|
It was reported an orthoscan mini c-arm unit spontaneously engaged in fluoroscopy mode.The orthoscan mini c-arm unit was parked in a corner of an occupied operating room (or) suite, plugged in to wall power, and turned on, with the foot pedal mounted on the side of the unit.The or staff heard a five-minute alarm sound, indicating that the fluoroscopy unit had been emitting ionizing radiation for five minutes.The or staff then contacted radiology staff to turn unit off.Personnel and patients may have been exposed to unnecessary radiation.An orthoscan service engineer arrived at the facility to investigate/repair alleged malfunctioning unit where it was found the sheath/covering of the umbilical cable had a tear - causing a short and allowing the unit to engage in fluoroscopy mode.A new umbilical cable assembly was installed which corrected the malfunction.The service engineer determined the facility staff had been using the umbilical cable assembly as a handle when maneuvering system and/or adjusting c-arm position.As a result of the excessive pulling on the umbilical cord, the insulating properties of the cable were damaged.
|