Valleylab Force FX
Q: My Valleylab Force FX does not work with any bipolar coag function at both holes of the bipolar receptacle. In other words, the unit does not provide any output power in bipolar-coag mode at all. Can anyone help?
A: Do you have the footswitch for bipolar? Bipolar doesn’t work without the specific foot pedal. Coag, however, is another issue. Does cut work? What type of REM pad(s) are you using? What kind of pencil are you using?
A: Try the clear K1 relay, also look at its socket and make sure it’s not burnt. Check to see if you have output in mono 1 and mono 2. Also check the mono 1 and mono 2 foot switch to see if you get output.
A: Remove k1 and look at the socket with a flashlight. If you don’t see the silver shiny contacts inside the socket you need to replace socket and relay.
Arizant Bair Hugger Model 775
Q: Why is it overheating?
A: The hot air outlet may be blocked because it is put under the blanket. Try to control it without putting it under a blanket.
A: You can also check the error log for any specific errors by pressing the Alternative Mode button (Bair hugger logo) and the 32°C button simultaneously for three seconds.
GE Healthcare OEC 9800 Plus
Q: I have the software on a CD but see no place to load it. I need to reload the software to change the language from French to English. Can anyone assist me?
A: You must copy the file onto a floppy 3.5-inch disk. The OEC 9800 does not have a CD-ROM but only a floppy drive in the back of cabinet.
A: Or you could connect a CD unit to the OEC SBC.
A: First and foremost, you must find out which version of the software you are running on the system. If your software is above version release 26, then you will be able to use a sim disk with the help of utility suite to load software. However, if you simply wish to change the language from French to English then you only need the OEC utility suite program.
Philips SureSigns VS4
Q: I am trying to use a third-party battery and keep getting a “battery unrecognized, slow to charge” message. The unit just came back from repair with A.07.25 software. Any suggestions?
A: Not sure what is causing your issue, but I have seen issues with non-OEM batteries in some equipment. Just recently, I had a Philips EKG machine with a similar issue as yours. It was a third-party battery pack sold as a direct replacement battery for our machine, but it was slow to charge and would never fully charge. We tried replacing the batteries and still had the same issue. I contacted the OEM battery manufacturer that supplies the batteries for Philips and the engineer told me there is special Philips firmware that’s installed in the battery packs that the machine looks for. I then purchased OEM batteries and it worked fine after that. Either verify they are using some special firmware/software in the battery pack or try a good set of OEM batteries.
A: Yes, this is a new “feature” that was incluced with A.07 software. The error message cannot be cleared. I was told by Philips that you need to specify at the time the monitor is sent in to NOT upgrade the software. If you try to downgrade the software yourself, it will wipe out the purchased options. The monitor would then need to be returned to Philips to have the purchased options added back on. There is a service manual addendum that talks about the new battery error messages.
A: Needs firmware 7.33. You can get them from Philips for just over $100 or if you get a third-party battery make sure the firmware is 7.33.
A: We ran into this issue as well. OSI Batteries sells the battery much cheaper than Philips. They explicitly list that their batteries are compatible with Philips A.07 firmware. I can confirm this as we recently updated 60-plus monitors and used this battery with no issues.
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