EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance TruSat Oximeters problems

Dear all,

I have just had to remove 5 Ohmeda TruSat Oximeters from active service as they have proved very unreliable. These are supplied by GE Health care and are currently back at the service centre at GE for further investigation. The problems started to surface almost 1 year to the date of purchaes and are now just out of waranty.

All 5 units came back with service reports that they functioned correctly with known good probes. I had my doubts but proceeded to purchaes brand new probes from GE using the recommended part numbers they provided.

Two of the units will not recognise the brand new probes and come up with error messages PB1 and the other three will not settle down and keep trying to detect Spo2 but never actually come up with a reading.

Sometimes they will work by applying sideways pressure to the plug but GE say they have changed the sockets in two of the units but this doesn't seem to have made any difference.

I have noticed a change in the dimentions of the pins in the plugs on the later probes we have ordered.

Whilst I was at our child health department delivering one of these units back to them following the GE report that the unit was working correctly, Sister demonstrated the unit on herself and it counted down from 98% down to 85% over the course of a minute "I feel fine" she remarked.

I have decided all the Trusats we have are to be removed from the wards until these issues are sorted out.

Has anyone else come across any of the problems I have mentioned - please let me know before I pull all my hair out!!!!

You have our sympathy, there, Mate.

You'd have thought that pulse oximeter technology would have been "nailed" by now, wouldn't you?

I can't help noticing that advertising from G.E. Healthcare mentions "The first of its kind ...". Yeah, a pulse oximeter that doesn't work (actually they're wrong on both counts ... it's not the first that doesn't work)!

"Re-think. Re-discover. Re-invent. Re-imagine". Indeed (that sounds like good advice, in fact that's probably exactly what they need to do)!

Please remember all this the next time you buy pulse oximeters! Meanwhile, are you at liberty to remind us all how much these things cost?

Whilst not wanting to hijack your thread (but it may, after a fashion, deal with the real problem you have) ... would anyone like to wade in and suggest which one is the best pulse oximeter these days?

Not something you would ever be accused of Geoff

Let's keep on track please...

TruSat Oximeters problems

We have about 10 of these in various kiddies departments for about 2 years and have no problems apart from the usual suspects of trunk cables and staff losing power supplies and then the units going flat. Apart from that they have been very relaible, especially in comparison to what they replaced.

Dear Sir,
We had the similar problem of erratic SPO2 values like the one Mr.RICH faced, with our Datex S/5 Light Monitors ( Where they claim" Best value for size" ).Datex had replaced the spo2 connctor socket at the mchine end saying that it is a product upgrade during the warrenty period.Now the warrenty is over and we are left with the option of keeping those unit in our museum. If any one have any solution/suggestion please advice!

regards

Sajeev – If they are the same Datex S5 Light Monitors (old type) that I am thinking of then the SpO2 socket connects to the input PCB by push fit contacts. A quick spray of contact cleaning fluid into the contacts usually clears up the intermittency for a good while.

Sorry no experience of the TruSat to report.

Sajeev, please post pictures of your museum in the Gallery!

Hi Sajeev

I wonder if your Datex S5 Light Monitors are using the OXY series probes

e.g OXY-F4-MC finger probe
OXY-F-UN extension cable etc.....

cheers

Rich

P.S The faults I have described are beeing investigated by GE Technical and quality control department - otherwise I will have some more items to contribute for your museum

Hi Rich -just picked up on this thread. Is the issue resolved. If not send me a mail colin.hughes@ge,com

Colin Hughes - GE Healthcare

Like others we have lots of probe faults reported for the Datex S5 Light Monitors, those not due to normal probe problems are generally resolved with switch cleaner or with the application of a fibre glass cleaning brush.

The pins in the monitor are not gold plated and look like they are aluminium they quickly loose their "shine".

Lee