Radiofrequency ablation systems · RITA family

AngioDynamics RITA 1500X: troubleshooting and error codes

The ServiceForge knowledge base holds 46 documented symptoms for the AngioDynamics RITA 1500X, with 61 ranked causes, 38 diagnostic checks with test points and expected values, and 35 error codes. Each symptom below shows its causes and the first check; the rest is one connection away. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Symptoms

Unintended burns or thermal injury to patient patient safety

Patient sustains burns at non-target sites, skin damage from Dispersive electrode adhesive, or thermal injury from RF energy.

Ranked causes

1. Cables contacting patient or other leads (common)
2. Improper Dispersive Electrode application or placement (common)
3. Skin-to-skin contact on patient (occasional)
4. Patient contact with grounded metal parts or high capacitance objects (occasional)
5. Incompatible or faulty accessory cable (occasional)
6. RF power on simultaneously with infusion (rare)

First check

Position electrosurgical cables away from patient and other leads

Test point: Active and return electrosurgical leads
Expected: Leads positioned and secured not in contact with patient or other electrical equipment

3 more checks with pass and fail actions, 6 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Low RF power output or generator fails to deliver RF energy high voltage

RF Generator does not deliver expected power at normal settings; electrosurgical equipment fails to function correctly.

Ranked causes

1. Faulty application of Dispersive Electrode (common)
2. Failure of electrical lead (occasional)
3. Dispersive Electrode repositioning needed after generator shutdown (occasional)

First check

Verify Dispersive Electrode contact with patient

Test point: Dispersive Electrode pad surface
Expected: Entire surface area in contact with patient skin

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 3 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

No pump detected on RS-232 Port B

LCD displays 'NO PUMP: (RF) TO START, (MODE) TO CANCEL'.

Ranked causes

1. Pump cable not connected or not properly seated (common)
2. Defective pump cable (occasional)
3. Pump disconnected or powered off (common)

First check

Verify pump cable connected to RS-232 Port B

Test point: Port B on generator, RS-232 cable
Expected: Cable fully seated at both ends

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 3 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Poor tissue conduction with RF shutdown patient safety

LCD displays 'POOR TISSUE CONDUCTION – RF SHUT OFF' during procedure.

Ranked causes

1. Device not optimally positioned in tissue (common)
2. Poor connection of device, main cable, or dispersive pad (occasional)
3. Defective device or main cable (occasional)

First check

Reposition device in tissue

Test point: Device electrode positioning
Expected: Device in optimized tissue contact

2 more checks with pass and fail actions, 3 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Incomplete ablation or lesion only partially destroyed patient safety

Ablation procedure completed but imaging shows lesion was not fully destroyed or only partially treated.

Ranked causes

1. High power settings caused tissue desiccation impeding ablation (occasional)
2. Device not fully deployed in target tissue (occasional)

First check

Set appropriate RF power level

Test point: SET POWER (W) display
Expected: Lowest power setting suitable for intended ablation purpose

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Infusion pump not responding patient safety

LCD displays 'PUMPS NOT RESPONDING'.

Ranked causes

1. Pump manually stopped or turned off within first 15 seconds or during procedure (occasional)
2. Loss of communication with pump or pump failure (occasional)

First check

Verify pump is running continuously

Test point: Infusion pump display and flow indicator
Expected: Pump running; flow active

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

No device present

LCD displays 'NO DEVICE PRESENT' during operation when RF is activated.

Ranked causes

1. Device not properly connected to Device port (common)
2. Defective device cable or device (occasional)

First check

Verify device connection to Device port

Test point: Device port connector
Expected: Device firmly seated and connected

2 more checks with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Unit displays error or fails self-test on power-up

Generator self-test fails after power on, error message or no display

Ranked causes

1. Software module not installed or defective (common)
2. Internal hardware malfunction (rare)

First check

Verify software module is installed

Test point: Software Module Access panel on rear
Expected: Module visible and button not protruding

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Ambient temperature out of range caution

LCD displays 'AMBIENT TEMP OUT OF RANGE' at startup.

Ranked causes

1. Ambient temperature outside operating range during startup (occasional)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Bad device or connection with thermocouple error codes

LCD displays 'BAD DEVICE OR CONNECTION / TC' followed by position indicators (e.g., TC1----, TC-2---, etc.) or 'BAD DEVICE OR CONNECTION / NO ID, NO TCs'.

Ranked causes

1. Device or connection cable fault with specific thermocouple open or short (common)

First check

Reconnect device and main cable

Test point: Device port, Main Cable, Dispersive Pad, Pad Adapter Cable
Expected: All connections seated firmly

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 2 corrective actions, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Device in contact with patient during purge patient safety

LCD displays 'REMOVE DEVICE FROM PATIENT, PRESS (MODE)' during purge operation.

Ranked causes

1. Device in contact with patient tissue or return pads during purge (common)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Device not recognized

LCD displays 'DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED BAD DEVICE OR CONNECTION / TC-----'.

Ranked causes

1. Device not properly connected or unrecognized device type (common)

First check

Verify device connection and orientation

Test point: Device port
Expected: Device fully seated and aligned

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Fuse blown or generator will not power on high voltage

No power to RF Generator, controls unresponsive

Ranked causes

1. Fuse open or blown (common)

First check

Inspect fuses visually

Test point: Two fuse modules in Line Input module
Expected: Fuse element intact (no break in filament visible)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Gas embolism during laparoscopic ablation patient safety

Air or gas enters blood vessels during laparoscopic procedure, potentially causing vascular obstruction.

Ranked causes

1. Device activation without tissue contact during laparoscopic procedure (rare)

First check

Verify device contact with target tissue during laparoscopic ablation

Test point: Device position relative to target tissue
Expected: Device in direct contact with target lesion; efficiency reading 6-10

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Injury to adjacent non-target structures or critical nerves patient safety

RF ablation damages structures near the target site including nerves, causing incontinence or other serious complications.

Ranked causes

1. Inadequate pre-procedure evaluation for proximity of target to critical structures (occasional)

First check

Verify minimum distance from device to non-target structures

Test point: Device placement relative to critical structures
Expected: At least 1 cm clearance from non-target structures, particularly nerve structures

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Internal load impedance too high

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 5: INTERNAL LOAD HIGH TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Internal impedance measurement anomaly or circuit fault (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Internal load impedance too low

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 4: INTERNAL LOAD LOW TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Internal impedance measurement anomaly or circuit fault (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Liquid spill or water damage to RF Generator high voltage

Unit may be damaged by moisture intrusion, connections corroded, shorts present

Ranked causes

1. Liquid allowed to enter unit enclosure (rare)

First check

Inspect external moisture

Test point: RF Generator exterior and vents
Expected: Dry, no visible moisture

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 1 corrective action, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Loop overrun failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 8: LOOP OVERRUN TURN POWER OFF' during operation.

Ranked causes

1. Real-time control loop execution timeout (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Loss of pain relief durability after bone metastasis ablation

Pain relief from RF ablation of painful bone metastases diminishes after initial treatment period.

Ranked causes

1. Limited evidence of pain relief durability beyond 4 weeks (unknown)

No connection or poor connection with device

LCD displays 'NO CONNECTION OR POOR CONNECTION'.

Ranked causes

1. Needle device not properly connected to generator (common)

First check

Verify device and main cable connections

Test point: Device port, Main Cable connectors
Expected: All connections fully seated

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Pathologic fracture after bone metastasis ablation patient safety

Ablated bone fractures during or after treatment, particularly in weight-bearing bones.

Ranked causes

1. Impending fracture present in weight-bearing bone (occasional)

First check

Evaluate for impending fracture before ablation

Test point: Weight-bearing bone lesion imaging
Expected: No evidence of impending fracture on imaging assessment

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Poor connection patient safety

LCD displays 'POOR CONNECTION' during ablation procedure.

Ranked causes

1. Needle tissue contact out of allowable range (common)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Power supply failure high voltage

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 3: POWER SUPPLY TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Internal power supply circuit failure (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Pump connected during active RF procedure patient safety

LCD displays 'PUMP CONNECTED DURING PROCEDURE- RESTART'.

Ranked causes

1. Infusion pump connected to generator while RF active without proper initialization (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RAM memory check failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 1: RAM CHECK TURN POWER OFF' at self-test.

Ranked causes

1. Internal RAM memory failure (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Re-heating to target temperature patient safety

LCD displays 'RE-HEATING TO TARGET TEMP' during procedure.

Ranked causes

1. Temperature decreased below target during ablation (occasional)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF Generator shuts down or does not activate high voltage

System fails to turn on, does not respond to RF ON/OFF button, or automatically shuts down during operation.

Ranked causes

1. Target temperature not reached within 30 minutes (occasional)

First check

Monitor timer and temperature during ablation

Test point: TIMER (min) and SET TEMP (°C) displays
Expected: Target temperature reached and maintained; timer counts down from set time

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 1 corrective action, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF off current detection failure high voltage

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 14: RF OFF: CURRENT DET TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Current detection circuit malfunction when RF off (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF off voltage detection failure high voltage

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 13: RF OFF: VOLTAGE DET TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Voltage detection circuit malfunction when RF off (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF pulse high voltage failure high voltage

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 15: RF PULSE: HI VOLTAGE TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. RF output voltage exceeds high limit during pulse (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF pulse low voltage failure high voltage

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 16: RF PULSE: LO VOLTAGE TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. RF output voltage below low limit during pulse (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF short patient safety

LCD displays 'RF SHORT' during ablation procedure.

Ranked causes

1. Needle tissue contact out of allowable range or system setup error (common)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

RF was turned off

LCD displays 'RF WAS TURNED OFF' during operation.

Ranked causes

1. User manually turned off RF energy via RF ON/OFF button or foot pedal (common)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

ROM memory check failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 2: ROM CHECK TURN POWER OFF / CRC = XXXX'.

Ranked causes

1. Internal ROM memory or firmware corruption (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Shorted panel key(s)

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 12: SHORTED PANEL KEY(S) POWER OFF, PRESS KEYS ONCE AND POWER ON'.

Ranked causes

1. One or more front panel keys stuck or shorted (occasional)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Software module installation failure

LCD does not display information after power-on following software module installation

Ranked causes

1. Software module not properly inserted or oriented (common)

First check

Verify software module orientation

Test point: Software module arrow and label
Expected: Arrow facing insertion slot, wording right side up

2 more checks with pass and fail actions, 1 corrective action, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Software module not connected

LCD displays 'SOFTWARE MODULE NOT CONNECTED TURN POWER OFF' at self-test startup.

Ranked causes

1. Software module not fully inserted or incorrect orientation (common)

First check

Verify software module seating and orientation

Test point: Software module slot
Expected: Module fully inserted with arrow symbol aligned and cover closed

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Spurious interrupt failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM ERROR 11: SPURIOUS INTERRUPT TURN POWER OFF' during operation.

Ranked causes

1. Unexpected interrupt signal in control electronics (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

System on too long caution

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 10: SYSTEM ON TOO LONG TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Unit left on continuously without performing self-test on startup (occasional)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

System temperature too high caution

LCD displays 'SYSTEM TEMP TOO HIGH' during self-test or operation.

Ranked causes

1. RF Generator vents blocked restricting airflow (common)

First check

Inspect RF Generator vents for blockage

Test point: Back and bottom vents
Expected: Vents clear and unobstructed

1 more check with pass and fail actions, 1 corrective action, and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Target temperature not reached patient safety

LCD displays 'TARGET TEMP NOT REACHED' during procedure.

Ranked causes

1. Device unable to reach target temperature during ablation (unknown)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Temperature reference failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 6: TEMP REF BAD TURN POWER OFF'.

Ranked causes

1. Temperature sensor or reference circuit malfunction (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Time error failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 9: TIME ERROR TURN POWER OFF' during operation.

Ranked causes

1. Real-time clock or timing reference malfunction (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Unsupported pump connected

LCD displays 'PUMP NOT SUPPORTED, SEE USER'S MANUAL'.

Ranked causes

1. Non-IntelliFlow infusion pump connected to generator (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Watchdog timer failure

LCD displays 'SYSTEM FAILURE 7: WATCHDOG TURN POWER OFF' during operation.

Ranked causes

1. Watchdog timer circuit or software timeout (rare)

1 corrective action and part numbers are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Error codes

Code	Meaning	Trigger	Severity
`AMBIENT TEMP OUT OF RANGE`	Ambient operating temperature outside acceptable range at startup	Power-on self-test detects ambient temperature outside specifications	warning
`BAD DEVICE OR CONNECTION`	Device communication error with specific thermocouple open/short indicator	Device port read fails or thermocouple sensor open/short detected during runtime	error
`DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED`	Connected device type not recognized or not supported by generator software	Device port detects device with unknown or mismatched ID code	error
`IMPEDE-OUT RECOVERY`	Loss of tissue impedance contact detected; automatic recovery sequence initiated	Runtime impedance monitoring detects sudden impedance rise above threshold during ablation	warning
`NO CONNECTION OR POOR CONNECTION`	Needle device not properly connected to generator or connection intermittent	Device port detects communication timeout or signal loss during startup or operation	error
`NO DEVICE PRESENT`	No RF ablation device detected on Device port at startup or during operation	Device port communication failure during initialization or runtime checks	error
`NO PUMP`	No infusion pump detected on RS-232 Port B at startup or during operation	Device port scan at startup or runtime detects no pump on Port B	warning
`POOR CONNECTION`	Needle tissue contact impedance outside acceptable range	Runtime impedance monitoring detects contact resistance beyond limits	warning
`POOR TISSUE CONDUCTION`	Tissue conductivity too low to deliver RF energy safely; RF automatically shut off	Runtime conduction testing shows impedance rise above safe maximum during active ablation	error
`PUMP CONNECTED DURING PROCEDURE`	Infusion pump connected to generator while RF active without proper system initialization	Pump detected on RS-232 port after RF already activated without pump present	error
`PUMP NOT SUPPORTED`	Connected infusion pump model not supported by generator software	Pump ID code detected is not in supported device list	error
`PUMPS NOT RESPONDING`	Infusion pump not responding to generator commands or communication lost	RS-232 command timeout or no pump heartbeat detected after procedure start	error
`RE-HEATING TO TARGET TEMP`	Temperature dropped below target during procedure and re-heating is in progress	Runtime temperature monitoring detects drop below setpoint during active ablation	info
`REMOVE DEVICE FROM PATIENT`	Ablation device in contact with patient tissue or return pads during purge operation	Purge cycle detects device impedance/contact signal while purge active	critical
`RF SHORT`	Detected RF short circuit or impedance anomaly preventing energy delivery	Safety monitoring detects short-circuit-like condition or impedance collapse	error
`RF WAS TURNED OFF`	RF energy was manually disabled by operator via RF ON/OFF button or foot pedal	User presses RF ON/OFF button or foot pedal during active ablation	info
`SOFTWARE MODULE NOT CONNECTED`	Software module not fully seated or incorrectly oriented at startup self-test	Power-on self-test failure when module slot is empty or improperly inserted	error
`SYSTEM ERROR 11`	Spurious or unexpected interrupt signal detected in control electronics	Interrupt handler receives interrupt from non-enabled source or at unexpected time	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 1`	RAM memory self-test failure	Power-on self-test detects RAM read/write error	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 10`	Generator left on continuously without performing startup self-test	System detects extended continuous operation without power-on reset	warning
`SYSTEM FAILURE 12`	One or more front panel keys detected as stuck or shorted	Self-test detects stuck key contact during power-on	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 13`	Voltage detection circuit failure during RF off state	Self-test or runtime monitoring detects voltage sensor malfunction when RF disabled	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 14`	Current detection circuit failure during RF off state	Self-test or runtime monitoring detects current sensor malfunction when RF disabled	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 15`	RF pulse output voltage exceeds high limit during energy transmission	Output voltage monitoring detects peak voltage above maximum allowed during RF pulse	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 16`	RF pulse output voltage below low limit during energy transmission	Output voltage monitoring detects peak voltage below minimum during RF pulse attempt	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 2`	ROM or firmware self-test failure with CRC value	Power-on self-test detects ROM read error or firmware checksum mismatch	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 3`	Power supply circuit self-test failure	Power-on or runtime self-test detects power supply regulation fault	critical
`SYSTEM FAILURE 4`	Internal load impedance measurement below lower limit	Self-test detection of low impedance in internal RF load circuit	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 5`	Internal load impedance measurement above upper limit	Self-test detection of high impedance in internal RF load circuit	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 6`	Temperature sensor reference circuit failure	Self-test detection of temperature reference sensor malfunction	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 7`	Watchdog timer failure detected during operation	Watchdog timer interrupt not cleared by control software within timeout period	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 8`	Real-time control loop execution overrun during operation	Control loop task fails to complete within allocated time cycle	error
`SYSTEM FAILURE 9`	Real-time clock or timing reference failure during operation	Timing reference query returns invalid or out-of-range value	error
`SYSTEM TEMP TOO HIGH`	RF Generator internal temperature exceeds thermal limit during self-test or operation	Temperature monitoring detects sensor reading above acceptable limit	warning
`TARGET TEMP NOT REACHED`	Ablation device failed to reach target temperature during procedure	Procedure timer expires without reaching target temperature setpoint	warning

Likely causes and actions for each code are in ServiceForge. Connect ServiceForge to your AI

Community

0 fixes logged by technicians through their AI, with outcomes, for this model.

ServiceForge knowledge base record. Field-unverified unless technicians confirmed it. A teaching summary of the record, not a service manual. Export 2026-10-14.