Watch: Pedal & Cart Troubleshooting

When to use this guide

Theator does not currently raise an alert when a pedal disconnects. Use this guide when you see a red Pedal indicator, with the tooltip Foot pedal expected but not connected, in the By Unit view of the Rooms tab or in the Room Connectivity Indicator, or when a surgeon reports that the pedal isn't working. The pedal (also called "clicker") lets surgeons mark key moments during surgery.

Impact

• Surgeons cannot mark events during cases using the pedal.
• AI-assisted annotations will still work, but surgeon-initiated bookmarks will not be captured.
• This does not affect video recording — recording continues normally.

Step 1: Check the Monitoring Pages

1. In the theator app, open System > Monitoring, select the Rooms tab, and switch to the By Unit view.

2. Find the affected unit. You will see:

   • A red "Pedal" indicator (normally green when connected)
   • The unit itself should still show as connected

3. Note the room name so you know where to go.

Step 2: Go to the Room

Physically go to the OR and check the pedal:

1. Find the pedal: It's typically on the floor near the surgeon's operating position, connected to the unit via a USB cable.

2. Check the USB cable:

   • Is it plugged into the theator unit? Check the USB port.
   • Is the cable intact? Look for damage or kinks.
   • Is the connection firm? Unplug and re-plug the USB cable at the unit end.

3. Try a different USB port: If re-plugging doesn't work, try connecting the pedal to a different USB port on the unit.

4. Check the pedal itself: Is the pedal cable damaged? Is the pedal itself visibly broken?

Step 3: Verify the Fix

1. Go back to the By Unit view of the Rooms tab.
2. Confirm the pedal indicator has turned green.
3. If possible, ask someone to press the pedal to confirm it's responsive.

When to Escalate

Escalate to theator support if:

• The pedal won't register on any USB port
• The pedal or cable is physically damaged and you need a replacement
• The pedal connects but disconnects again repeatedly

When escalating, include: unit name, room name, what you tried, and whether the pedal/cable appears damaged.

Related Articles

• Understanding Customer Ops Alerts — Overview of all alert types and how they work
• Getting Started with the Incidents Dashboard — How to use the dashboard to manage alerts
• Daily Monitoring Checklist — Quick daily routine for biomed technicians and Clinical Engineers
• Room connectivity indicator — Pedal, unit, and video-signal status for a room