE title if known, exam time, patient accession if appropriate, and the error message.
Expected outcome: Archive-side downtime, rejected studies, or destination unavailability is identified quickly.
Check for Recent Changes
Ask whether any recent changes occurred, including:
- Network maintenance
- PACS upgrade
- Printer replacement
- IP address change
- Firewall change
- Workstation replacement
- Room move or cable work
- New DICOM destination
- User account or password change
Expected outcome: The failure is linked to a likely external configuration or infrastructure change.
Perform a Controlled Application Restart if Appropriate
If no patient is active and images are confirmed locally available, follow site-approved procedure to close and reopen the AWS application or restart the workstation if allowed.
Do not power-cycle acquisition hardware or interrupt image processing unless approved by site procedure or service support.
Expected outcome: A temporary workstation communication or software hang is cleared.
If communication restores after restart, confirm DICOM send, worklist, or printer function, document, and stop.
Attempt a Controlled Test Transfer Only When Safe
Use a non-patient test study, phantom study, or approved test workflow if available.
Do not expose a patient or repeat patient images just to test DICOM communication.
Expected outcome: Communication can be verified without unnecessary radiation exposure.
Document Exact Error Information
Record the exact AWS message, failed destination, time of failure, affected study, and whether the images remain stored locally.
Include whether worklist, DICOM send, printing, and archive functions are affected separately.
Expected outcome: Imaging IT, PACS support, or Siemens service receives enough detail to evaluate the failure efficiently.
If the Problem Persists
If power, workstation responsiveness, cables, network connection, destination selection, printer status, queue status, and obvious PACS/archive availability have been checked, common external causes have been ruled out.
The MAMMOMAT Inspiration AWS workstation or communication path should be:
- Removed from clinical use if images cannot be safely stored, reviewed, transferred, printed, or archived
- Labeled Out of Service if the issue prevents safe clinical workflow
- Escalated to Siemens service, PACS support, imaging IT, or printer support depending on the failure pattern
- Bench or service evaluated before return to use if the fault repeats after normal resets
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Do not perform advanced DICOM configuration changes, operating system changes, internal workstation repair, or acquisition system resets without proper authorization and service support.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot communication failures while the patient is compressed or waiting in position. Complete patient care first, confirm images are safely available locally, and never repeat mammography exposures only to test network, printer, or archive communication.
If communication failure prevents safe review, transfer, printing, or archive confirmation, move patient care to a backup device or approved downtime workflow so therapy continuity and imaging workflow are protected.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Technologist reported the MAMMOMAT Inspiration AWS workstation could not send completed mammography images to PACS."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Images were present locally on the AWS workstation, but DICOM transfers remained queued after the workstation network cable was found loose at the wall jack."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Reseated network cable, confirmed link restored, resent queued study to PACS successfully, and verified AWS communication returned to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Patient was removed from compression before troubleshooting
- Images confirmed present locally on AWS
- Exact AWS error message recorded
- DICOM destination affected
- Worklist status
- Printer status and error lights
- Network cable checked
- Wall jack checked
- Network link lights observed
- Other modalities checked for similar PACS issues
- PACS/archive support contacted
- Queue status before and after resend
- Whether resend was successful
- Environmental factors
- Accessories swapped
- Power behavior
- Alarm behavior
- Final device status
Final Thought
Mammography communication failures should be approached carefully because image availability, correct patient association, and archive confirmation are part of safe clinical operation. Start with patient safety, verify local image presence, check simple external network and printer causes, and escalate when the issue points beyond Clinical Engineering’s safe troubleshooting scope. Clear CCR documentation helps protect patient care and speeds repair.
That is successful troubleshooting.