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What This Guide Helps With
Troubleshooting intermittent transport assist caused by power, battery, controls, wheel contact, floor conditions, obstructions, loading, or external damage.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Ensure Patient and Staff Safety
Do not troubleshoot intermittent transport assist while transporting a patient.
Stop in a safe location, set the brakes, and notify clinical staff. Transfer the patient to another verified bed when continued transport is required. Use sufficient trained personnel if manual movement is necessary and permitted.
Expected outcome: The patient and staff are protected from unexpected loss of assist, unintended acceleration, or difficult bed control.
2. Confirm the Exact Transport Failure
Determine whether:
The drive wheel does not engage.
Assist starts and stops unexpectedly.
Assist works in one direction only.
The bed pulls to one side.
The drive wheel spins without moving the bed.
The system disengages on slopes, thresholds, or turns.
The issue occurs only on battery power.
An indicator changes when the failure occurs.
Expected outcome: The condition is defined as engagement, control, traction, power, direction, or intermittent-operation failure.
3. Remove the Bed From Patient Use
Perform further testing with the bed unoccupied and free of unnecessary equipment.
Choose a clear, level test area away from patients, doors, ramps, elevators, and pedestrian traffic. Keep a second trained person available when appropriate.
Expected outcome: Transport testing can be performed without exposing a patient or bystander to risk.
4. Verify Battery and Power Condition
Check the battery indicator and determine whether the transport-assist problem occurs after the bed has been disconnected from AC power.
Connect the bed to a verified outlet for charging when needed. Confirm that other battery-powered functions operate normally.
Expected outcome: Adequate battery power is available. If charging restores reliable transport assist, complete backup-power and transport verification before stopping.
5. Verify Normal Control Operation
Inspect and operate the transport-assist controls according to normal user procedures.
Confirm that:
The intended mode is selected.
The control returns normally when released.
No unrelated lockout or brake condition is preventing operation.
The operator is not unintentionally releasing an enable control.
Do not use undocumented control sequences.
Expected outcome: The transport-assist control is being operated correctly and responds consistently.
6. Verify Brake and Wheel Position
Confirm that the brakes are fully released before transport testing.
Observe whether the drive wheel lowers, contacts the floor, and remains in the expected position. Check whether a caster is partially braked, misaligned, or obstructed.
Expected outcome: Brakes are released, casters move freely, and the drive wheel is positioned for proper floor contact.
7. Inspect the Drive Wheel and Casters
Inspect externally visible wheels for:
Debris, tape, hair, or material wrapped around the wheel.
Flat spots, severe wear, chunks, or contamination.
Fluid or cleaning residue reducing traction.
Physical damage or looseness.
Objects lodged around caster forks.
Uneven wheel contact.
Do not reach beneath an unsupported mechanism.
Expected outcome: The drive wheel and casters are clean, intact, and free to rotate. If debris removal restores operation, retest thoroughly.
8. Evaluate the Floor and Environment
Test the bed on a clean, dry, level surface.
Determine whether the problem occurs only on:
Wet or polished flooring.
Carpet.
Thresholds.
Ramps.
Uneven joints.
Contaminated areas.
Tight turns.
Expected outcome: Environmental traction or floor conditions are separated from a bed malfunction. Do not use transport assist where the surface prevents safe control.
9. Remove External Obstructions and Excess Load
Inspect beneath the bed for dragging cords, linens, equipment, or frame components.
Remove unnecessary accessories and confirm that mounted equipment is secure and not interfering with wheel travel. Do not exceed the bed’s approved load capacity.
Expected outcome: The bed moves without external resistance or dragging equipment.
10. Perform Controlled Directional Testing
On a level clear surface, test forward and reverse operation at low speed using normal controls.
Observe:
Smooth engagement.
Consistent assist.
Straight tracking.
Immediate response when the control is released.
No jerking, surging, delay, or unexpected disengagement.
No abnormal sound, odor, heat, or vibration.
Stop testing immediately if the bed accelerates unexpectedly, fails to stop as commanded, or becomes difficult to control.
Expected outcome: Transport assist operates predictably in both directions. If performance is reliable after an external correction, proceed to final verification.
11. Check for Intermittency During Steering
Perform gentle turns in the controlled test area.
Observe whether assist drops out when the handle, control cable, side rail, or bed frame moves. Do not continue if operation becomes unpredictable.
Expected outcome: Assist remains stable during normal steering. Intermittent loss during movement indicates a control, connection, or service-level problem requiring removal from service.
12. Inspect Accessible External Connections
With the bed powered down and removed from use, inspect only externally accessible transport-control cables and connectors allowed by approved procedures.
Look for pinching, strain, looseness, contamination, or visible damage.
Expected outcome: Accessible connections are secure and correctly routed. If reseating restores operation, repeat the complete level-floor transport test.
13. Perform Final Functional Verification
After correction, verify:
Drive-wheel engagement and disengagement.
Forward and reverse assist.
Steering and straight tracking.
Response when controls are released.
Brake operation.
Manual movement when assist is not active.
Absence of abnormal sound, heat, odor, or vibration.
Expected outcome: The bed transports safely and consistently under controlled conditions. Troubleshooting can stop.
14. Escalate an Unresolved Transport Failure
Remove the bed from service if transport assist remains intermittent, surges, pulls unexpectedly, loses traction under normal conditions, fails to disengage, or cannot be controlled safely.
Label the bed Out of Service and send it for bench evaluation. Do not designate it for routine manual transport unless facility policy and a qualified risk assessment specifically allow it.
Expected outcome: An unpredictable powered transport system is not used with a patient.
If the Problem Persists
Battery condition, controls, brakes, drive-wheel contact, caster condition, floor surface, loading, obstructions, and accessible external connections have been evaluated. The remaining cause may involve the drive motor, engagement mechanism, control assembly, sensor, internal wiring, power electronics, or software.
The bed should be removed from service, labeled Out of Service, and evaluated using appropriate Stryker documentation and approved test equipment. Repairs or adjustments should be performed only by qualified personnel. Controlled transport, braking, steering, stopping, and manual-movement tests are required before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting and escalate is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Never continue patient transport to see whether intermittent assist will recover; stop, secure the bed, and change equipment or transport method.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Transport staff reported that the InTouch powered drive assist stopped intermittently and the bed became difficult to push."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found adhesive debris wrapped around the drive wheel and reducing consistent floor contact."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering removed the debris, inspected the wheel, and verified reliable engagement, forward and reverse assist, steering, stopping, and brake operation on a level surface."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Failure during engagement, forward, reverse, or steering.
- Battery condition and charging status.
- Brake position.
- Drive-wheel contact and condition.
- Caster condition.
- Floor type and surface condition.
- Load and accessories present.
- External cable and connector condition.
- Surging, pulling, vibration, sound, heat, or odor.
- Final transport, stop, steering, and brake test results.
Final Thought
Stop transport safely, evaluate power, controls, wheels, and floor conditions before assuming an internal drive failure, and remove the bed from service whenever powered movement is unpredictable.
That is successful troubleshooting.