Dialog+ code families will give your staff the diagnostic logic they need to react quickly.
The B. Braun Dialog+ organizes its LLC (Controller) and LLS (Supervisor) codes by subsystem. The first digit of the code always tells your staff which part of the machine is failing.
This series covers the fluid pathway, blood leak detector (BLD), and ultrafiltration (UF) system. These are critical for preventing fluid overload or blood loss.
| Code Family | Description / Failing Condition | Patient Safety Action | Maintenance / Troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11xxx | Blood Leak Detector (BLD). LLS detects abnormal optics or fluid inside the BLD. | Halt treatment if a true blood leak is suspected. Do not bypass if fluid is pink. | Purge air bubbles. Clean BLD glass tube. Recalibrate BLD via TSM. |
| 12xxx | UF Pressure Hold Test. Machine cannot build or hold negative pressure for UF. | Occurs mostly in prep. Do not initiate treatment; fluid removal will be inaccurate. | Check drain hose for kinks. Inspect UF pump, VBP, VDE, and VDABK valves for leaks. |
| 13xxx | Flow / Balance Chamber. Inflow does not match outflow. | Usually alarms in prep. Machine will not go into dialysis mode. | Verify water inlet pressure. Check balance chamber membranes (replace in pairs). |
| 15xxx | HDF Online / Filter. Blockage or leak in the online fluid preparation. | Stop HDF mode; switch to standard HD if necessary to finish treatment. | Run TSM leak test. Replace HFB (online) filter. Check substitution pumps. |
The 11xxx series (BLD) is the most sensitive to air bubbles. A false BLD alarm is often caused by micro-bubbles, not actual blood. Always purge the system before suspecting a hardware failure.
These codes involve the physical properties of the dialysate (temperature and conductivity). These are the highest-risk alarms for hemolysis (temperature) or cardiac events (conductivity).
| Code Family | Description / Failing Condition | Patient Safety Action | Maintenance / Troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25xxx / 26xxx | Temperature / Heater. Dialysate is too hot or too cold. | Critical: Machine will bypass fluid. Check patient for chills or signs of hemolysis. | Run thorough decalcification. Check heater element and SMPS-MC board triacs. |
| 27xxx | Degassing. Machine cannot remove dissolved air from incoming water. | Monitor extracorporeal circuit for micro-bubbles. | Check degassing pump pressure. Inspect the restrictive orifice for calcification. |
| 31xxx | Conductivity. Mix of Acid/Bicarb/Water is out of safe physiological range. | Critical: Machine will bypass fluid. Never override if alarm is persistent. | Ensure correct concentrate wands are in correct jugs. Check concentrate pumps. |
| 32xxx / 33xxx | Bicarbonate / Acetate Pumps. LLC requests pump movement; LLS detects no stroke. | Verify concentrate is not empty. | Clean filters on concentrate wands. Rebuild or replace concentrate pump heads. |
Never override persistent 25xxx/26xxx or 31xxx alarms. The machine is protecting the patient from hemolysis (temperature) or severe electrolyte shifts (conductivity).
These alarms relate to the components directly touching the patient's blood lines: blood pumps, pressure sensors, and the heparin pump.
| Code Family | Description / Failing Condition | Patient Safety Action | Maintenance / Troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41xxx / 42xxx | Arterial / Venous Blood Pump. Pump door open, rotor jammed, or speed deviation. | Check patient access. Ensure lines are not kinked and pump door is securely latched. | Inspect pump rollers. Check hall sensors on the pump motor. |
| 44xxx | Heparin / Syringe Pump. Syringe empty, jammed, or incorrect size selected. | Monitor patient for clotting in the dialyzer if heparin is interrupted. | Verify syringe size matches machine setting. Clean the threaded rod on the pump. |
| 45xxx / 46xxx | Arterial / Venous Pressure Sensors. Pressure out of bounds or transducer failed. | Check lines for clotting, kinks, or access needle displacement. | Verify transducer protectors are dry. Recalibrate pressure sensors in TSM. |
| 48xxx / 49xxx | Air Detector (SAD). LLS detects air in the venous return line. | Critical: Clamp venous line immediately. Do not return air to patient. | Clean ultrasonic sensor face. Ensure line is fully seated. Recalibrate SAD. |
Clamp the venous line immediately. Do not return air to the patient. Air embolism is life-threatening.
For your orientation program, teach new staff this standard operating procedure when they encounter an LLC/LLS code:
If the alarm occurs during treatment, silence the alarm, check the patient's status (access site, lines, physical condition), and look at the machine's flow diagram to see what state the machine is in (e.g., bypass).
Train staff to look at the first number of the code:
1 = fluid issue | 3 = mixing issue | 4 = bloodline issue
Before calling technical support, staff must verify:
• Are the concentrate jugs full?
• Are the lines routed correctly without kinks?
• Is the dialyzer primed completely free of air?
• Are the transducer protectors wet?
While restarting the machine clears transient software glitches, it deletes the immediate operational context. Staff should write down the exact 5-digit code before restarting the machine so maintenance can properly diagnose it later.
Always write down the exact 5-digit code before restarting the machine. Restarting clears the code from memory, making it much harder for Biomed to diagnose the root cause.