Carescape R860
Pneumatically driven ICU ventilator for adult, paediatric and neonatal patients that runs from wall (or compressor) air and oxygen and is used in intensive care units and step-down wards.
638 manual-derived records (310 troubleshooting rows, 68 maintenance lines, 269 parts entries) and 2 engineers' field cases, both with suggested rather than confirmed outcomes.under engineering review
Architecture
Display unit (DU)
The touchscreen head with the rotary encoder, a carrier board with a COM Express CPU module, a memory module, an internal Compact Flash card holding the software, and a lithium coin cell. Typical failures: the unit will not boot or shows 'App Not Loaded' (corrupt CF card or software), setups lost after power-off (flat coin cell), dead encoder or touch (cables, touch controller), and fan-speed or overheat alarms from clogged case filters.
Gas inlets and supply regulation
Air and O2 enter through inlet filters, with a water trap on the air inlet, then pass through regulators to the flow control valves. Supply pressure sensors raise low-pressure alarms when either gas drops below the alarm threshold. A wall supply that sags at high flow is a classic hidden cause of failed flow-valve calibrations. Wet compressed air ends up as water in the valves and sensors downstream.
Vent engine: flow control valves and flow sensors
Separate air and O2 flow control valves (FCVs) mix and deliver the breath. Air and O2 flow sensors measure each channel and a total flow sensor checks their sum. Self-checks compare all three, so a disagreement points either to one sensor (if only one channel fails) or to the total flow sensor (if both fail). FCVs can leak through debris on the valve seat or drift out of calibration, and they need calibration after replacement.
Control and monitoring boards, pressure and O2 sensing
A Vent Control Board (VCB) runs the ventilation and an independent Vent Monitoring Board (VMB) cross-checks it. Inspiratory, expiratory and auxiliary pressure transducers have zero valves that are checked against an allowed range of raw counts. There is also a barometric sensor, so a wrong altitude setting can fail the checkout. Inspired O2 is measured by a paramagnetic sensor (Paracube) that is calibrated with air and O2 during the checkout. Communication errors between the DU, VCB and VMB point to cables, boards or software.
Safety relief valve
Opens the patient circuit to atmosphere when pressure is too high or ventilation cannot continue safely. The checkout verifies that pressure falls quickly when the valve opens and that the open path does not restrict flow. If this check fails, the unit reports 'Ventilation not available' and must not go back to a patient.
Exhalation valve assembly and expiratory flow sensor
A removable exhalation housing contains the exhalation valve, the expiratory flow sensor and a water trap. It is the most handled, most cleaned and most often mis-seated part of the machine. Wet or dirty sensors, a housing that is not fully latched, and, from field experience, a failed small board with the sensor connector all cause expiratory flow and exhalation valve check failures.
Neonatal flow sensor (option)
A proximal flow sensor at the patient wye, used for neonatal ventilation. The machine detects a sensor that is missing, reversed, contaminated or has one element failed. It needs its own calibration and should be cleaned or replaced at the interval the manufacturer sets.
Power management and batteries; options
A power management board (PMB) controls the mains supply and the internal batteries. It raises alarms for degraded, missing, reversed or non-charging batteries and for loss of communication with the DU. The machine can also carry a patient monitoring (airway gas) module with a D-fend water trap, a nebuliser, and an optional EVair compressor with its own inlet filter and service interval.
Faults and how to find them
Checkout fails only on the exhalation valve test and the expiratory flow sensor test; everything else passes. New exhalation valve parts and a known-good sensor do not help, and the same parts pass on another R860.field case
- Faulty small interface board with the connector the expiratory flow sensor plugs into (reported as a repeat failure by field engineers)
- Damaged or contaminated contacts in the exhalation housing receptacle
- Internal fault logged by the system but not shown on screen
- Swap the exhalation housing and flow sensor with a known-good unit to confirm that the fault stays with this machine
- Inspect the sensor receptacle for corrosion, moisture or bent pins
- Read the error logs and run the individual tests from the PC Service Application to see which reading is out of range
- Reseat the internal cable to the sensor connector board
Replace the expiratory flow sensor connector board. Then recalibrate the exhalation valve and the expiratory flow sensor, and run the full checkout.
Right after ventilation starts, the respiratory rate and PEEP behave erratically for about 30 seconds and then settle. Peak pressure on a test lung is high at larger tidal volumes, but the checkout passes and leak is low.field case
- Auto-triggering: the machine reads circuit or test-lung movement as spontaneous effort when the inspiratory trigger is too sensitive
- Test lung too small for the set tidal volume, so peak pressure is naturally high
- Water in the flow control valves after a wet air supply
- Compare peak pressure with the same settings and the same test lung on another ventilator
- Reduce trigger sensitivity or switch to pressure triggering, enable trigger compensation, and see if the start-up behaviour goes away
- Check the air inlet water trap and look for signs of moisture in the gas path
- If the valves may be wet, run the flow valve calibration from the service menu
Usually this is a settings or test-setup issue, not a fault: adjust the trigger and use an adequate test lung. If water got into the valves, dry the gas path, recalibrate the flow valves and run the full checkout.
'Exhalation Flow Sensor Comparison' alarm during use, or the expiratory flow sensor check / normalisation fails in checkout (exhaled volume does not match delivered volume).reference
- Wet, dirty or worn expiratory flow sensor
- Exhalation housing not fully seated or latched
- Leak in the breathing circuit
- Inspiratory flow sensors out of calibration, so both sides disagree
- Empty the exhalation water trap, then dry or replace the expiratory flow sensor
- Remove and reseat the exhalation housing; inspect its seals
- Run the checkout with a new circuit
- In the PC Service Application, compare inspiratory and expiratory flow at a fixed flow to see which side is wrong
Replace the sensor or the housing parts that are at fault. Recalibrate the expiratory flow sensor, and the flow valves if the inspiratory side was off, then repeat the checkout.
Checkout fails on low-pressure leak or compliance, or the circuit cannot be pressurised to the test pressure.reference
- Leaking patient circuit, test plug or humidifier chamber
- Exhalation valve assembly not latched to the outlet manifold, or damaged diaphragm or seals
- Leak inside the low-pressure vent engine
- Safety relief valve not closing fully
- Repeat with a new circuit and occlusion plug
- Reassemble and relatch the exhalation valve assembly; inspect the diaphragm
- Run the stand-alone low-pressure leak test from the PC Service Application to split circuit leak from internal leak
- Check the internal tubing that connects the pressure sensing points
Replace the leaking external part or the internal seal or tubing you found. If the leak is in the relief valve or the vent engine, replace that assembly and run the full checkout.
'O2 Supply Pres Low', 'Air Supply Pressure Low' or 'No Supply Pressure', or flow valve calibration reports a weak or restricted supply, times out, or cannot hold high flow.reference
- Pipeline pressure that is fine at rest but drops at high flow (long or narrow hoses, undersized wall outlet)
- Clogged inlet filter or full air water trap
- Supply pressure sensor out of range
- Weak or worn EVair compressor
- Measure supply pressure at the inlet with flow running, not only static pressure
- Inspect and replace the inlet filters; empty the air water trap
- Try a different wall outlet or a cylinder with a regulator to confirm the fault is in the supply
- Compare the displayed supply pressure with an external gauge
Fix the gas supply or replace the inlet filters. Replace the supply pressure sensor or the compressor only after the supply is shown to be good. Recalibrate the flow valves on a proper supply.
Flow valve calibration fails because the valve leaks at closed position, or valve output does not follow the command.reference
- Debris on the flow control valve seat
- Sticking valve
- Faulty channel flow sensor giving a wrong reference
- Run high flow through the valve from the service application to clear debris, then repeat the calibration
- Check the matching channel flow sensor against the total flow sensor
Replace the flow control valve if it still leaks or sticks after flushing, then calibrate. Replace the flow sensor if it is the one disagreeing.
Checkout fails the air or O2 flow sensor check (that channel disagrees with the total flow sensor, or the temperatures disagree).reference
- Oscillating supply regulator
- Failed air or O2 flow sensor
- Failed total flow sensor (when both channels fail together)
- Watch the channel flow and pressure readings in the service application for oscillation
- Note which channel fails: one channel points to that sensor, both channels point to the total flow sensor
Replace the regulator if it oscillates. Otherwise replace the failing flow sensor (or the total flow sensor if both channels fail), then calibrate the flow valves and run the full checkout.
'O2 Sensor Fail', or the O2 sensor check / calibration fails or times out at 21% or 100% during checkout.reference
- Air and O2 hoses swapped or one gas missing
- Failed paramagnetic (Paracube) sensor or its communication
- Flow problem preventing the calibration flows from being reached
- Confirm both gases are connected to the correct inlets at proper pressure
- Check whether the checkout also failed the flow tests; fix flow first
- Check the Paracube cabling and run the O2 sensor test from the service application
Replace the Paracube if it will not calibrate with good gases and good flow. Then verify delivered FiO2 against an independent, calibrated analyser before the machine goes back into use.
Inspiratory, expiratory or auxiliary pressure zero errors, 'Paw Cross Check' alarm, or the airway pressure sensor check fails in checkout.reference
- Water or a kink in a pressure sensing line
- Zero valve not switching
- Drifted or failed pressure transducer
- Auxiliary port blocked when it must be open to room air
- Inspect and dry the sensing lines and filters
- Make sure the Paux port is open to atmosphere during zeroing
- Run the zero and span tests in the service application and read the raw values
- Calibrate the pressure sensors
Replace the zero valve, then the transducer or the board carrying it, if calibration will not bring the readings into range. Run the full checkout afterwards.
Safety relief valve check fails in checkout, and 'Ventilation not available' is shown.reference
- Relief valve not opening or opening too slowly
- Restriction in the relief path
- Expiratory pressure sensor not returning to zero (mimics a valve fault)
- Simulate the relief valve test in the service application and listen for the valve
- Check the pressure decay when the valve opens
- If both the relief valve test and the exhalation valve test fail, suspect the expiratory pressure sensor zero first
Repair or replace the relief valve assembly or the pressure sensor, as indicated. Do not release the unit until the complete checkout passes.
Barometric pressure check fails, or the vent engine leak tests fail with an invalid barometric reading.reference
- Wrong altitude entered in the configuration
- Barometric sensor out of calibration
- Faulty vent monitoring board
- Verify the altitude setting for the site
- Run the barometric pressure calibration
Correct the altitude setting, or calibrate the sensor. Replace the vent monitoring board only if calibration fails.
Battery alarms: 'Degraded Battery', 'Battery Fail', 'Battery Charge Fail', 'Battery Missing' or short run time on battery.reference
- Batteries at end of life (they are a planned-replacement item)
- Loose or reversed battery connection
- Power management board fault
- Check the battery connections and the battery age against the maintenance record
- Run the battery performance check
- Check the charge current and voltage readings in service mode
Replace the system batteries as a set. If the charge alarms persist with new batteries, replace the power management board.
Display unit does not boot (green LED on), shows 'App Not Loaded', or loses date and setups after power-off.reference
- Flat or loose lithium coin cell on the main board
- Corrupt software or failed internal Compact Flash card
- Faulty memory module or carrier / COM Express board
- Check and replace the coin cell
- Reseat the internal CF card
- Reload the software from the original USB media (factory-formatted media cannot simply be copied)
Replace the coin cell and reload the software. If it still fails, replace the CF card, then the memory module, and finally the carrier and COM Express board assembly.
'CPU Fan Speed Fail', 'Case Fan Speed Fail', 'CPU Overheat' or 'Carrier Board Overheat', or a noisy fan.reference
- Clogged display or vent engine fan filters
- Worn fan
- Dust build-up on the boards behind the fan
- Clean or replace the fan filters
- Listen to find which fan is noisy
- Open the unit and inspect for dust
Clean the unit and replace the failing fan assembly.
Neonatal flow sensor alarms: not detected, reversed, contaminated, sensor failure, or neonatal flow comparison.reference
- Sensor installed in the wrong direction
- Contaminated sensor (secretions, nebulised drugs, moisture)
- One sensing element broken
- Cable or connector fault
- Check the direction and seating of the sensor
- Clean the sensor or fit a new one, then calibrate it
- Check the cable
Replace the sensor or cable and recalibrate. Repeat the neonatal checkout before use.
Preventive maintenance
| Operator level: empty the water trap on the exhalation valve and the one on the air inlet; inspect parts for damage | Every 6 months, and whenever water is seen |
| Clean or replace the expiratory flow sensor and the neonatal flow sensor; clean the display unit fan filters | Every 6 months |
| Check internal battery performance | Every 6 months (operator), and at the annual service |
| Calibrate the airway gas module, if fitted | Per the module manufacturer's interval (the manual source gives a short interval; confirm it) |
| Planned maintenance: inspect the system, casters and brakes, display and monitoring module arm movement, accessory mounts, pipeline hoses and the power cord retainer; install the planned maintenance kit; then do the full calibration and checkout | Every 12 months |
| Inspect and clean or replace the vent engine fan filter, display fan filter, gas inlet filters (O2 and air) and exhalation valve assembly; check the backup audio alarm buzzer | As needed, and at least at each annual service |
| Replace the system batteries and the lithium coin cell on the display CPU board; inspect for dust on the display boards and the main enclosure fan | Every 4 years |
| EVair compressor (if fitted): install the compressor filter / maintenance kit | Annually or by operating hours, whichever comes first (see the compressor manual) |
Parts worth keeping on the shelf
| Adult expiratory flow sensor | The most frequent consumable-type failure; a spare also lets you prove a fault by swapping. |
| Exhalation valve assembly seals and diaphragm (or a complete spare exhalation housing) | Leak and exhalation valve checkout failures are often solved by a reseat or a new seal set. |
| Air and O2 inlet filters and the air water trap bowl | Needed at every planned service, and a clogged filter mimics a supply fault. |
| System batteries and display CPU lithium coin cell | Planned 4-year replacement items; a flat coin cell causes boot and setup-loss problems. |
| Fan filters for the display and vent engine | Cheap, and they prevent fan-speed and overheat alarms. |
| Neonatal flow sensor (on sites that ventilate neonates) | Contamination and reversed-installation alarms are common, and the unit cannot run neonatal mode without a working sensor. |
| Annual planned maintenance kit (ventilator and, if fitted, compressor) | Keeps the yearly service to one visit. |
Field notes
When the checkout fails only on the exhalation valve and expiratory flow tests, swap the whole exhalation housing and sensor with a known-good machine first. If the fault stays with the machine, field engineers have repeatedly found the small connector board for the expiratory flow sensor to be bad.
Before you condemn the PEEP valve, rule out auto-triggering. Erratic rate and PEEP in the first half-minute on a test lung usually disappear when you reduce trigger sensitivity.
Do not judge peak pressure on a small test lung at large tidal volumes. Run the same settings on another ventilator with the same lung before you call it a fault.
If the hospital air supply carries water, expect water in the flow control valves. Dry the gas path, then recalibrate the valves from the service menu before chasing boards.
Pull the error logs through the PC Service Application before you replace anything. The checkout result screen does not always tell you which reading failed.
After any repair, run the manufacturer's full checkout and performance verification before the device goes back to patients.