Smiths Medical Medfusion 3500
Q: Can anybody help me with how to replace the super capacitor on a Medfusion 3500 properly. I have blown out one mainboard already. It seems there is a proper way to do it. Is it like replacing a backup battery? Must I leave the unit on somehow or use jumpers to feed 5 volts while removing the capacitor? I need helpful advice please.
A: You do not want any power attached to the device. Also, be sure to discharge the capacitor before you remove it. Capacitors hold a charge by nature and you do not want it to discharge by accident and take out other components. By the way, my post is merely around replacing capacitors in general. I am not sure about this specific repair whether it’s soldered in to the mainboard, another board, etc. Use a good soldering iron with a solder sucker. Make sure polarity is right when you place new one on. Not sure how you have blown out the motherboard in attempting to replace the supercap. It is fairly straight forward. Just cut the 4 dabs of hot glue that should be around the edges of the cap being careful to not gouge the board tracings. Then just unsolder the cap from the opposite side. If you do not have good soldering skills do not attempt it. You should apply some fresh solder to the connections to make it easier to desolder then use a solder sucker to remove. I have performed over 25 of these with no issues and it always corrects the supercap alerts at great savings over factory repair or board replacement costs.
Q: Were those supercaps you changed from a Medfusion 3500 mainborad? I am hesitant to try again. I thought it was straight forward desolder/remove and replace with new supercap but the mainboard lost all functions. I talked to an experienced tech from another facility and he said you have to continuously maintain voltage while removing and installing a supercap otherwise you will lose everything and/or damage the mainboard. But he declined to tell me how. I figure to attached aux power (5 volts) to the capacitor terminals during removal/installing. I will give it try.
A: Yes, we only have the Medfusion 3500 model and I have done many as mentioned with no problems. I did not need to discharge the cap or keep a voltage on the board. You may have damaged surrounding components or caused an electrostatic shock to the board. Make sure you are grounded before handling the board.
Cynosure Palomar Starlux 300
Q: I have error 054. I checked according to the manual, but the error is still there. I made a bypass directly in front of the hose connector and then it works. So, the problem is in the handle itself, but after undressing there is nothing wrong with it. I also connected an external pump and flushed the entire handle system and the error is still there. What else should I check?
A: So, you already know the error code is directing you to the flow for the flashlamp. You also already verified that it is the hand piece and not the flow switch in the base unit. High pressure indicates that there is some sort of occlusion in the flow. Water is passing through, but something is restricting the flow like clogged arteries. That actually sounds like what is seen on the chill tip side, so check to make sure that the lines weren’t accidentally crossed on the previous repair. If they are, then dismantle the chill tip and clean it out. There are little apertures that get easily clogged and need a paper clip to ensure they are properly cleaned. If the tubes are not crossed, then do the same thing for the lamp housing checking the tight places.
Q: I checked the wires and they are not crossed, but to be sure I connected the crossed ones, the error is the same. I undressed the handle, but there are no bends in the handle. The channels by the lamp are clean. I connected an external pump to the handle to flush the system, the fluid flows freely. There does not seem to be a blockage anywhere. Is it possible that the pressure sensor is not working to its full extent? The circuit seems very simple but there is this simple flaw somewhere.
