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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting mobile X-ray worklist, DICOM send, wireless network, archive, and image export failures before repair escalation.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Ensure Patient Safety First
Confirm the MOBILETT Elara Max is not actively imaging a patient before restarting, changing network settings, disconnecting cables, or attempting repeated sends.
If imaging was completed but images did not transmit, verify with clinical staff that the images remain available on the system before any reboot or shutdown.
Expected outcome: Patient imaging data is protected before troubleshooting begins.
Confirm the Exact Communication Failure
Ask the technologist what failed and when it occurred.
Determine whether the issue involves:
- Worklist not loading
- Patient demographics not importing
- DICOM send failure
- Images stuck in send queue
- PACS destination unavailable
- Wireless network not connected
- Export to USB or external media failure
- One study failing or all studies failing
- One destination failing or all destinations failing
Expected outcome: The issue is separated into worklist, DICOM transmission, wireless network, archive destination, or local export failure.
Check Whether the System Is in the Correct Network Area
Confirm the mobile X-ray system is in an area with approved wireless coverage.
Move the unit closer to a known working clinical wireless area if signal strength is weak or unavailable.
Mobile imaging systems can lose connection when parked in elevators, storage rooms, older shielded areas, basement spaces, or remote hallways.
Expected outcome: The system shows a stable wireless connection in an area known to support mobile imaging traffic.
Verify Wireless Status on the System
Check the system network indicator or communication status screen for wireless connection state.
Confirm whether the unit is connected, disconnected, searching, or showing authentication failure.
Expected outcome: The system is either confirmed connected to the hospital wireless network or clearly showing a wireless connection problem.
Confirm the Correct Wireless Network Is Selected
Verify the system is attempting to connect to the correct approved hospital SSID for medical devices.
Do not connect the unit to guest Wi-Fi, public networks, or personal hotspots unless directed by IT and hospital policy.
Expected outcome: The system is associated with the correct clinical network.
Check for Obvious Wireless or Network Changes
Ask whether the problem began after:
- Network maintenance
- Access point replacement
- Password or certificate change
- IP addressing change
- PACS or RIS downtime
- System relocation to a new department
- Recent service or software change
Expected outcome: Recent network or system changes are identified before assuming equipment failure.
Verify Other Mobile Imaging Devices
Ask whether other mobile X-ray units or imaging devices are having the same worklist or DICOM issue.
If multiple devices are affected, contact IT, PACS, or the imaging informatics team.
Expected outcome: A site-wide network, RIS, PACS, or DICOM destination issue is separated from a single-device problem.
Check Worklist Function Separately
Attempt to refresh or query the worklist using normal operator workflow.
Confirm whether the system receives any patient list, no list, delayed results, or an error message.
If worklist fails but image send works, suspect RIS/worklist configuration, worklist server availability, or network routing rather than full communication failure.
Expected outcome: Worklist behavior is isolated from DICOM image send behavior.
Check DICOM Send Separately
Select a completed test or non-patient image only if allowed by site policy, or use an existing completed study under clinical direction.
Attempt to send to the normal PACS destination.
Confirm whether the send completes, stays queued, retries, fails immediately, or fails after timeout.
Expected outcome: DICOM send behavior is documented clearly.
Review the Send Queue or Transfer Status
Check whether studies are waiting in the queue.
Look for failed, pending, retrying, or completed status.
If many studies are queued, avoid clearing or deleting them unless directed by imaging leadership and site policy.
Expected outcome: Stored images are protected and the transfer failure pattern is identified.
Confirm PACS or Archive Destination Availability
Contact PACS, imaging informatics, or IT to confirm the DICOM destination is online and accepting studies.
If available, compare with another imaging device sending successfully to the same destination.
Expected outcome: The archive destination is confirmed available before device-side repair is considered.
Check Date, Time, and Patient Demographics
Confirm the MOBILETT Elara Max date and time are correct.
Incorrect date, time, or patient demographics can affect worklist matching, study association, and archive workflow.
Expected outcome: Basic system identity and timing information do not appear to be contributing to the communication failure.
Check for Local Export Issues
If the problem is USB or local image export, verify the external media is approved, formatted appropriately, and recognized by the system.
Try a known-good hospital-approved USB device if permitted by site policy.
Do not use personal USB drives.
Expected outcome: The issue is narrowed to the export media, system USB recognition, file export workflow, or internal storage/export function.
Inspect External Ports and Connections
If wired service network or USB export is involved, inspect visible ports for damage, debris, looseness, bent contacts, or broken connectors.
Do not force cables or USB devices into damaged ports.
Expected outcome: Physical connection problems are identified without internal disassembly.
Power Cycle Only When Safe
If no patient exam is active and images are confirmed stored, perform a controlled shutdown and restart according to site workflow.
After restart, recheck wireless connection, worklist query, DICOM send, and export behavior.
Expected outcome: Temporary software or communication lockups clear after a safe restart.
Document Any Error Codes or Messages
Record the exact message shown on the MOBILETT Elara Max, including destination name, time of failure, study count in queue, wireless status, and whether worklist or DICOM send failed.
Photos of the error screen may be helpful if allowed by site policy and no patient information is exposed.
Expected outcome: Repair escalation includes useful details instead of a vague communication complaint.
Do Not Change Network Configuration Without Approval
Do not alter IP address, AE title, port, DICOM destination, wireless certificate, gateway, DNS, or security settings unless directed by the responsible imaging IT or service team.
Expected outcome: Troubleshooting does not create additional configuration problems.
Return to Service Only After Successful Verification
If the issue is resolved, confirm with clinical staff that worklist loads, a test or approved study sends successfully, and any queued studies are handled appropriately.
Expected outcome: The device is returned to service only after communication workflow is verified.
If the Problem Persists
If wireless connection, worklist refresh, DICOM send, PACS availability, export media, queue status, and safe restart have been checked and the issue continues, common external causes have been ruled out.
The MOBILETT Elara Max should be removed from service if it cannot reliably transmit or export patient images according to department workflow.
Label the device Out of Service and send it for repair, vendor support, or bench evaluation. Escalate to IT, PACS, or imaging informatics if the failure appears network-side or destination-side.
Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Continued use of a mobile X-ray system with unreliable image transfer can delay diagnosis and create documentation risk.
Clinical Use Tip
Do not troubleshoot network communication during an active patient exposure or while images are still being acquired. If imaging is urgent, move the exam to another available mobile or fixed X-ray system and protect any completed images before restarting or changing settings.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Technologist reported the MOBILETT Elara Max would not load worklist and completed exams were not sending to PACS."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Wireless connection was weak in the storage hallway, and DICOM studies remained queued until the unit was moved to an area with confirmed hospital wireless coverage."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Moved the unit to a known wireless coverage area, verified worklist refresh, successfully sent queued images to PACS, and returned the system to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Wireless network status
- Location where failure occurred
- Worklist behavior
- DICOM send queue status
- Number of studies pending or failed
- PACS destination affected
- Whether other imaging devices are affected
- Any error messages or codes
- Whether restart was performed
- USB or export media tested
- Indicator lights or network icons
- IT or PACS ticket number if opened
- Final device status
Final Thought
Communication issues on mobile imaging systems should be approached logically: protect patient images first, check wireless coverage and destination availability, then verify worklist, DICOM send, and export functions separately. Good documentation helps Clinical Engineering, IT, PACS, and vendor service determine whether the issue is device-related or network-related.
That is successful troubleshooting.