Using A Medtronic O-Arm with a Broken Hand Switch
Dave Yoder: December 12, 2024
One of the most common OEC 9800 problems our service team fields is image transfer failure. This is not surprising, given the number of variables involved. Sure, the C-arm could have a problem, but so could the PACS server, or even the cable you're running from the back of the system to the wall receptacle.
The following steps should help narrow down the variables and find the culprit.
What to do when your OEC 9800 stops transferring images to PACS:
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Verify that the cat5 cable from the workstation to the wall receptacle is securely connected at both ends.
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Verify the cat5 cable itself. One way to do this is to swap it with one from a desktop computer. You can also ask your facility's IT staff to supply you with a known good cable for testing.
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If you can verify that the cable is good and it is plugged securely into both the C-arm and the wall connector, then ask your IT staff to "ping" the PACS server from the room. If they are able to ping the server, then you have isolated the problem to the C-arm itself.
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If you have isolated the problem to the C-arm, do the following:
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Check the Network Configuration. Press the “Customize” button on the keyboard and then touch the “Network Config” softkey on the right monitor. Verify that these settings have not changed. Exit the “Network Config” menu.
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Touch the appropriate softkey for any servers that you might be using (Dicom Store, Dicom Print, Dicom Query) and verify that none of the information has changed. These menus cannot be password protected so they are vulnerable to accidental change. (Troubleshooting Tip: make sure your gateway IP address is the same for all of these servers. It should be the first gateway, or router that the C-arm will encounter between itself and the PACS server.
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If you made any changes, reboot the system and check to see if you can send images.
Once you have verified that your C-arm is properly configured, if you are still unable to send images, the most likely problem is a failure of the External Interface PCB, PN 00-879186-02. This part is vulnerable to physical damage and failure is relatively common.
Your External Interface PCB (pictured below) is a relatively small circuit board that lives on the back side of your monitor cart just behind the bottom row of connectors (also pictured below).
If you believe this part has failed contact us and we can ship a replacement part and dispatch a qualified service engineer to further troubleshoot and repair the system.
