Method for maintaining cleaning unit using maintenance station

Abstract

To provide a cleaning unit that reduces burden on a person in charge of maintenance on a medical imaging device, and to provide a method of cleaning.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a method for maintaining a cleaning unit (1), where the cleaning unit (1) is provided for cleaning a housing around a patient receiving area of a medical imaging device and the cleaning unit (1) includes a support structure and a cleaning component (6). The method is executed using a maintenance station that is disposed in the vicinity of the medical imaging device separately from the medical imaging device and includes the steps of: moving the cleaning unit (1) to the maintenance station; executing at least one maintenance step; and, in the step, maintaining the cleaning unit (1) to subsequent cleaning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to - a method for servicing a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit being provided for cleaning an enclosure around a patient reception area of ​​a medical imaging device, - a method for cleaning an enclosure around a patient reception area of ​​a medical imaging device, servicing of said cleaning unit and / or a servicing station for said cleaning method, - said maintenance station, - Facilities equipped with said maintenance station Regarding.

[0002] Medical imaging devices are used in radiology, for example MRI and CT machines, which become contaminated during use and / or contaminated with bacteria and / or viruses. This can happen, for example, when the examinee leaves bacteria or other contaminants inside the medical imaging device by coughing, sneezing, breathing heavily, or by physical contact with the medical imaging device. Such contaminants remain especially inside the medical imaging device, specifically the housing.

[0003] Manual cleaning is in this case carried out by means of a cleaning implement, optionally fixed to a pole, as disclosed, for example, in US Pat. No. 5,918,342.

[0004] The disadvantage here is that this type of cleaning is very cumbersome and time consuming and / or requires the cleaning personnel to be very close to or even partially inside the medical imaging device, where the effects of radiation, e.g. X-rays and magnetic fields emitted by the medical imaging device, can be unpleasant.

[0005] It is also known to provide an automatic cleaning unit in a medical imaging device, as disclosed for example in Chinese Utility Model No. 219251060 or German Patent Application Publication No. 102021210471, where the cleaning unit can perform wiping cleaning by running the cleaning unit from one end of the housing to the other end of the housing.

[0006] A disadvantage here is that servicing such cleaning units is time-consuming and laborious, during which the medical imaging device cannot be used or can only be used to a limited extent, thereby limiting the uptime of the medical imaging device.

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for servicing a cleaning unit which at least partially overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and which is improved over the prior art, the method being characterized in particular by a low workload for the servicing personnel. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for cleaning a cleaning unit, a servicing station for said cleaning unit and / or for said cleaning method, and an installation which comprises said servicing station.

[0008] This problem is solved by the features of claims 1, 4, 5 and 18.

[0009] This problem is solved by a method according to claim 1, i.e. a method for servicing a cleaning unit, which is provided for cleaning an enclosure around a patient reception area of ​​a medical imaging device, the cleaning unit comprising a support structure and a cleaning component, the method being carried out by means of a servicing station arranged separately from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device, - Move the cleaning unit to the maintenance station, - then carrying out at least one servicing step, by which the cleaning unit is prepared for a subsequent cleaning; is solved by the method.

[0010] Servicing of the cleaning unit often requires various servicing steps. If the cleaning unit is serviced directly above the medical imaging device for a new imaging, the time required before a new imaging can be performed may be at least longer. For example, the patient has to wait until the cleaning unit is fully serviced and can only then sit on the patient couch. With the method according to the invention, the cleaning unit can be serviced using a service station arranged separately from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device, such that the medical imaging device is at least partially accessible and at least partially usable during the servicing. For example, the method for servicing the cleaning unit can be carried out during a patient changeover. Since the patient changeover takes time, especially in the case of elderly or frail patients, the servicing of the cleaning unit can be carried out in parallel, the time required is reduced by servicing the cleaning unit at the service station and the patient reception area is more easily accessible.

[0011] One advantage of such a method for servicing a cleaning unit is that at least one servicing step of servicing the cleaning unit can be performed using a servicing station, which thus facilitates at least one, preferably entirely manual, servicing step, thereby reducing the servicing burden on the maintenance personnel.

[0012] "Cleaning" as used herein means sanitizing, disinfecting and / or sterilizing, where cleaning can be in the form of wiping, scraping, scraping, scrubbing, scrubbing, washing, and the like.

[0013] By "a maintenance station located in the vicinity" is meant in this specification that the maintenance station is in the vicinity of the medical imaging device and the distance between the maintenance station and the medical imaging device is sufficient so that the action of radiation, e.g. from X-rays or the magnetic field of the medical imaging device, does not adversely affect the maintenance station, in particular the metallic and / or electronic components of the maintenance station, and / or the maintenance personnel when carrying out the method for servicing the cleaning unit. A sufficient distance between the maintenance station and the medical imaging device may for example be at least 0.5 meters.

[0014] "Service steps" as used herein means any action performed on a cleaning unit before, during and / or after medical imaging.

[0015] It may be envisaged that the cleaning unit is placed in a maintenance station before and / or after at least one maintenance step.

[0016] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the numbers 1, 2, 3, etc. used in the course of the description of the present invention essentially describe only the minimum features present of the method according to the invention, the maintenance station according to the invention and / or the installation according to the invention with said maintenance station. Naturally, there may be more individual features or components. For example, the method according to the invention may have two or more maintenance steps, the maintenance station according to the invention may have two or more maintenance devices, etc. Thus, in this context, for example the number 1 may mean at least 1, etc., where this makes sense.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the method for servicing a cleaning unit and / or the method for cleaning a housing around a patient receiving area of ​​a medical imaging device comprises at least one, at least two, at least three, at least four or at least five servicing steps.

[0018] For example, at least three servicing steps can be envisaged, where deformation of the cleaning component, placement of the cleaning layer, and application and / or introduction of the cleaning agent can each be a servicing step.

[0019] In another example, in addition to the previous example, a fourth maintenance step can be envisaged, in which case the cleaning agent or another cleaning agent is additionally applied and / or introduced a second time.

[0020] The individual servicing steps disclosed herein may be repeated and / or combined with one another during the method of servicing a cleaning unit and / or the method of cleaning a medical imaging device housing around a patient receiving area.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the maintenance station comprises at least one, at least two, at least three, at least four or at least five maintenance devices.

[0022] For example, at least three maintenance devices can be envisaged, whereby the deformation device, the positioning device and the application device can each be a maintenance device.

[0023] In another example, a fourth maintenance device may be envisaged in addition to the previous example, further including a second application device for a second application and / or introduction of a cleaning agent or application of another cleaning agent.

[0024] The individual servicing devices disclosed herein can be envisaged repeatedly and / or combined with one another in a servicing station for servicing the cleaning unit and / or cleaning the housing of the medical imaging device around the patient receiving area.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the method is at least partly, preferably fully, automated.

[0026] Further advantageous embodiments of the method are defined in the dependent claims.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the method, - releasably connecting the cleaning unit to a service station, preferably by means of a coupling device; - supplying a power store and / or an energy store, - Deforming, preferably expanding, the cleaning component by filling with a pressure medium or by removing the pressure medium, - placing and preferably spreading a cleaning layer of the cleaning component on the cleaning substrate of the cleaning component, preferably along the outer contour of the cleaning substrate, - applying and / or introducing a cleaning agent onto and / or into the cleaning layer of the cleaning component, said application and / or introduction preferably being carried out before, during and / or after placing the cleaning layer of the cleaning component onto the cleaning substrate of the cleaning component. It is envisaged that at least one of the method steps of:

[0028] For example, maintenance steps such as deforming the cleaning component, positioning a cleaning layer and / or applying and / or introducing a cleaning agent can be time consuming and / or labor intensive, so the use of a maintenance station during the maintenance method of the cleaning unit reduces dead time, particularly unused time, and / or makes better and more efficient use of the operating time of the medical imaging device.

[0029] In the simplest case, the cleaning unit can be removably connected to the maintenance station once it is installed on or in the maintenance station. Alternatively or additionally, a separate coupling device can be provided for the removably connection.

[0030] "Removably connected," "removably connected," and "removably connectable" may mean that at least two originally separate components can be connected to one another and that the removably connected connection can then be non-destructively released, causing the at least two components to become originally separate again and thus reconnectable. Thus, "removably connected," "removably connected," and "removably connectable" may also be expressed as "non-destructively removable connection," "non-destructively removably connected," and "non-destructively removably connectable."

[0031] Energy stores are used to store energy that is currently available but not required until later use. Energy stores can be, for example, electrical energy stores such as batteries. Force stores are similarly used to provide forces that are later used. Force stores can be, for example, mechanical force stores such as spring devices.

[0032] The energy or force store can be used to carry out one or more servicing steps for servicing the cleaning unit and / or cleaning steps for cleaning the housing around the patient receiving area at a later time. For example, a spring as a force store can be applied with a force during servicing, which causes a deformation of the cleaning component at a later time, preferably when the cleaning unit is placed in the housing during cleaning. In this way, the cleaning component of the cleaning unit can be pressed in and against the housing by the applied spring.

[0033] "Deformation" and / or "deformable" means herein that it is possible to change the shape of an object as a result of the action of a force and / or stress. The deformation of an object can be divided into a first part, where the volume and / or spatial extension of the object changes but the geometry of the object does not change, for example, when the radius of a sphere or a tubular body increases, and a second part, where the geometry of the object changes but the volume and / or spatial extension of the object does not change, for example, when a sphere is stretched along its axis to become an ellipsoid. When the cleaning component is deformed by being filled with a pressure medium, the deformation can occur in the first part and / or in the second part.

[0034] The deformability of the cleaning component due to the filling with pressure medium leads to a change in the geometric shape, preferably the outer diameter, the spatial extent and / or the volume of the cleaning component, in such a way that contact between the cleaning unit arranged in the medical imaging device and the housing of the medical imaging device can be deliberately caused or avoided.

[0035] Thus, reliable cleaning of the housing can be achieved by changing the cleaning component to a filled state, contacting the housing through the filled cleaning component, and causing the cleaning component to clean, for example by wiping, the housing during movement of the cleaning unit.

[0036] An "unfilled cleaning component" or "unfilled cleaning component" is a cleaning component that is not filled with pressure medium, and an unfilled cleaning component of a cleaning unit introduced into a housing does not come into contact with the housing.

[0037] In the unfilled state, the cleaning component is under the action of the atmospheric pressure forces and / or stresses surrounding the cleaning component and optionally under the action of media other than the pressure medium present within the cleaning component, but in no case under the action of the pressure of the housing.

[0038] A "partially filled cleaning component" or a "cleaning component in a partially filled state" is a cleaning component that is at least partially filled with pressure medium, and a partially filled cleaning component of a cleaning unit introduced into a housing does not contact the housing.

[0039] A "filled cleaning component" or "filled cleaning component" is a cleaning component that is filled with pressure medium, and the filled cleaning component of a cleaning unit introduced into a housing contacts the housing.

[0040] In the filled state, the cleaning component is under the action of the forces and / or stresses of the pressure medium, the action of the forces and / or stresses of the atmospheric pressure surrounding the cleaning component, the action of the forces and / or stresses of the housing in contact with the cleaning component and optionally a reaction force of the cleaning component, preferably elastic, due to deformation.

[0041] As a filled cleaning component in contact with the housing transitions through a partially filled cleaning component to an unfilled cleaning component, pressure medium is removed from the cleaning component, thereby reducing the spatial extension of the cleaning component and terminating contact with the housing.

[0042] When an unfilled cleaning component, which is not in contact with the housing, transitions through a partially filled cleaning component to a filled cleaning component, pressure medium is introduced into the cleaning component, thereby increasing the spatial extension of the cleaning component and achieving contact with the housing.

[0043] Only when the pressure medium has been sufficiently introduced into the cleaning component of the cleaning unit, i.e. when the cleaning component is sufficiently filled with pressure medium, does the transition from the partially filled cleaning component to the filled cleaning component take place, so that the housing can be contacted by the cleaning unit introduced into the housing. If the already filled cleaning component is then further filled with pressure medium, the housing comes into contact under pressure, the pressure being determined by the degree of filling of the filled cleaning component.

[0044] The cleaning component can be filled several times in succession and its spatial extent can be increased with each new filling in accordance with the above description, this also applies to cleaning components from which a portion of the pressure medium is removed several times in succession.

[0045] "Cleaning agents" in the present invention may mean commonly known cleaning agents such as soaps, disinfectants, e.g. alcohol and / or germicides.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the method, - removing the cleaning unit, which is preferably removably connected to the maintenance station by a coupling device; - transporting the cleaning unit between the medical imaging device and a maintenance station; - releasably connecting the cleaning unit to the medical imaging device; - removing the cleaning unit from the medical imaging device; It is envisaged that at least one of the method steps of:

[0047] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the transport of the cleaning unit is effected by a transport device.

[0048] There is further provided a method of cleaning an enclosure around a patient receiving area of ​​a medical imaging device, the method comprising: - a cleaning unit comprising a support structure and a cleaning component; a maintenance station, preferably arranged separately from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device, and comprising at least one maintenance device and at least one traveling device, wherein the cleaning unit is removably connected to the maintenance station; This is carried out using at least one servicing step is carried out by at least one servicing device, by means of which the cleaning unit is prepared for a subsequent cleaning; The cleaning is performed by moving the serviced cleaning unit in at least one direction, preferably in at least two directions, within the medical imaging device. Protection is sought regarding methods.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment variant of the method for cleaning the housing around a patient receiving area of ​​a medical imaging device, it can be envisaged that at least one running device is part of a maintenance station or that at least one running device is part of the medical imaging device, for example a patient examination table.

[0050] The maintenance station, on the one hand, facilitates maintenance of the cleaning unit, and on the other hand, can be used as a running device for cleaning the housing, thereby achieving a less labor-intensive and more efficient workflow using the maintenance station.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment variant, as soon as the serviced cleaning unit has finished moving in the first direction along the housing, the filled cleaning component can be changed to an unfilled state and the cleaning unit with the unfilled cleaning component can be moved in a non-contact manner back to the starting position, without the cleaning component coming into contact with the housing again, thereby avoiding re-contamination.

[0052] Further protection is sought for a maintenance station for servicing a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit being provided for cleaning a housing surrounding a patient receiving area of ​​a medical imaging device, the cleaning unit comprising a support structure and a cleaning component, the maintenance station being located separate from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device, and the maintenance station comprising at least one maintenance device for servicing the cleaning unit for subsequent cleaning.

[0053] Further advantageous embodiments of the maintenance station are defined in the dependent claims.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, at least one maintenance device comprises: - a coupling device for releasably connecting the cleaning unit to a maintenance station; - a supply device for supplying the force and / or energy stores, - a deformation device that deforms the cleaning components; - a placement device for placing a cleaning layer of a cleaning component onto a cleaning substrate of a cleaning component; or - a dispenser for dispensing a cleaning agent onto and / or into a cleaning layer of a cleaning component It is expected that the following will be provided.

[0055] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the maintenance station is removably connected or connectable to the cleaning unit.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that at least one of the maintenance devices is at least partially, preferably fully, automated.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that at least one control and / or regulation unit is provided which controls and / or regulates at least one of the maintenance devices.

[0058] By means of the control and / or regulating unit, for example, the amount of pressure medium and / or the pressure achieved inside the filling cleaning component can be controlled and / or regulated.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that at least one sensor is provided, which is preferably connected to at least one control and / or regulation unit.

[0060] A sensor, preferably a pressure sensor, allows monitoring the condition of the filled and / or unfilled cleaning components.

[0061] By using at least partially, preferably fully automated, maintenance devices such as deformation devices, positioning devices and / or application devices, for example in conjunction with a control and / or adjustment unit and / or a sensor, the efficiency of cleaning of the housing by the cleaning unit can be increased, the operating efficiency of the medical imaging device can be increased, and the maintenance burden on maintenance personnel can be reduced.

[0062] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, it is envisaged that the deformation device comprises a deformation drive, a pressure medium and a connecting line which preferably detachably or non-detachably connects the cleaning component to the deformation drive, the pressure medium being fillable into and / or removable from the cleaning component by the deformation drive, and the cleaning component being deformable by filling with and / or removing the pressure medium.

[0063] "Removably connected," "removably connected," and "removably connectable" may mean that at least two originally separate components can be connected to one another and that the removably connected connection can then be non-destructively released, causing the at least two components to become originally separate again and thus reconnectable. Thus, "removably connected," "removably connected," and "removably connectable" may also be expressed as "non-destructively removable connection," "non-destructively removably connected," and "non-destructively removably connectable."

[0064] "Non-removably connected," "non-removably connected," and "non-removably connectable" may mean that at least two otherwise separate components can be connected to one another and that the non-removable connection cannot then be broken without compromising the integrity of at least one of the at least two components and / or preventing or precluding reconnection of the at least two components. Thus, "non-removably connected," "non-removably connected," and "non-removably connectable" may also be expressed as "non-destructively non-removably connected," "non-destructively non-removably connected," and "non-destructively non-removably connectable."

[0065] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the deformation device comprises a compressor, preferably an air compressor, which draws in a pressure medium, preferably ambient air, and supplies it under pressure through a connecting line to the cleaning component to fill it.

[0066] According to a preferred embodiment of the service station, it is envisaged that the cleaning layer can be placed, preferably spread, on the cleaning substrate by a placement device, preferably along the outer contour of the cleaning substrate.

[0067] The positioning device allows removing the cleaning layer from the cleaning unit, i.e. displacing the cleaning layer of the cleaning unit, and thus in a preferred embodiment variant allows removing a first, preferably used, cleaning layer and / or positioning a second, preferably unused, cleaning layer.

[0068] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, the positioning device comprises at least one positioning drive and a connection device for connecting, preferably detachably or non-detachably, to the cleaning layer, and it is envisaged that the cleaning layer connected to the connection device can be moved by the positioning drive to an operating position on the cleaning substrate and can preferably be unwound from a roll.

[0069] The connecting device can for example be a clamp or a shaft for winding up the cleaning layer.

[0070] In the operative position of the cleaning layer, the cleaning layer is arranged on the cleaning component such that the cleaning unit is operable and can be used to clean the housing. Preferably, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer partially or completely covers the cleaning substrate in the operative position.

[0071] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that a placement device is provided for spreading the cleaning layer onto the cleaning substrate.

[0072] In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the service station, it is envisioned that a cleaning agent may be applied onto and / or into the cleaning layer by an application device before, during and / or after the cleaning layer is placed onto the cleaning substrate.

[0073] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, it is envisaged that the application device comprises at least one spray nozzle and / or tank and / or storage container and / or application drum and / or application roll for applying the cleaning agent to the cleaning layer.

[0074] In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the service station, a reservoir containing a plurality of cleaning layers is provided, and it is envisaged that the cleaning layers are preferably pre-treated with a cleaning agent.

[0075] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer of the reservoir can be pre-moistened with a cleaning agent.

[0076] The cleaning unit can manually and / or automatically lay down individual cleaning layers from the reservoirs.

[0077] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, a transport device is provided for transporting the cleaning unit between the maintenance station and the medical imaging device, it being envisaged that the transport device is manually drivable and / or motorized.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the transfer device is at least partly, preferably fully automated.

[0079] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, a running device is provided, and it is envisaged that the cleaning unit, which is removably connected to the maintenance station, can be moved by the running device in at least one direction, preferably at least two directions, towards the medical imaging device and / or away from the medical imaging device and / or within the medical imaging device.

[0080] The travel device allows the cleaning unit to be moved, preferably at least partially, particularly preferably fully automatically, from the servicing position to the housing, where cleaning of the housing is performed and then returned to the servicing position. The servicing station thus allows not only servicing of the cleaning unit but also cleaning of the housing, and this combination of functions allows for a simplified and efficient servicing of the cleaning unit, cleaning of the housing and operation of the medical imaging device.

[0081] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the running gear is at least partly, preferably fully automated.

[0082] The above statements regarding the automated device and the control and / or regulation units and sensors also apply consistently to the transport device and / or the traveling device.

[0083] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, it is envisaged that the entire maintenance station is mobile, preferably movable on rollers, or fixed.

[0084] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the maintenance station is provided with at least one safety device for protecting the mobile maintenance station, particularly preferably at least one braking device, or at least one safety device for protecting the fixed maintenance station, particularly preferably at least one belt.

[0085] According to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance station, it is envisaged that the support structure is form stable and / or the cleaning component is elastically deformable.

[0086] Due to the elastic deformability of the cleaning component, high pressures and thus a large spatial extent of the pressure medium can be achieved, which in turn increases the efficiency of cleaning the enclosure.

[0087] According to one preferred embodiment of the service station, it is envisaged that most, preferably all, of the electronics for servicing the cleaning unit are located on or in the service station.

[0088] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning unit is at least partially, preferably completely, free of metal and / or electronic components.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment variant, the support structure and / or the cleaning component comprises or consists of at least one non-metallic material, preferably the at least one non-metallic material being one of the following materials: natural materials, particularly preferably graphite, polymeric materials, particularly preferably elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, copolymers, - inorganic materials, particularly preferably ceramics or glasses, Composite materials, particularly preferably fibre-reinforced or layered composite materials It can be envisaged that the method comprises or consists of at least one of:

[0090] Electronic and / or metallic components may adversely affect medical imaging and / or may be damaged by the magnetic fields of medical imaging, therefore locating these components in a maintenance station rather than a cleaning unit provides more reliable imaging, avoids damage, and / or reduces the maintenance burden.

[0091] Furthermore, protection is sought for an installation comprising a maintenance station as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 17, a medical imaging device and a cleaning unit for cleaning a housing, the medical imaging device comprising a scanner unit, a patient receiving area at least partially surrounded by the scanner unit and a housing around the patient receiving area.

[0092] According to a preferred embodiment of the facility, it is envisaged that the maintenance station is located along the closed side of the scanner unit or on the open side of the scanner unit.

[0093] When located along the closed side of the scanner unit, the opening in the housing is not blocked, improving access to the housing for imaging and / or cleaning.

[0094] A placement along the open side of the scanner unit would indeed block the opening of the housing, but instead, in the case of an existing travel device, the maintenance station can be moved in, out and in the housing for cleaning the housing. Preferably, it can be envisaged that the travel device is part of the maintenance station or that the travel device is part of the medical imaging device, for example a patient examination table.

[0095] According to a preferred embodiment of the equipment, it is envisaged that the equipment comprises a separate running device from the maintenance station, preferably together with a patient examination couch, and the cleaning unit is transferable from the maintenance station to the separate running device, preferably the patient examination couch, and / or the cleaning unit is transferable from the separate running device, preferably the patient examination couch, to the maintenance station.

[0096] In the case of a separate carriage, preferably with a patient couch, it is advantageous if the service station is arranged on the open side of the scanner unit.

[0097] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning component comprises a cleaning substrate and a cleaning layer, the cleaning layer being arranged along the outer contour of the cleaning substrate.

[0098] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning component is arranged along the contour, preferably the outer contour, of the support structure, the cleaning component being deformable by filling with a pressure medium.

[0099] A "cleaning component deformable by filling with a pressure medium" may mean in this specification that the cleaning component is deformable by the pressure medium occupying at least a portion, preferably all, of a volume that is partially, preferably completely, determined by the cleaning component.

[0100] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning component of the cleaning unit introduced into the housing is arranged between the support structure and the housing, and that when filled with pressure medium, the cleaning component is adjacent to the housing and preferably pressed against it.

[0101] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning substrate may be a tubular body.

[0102] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning substrate may be a flat material web, preferably a membrane, at least one end, preferably at least two ends, of the flat material web, preferably a membrane, may be connected to a support structure, preferably along the outer contour of the support structure.

[0103] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning substrate may be an extruded profile and / or an extruded double profile.

[0104] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer comprises a foam and / or a textile structure and / or a nonwoven material.

[0105] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer comprises a sponge and / or a nonwoven fabric.

[0106] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer comprises or consists of a wiping lip.

[0107] In one preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the cleaning layer is either moistened or not moistened.

[0108] In one preferred embodiment variant, the spatial extent, preferably the outer diameter, of the cleaning unit is: in the case of a non-filled cleaning component, the spatial extent, preferably smaller than the outer diameter, of the cleaning unit in the filled cleaning component; and / or - in the case of a non-filled cleaning component, the spatial extent of the housing, preferably smaller than the inner diameter, and / or - in the case of a filling cleaning component, the spatial extent of the housing is preferably at least as large as or larger than the inner diameter It can be assumed that.

[0109] In a preferred embodiment variant, it can be envisaged that the pressure medium is a gas or a liquid, preferably compressed air.

[0110] Gas or liquid as a pressure medium may have various advantages: for example, gas is compressible and therefore can better relieve high pressure, whereas liquid is nearly incompressible and therefore transmits pressure with little pressure loss.

[0111] Further details and advantages of preferred embodiments of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0112] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a medical imaging device; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a maintenance station. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment variant of the cleaning unit; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment variant of the cleaning unit; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station and a cleaning unit; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station and a cleaning unit; [Figure 7] 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of an installation with a maintenance station, a cleaning unit and a medical imaging device; [Figure 8] 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of an installation with a maintenance station, a cleaning unit and a medical imaging device; [Figure 9] 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of an installation with a maintenance station, a cleaning unit and a medical imaging device; [Figure 10] 13 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station, a cleaning unit and a medical imaging device; [Figure 11] 13 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station, a cleaning unit and a medical imaging device; [Figure 12] 1A-1D are schematic top views of an installation with a cleaning unit, a medical imaging device and a maintenance station in different positions;

[0113] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a medical imaging device 4 .

[0114] The medical imaging device 4 of FIG. 1 is a medical imaging device 4 comprising a scanner unit 20, a patient receiving area 2 at least partially surrounded by the scanner unit 20, and a housing 3 surrounding the patient receiving area 2.

[0115] Such a medical imaging device 4 may comprise at least one cleaning unit 1 , which may be movable within a housing 3 .

[0116] Such a medical imaging device 4 may include an operation device 23 and an output device 24 .

[0117] Such a medical imaging device 4 may comprise a travel device 18. The travel device 18 may comprise a movable patient table 19, a travel drive 25 and a control and adjustment unit .

[0118] The running device 18 can move the patient examination couch 19 in at least one direction 21, 22, preferably in a first direction 21 and a second direction 22.

[0119] The housing 3 may have an inner contour 9, which may be circular or arcuate, as in FIG.

[0120] The housing 3 and / or the inner contour 9 of the housing 3 can have a spatial extension 11 of the housing 3 .

[0121] The medical imaging device 4 may include an illumination edge 28 within the housing 3 that illuminates the patient receiving area 2 within the housing 3 .

[0122] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the maintenance station 7 .

[0123] Figure 2 shows a maintenance station 7 for servicing the cleaning unit 1, which is provided for cleaning a housing 3 around a patient receiving area 2 of a medical imaging device 4, the cleaning unit 1 comprising a support structure 5 and cleaning components 6, the maintenance station 7 being arranged separately from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device 4, and the maintenance station 7 comprising at least one maintenance device for preparing the cleaning unit 1 for subsequent cleaning.

[0124] The maintenance station 7 in FIG. 2 comprises a substantially ring-shaped, in particular arc-shaped, upper part and a lower platform arranged below the upper part.

[0125] Inside the upper part, along the inner contour of the upper part, nozzles for applying a cleaning agent can be arranged. These nozzles are application devices 32, and in Fig. 2, for the sake of clarity, not all nozzles are individually numbered. When the cleaning unit 1 is located inside the upper part, i.e. when the cleaning unit 1 is arranged so as to be surrounded by the service station 7, in particular the application devices 32, the cleaning agent can be applied to the cleaning component 6 of the cleaning unit 1.

[0126] The maintenance station 7 of FIG. 2 comprises a deformation device 12 for deforming the cleaning component 6, the deformation device 12 comprising a deformation drive 13, a pressure medium and a connecting line 14 which preferably detachably or non-detachably connects the cleaning component 6 to the deformation drive 13, the pressure medium being fillable into and / or removable from the cleaning component 6 by the deformation drive 13, and the cleaning component 6 being deformable by filling with and / or removing the pressure medium.

[0127] The deformation drive 13 can for example be an air compressor which fills the cleaning component 6 with compressed air by supplying it from the environment via a connecting line 14 .

[0128] The maintenance station 7 in Fig. 2 comprises a running device 18 with two running rails, each of which is provided with a coupling device 30 on the front and top surface of the running rail for removably connecting the cleaning unit 1 to the maintenance station 7. Thus, the cleaning unit 1 can be arranged on the front and / or top surface of the running rails.

[0129] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment variant of the cleaning unit 1 in the unfilled state.

[0130] The cleaning unit 1 may comprise a support structure 5 and a cleaning component 6 .

[0131] The support structure 5 may have a base portion 27 and a ring portion 29 , and the base portion 27 may include at least one coupling device 30 for releasably connecting to the running device 18 .

[0132] The position of the coupling device 30 can be set on the base part 27 and / or on the ring part 29. Different positions of the at least one coupling device 30 can be advantageous if the running device 18 for moving the cleaning unit 1 comprises a patient examination table 19 and / or if the running device 18 is a separate device from the medical imaging device.

[0133] The number and location of the at least one coupling device 30 can be set as needed, and the illustrated embodiment variants should not be construed as being limiting.

[0134] The ring portion 29 of the support structure 5 in Figures 3 and 4 has an outer contour that describes an almost complete circle, in particular an arc having an angle of more than 180°. It is possible to envisage the support structure 5 having an outer contour that describes a complete circle or an incomplete circle, in particular an arc.

[0135] The cleaning component 6 may have a cleaning substrate 15 and a cleaning layer 16, and the cleaning substrate 15 may be disposed between the support structure 5, in particular the ring portion 29 and / or the outer contour of the support structure 5, and the cleaning layer 16.

[0136] It can be envisaged that the cleaning component 6 extends further beyond the arc of the ring portion 29 to the base portion 27. In this way, the inner surface of the housing 3 and at least one face of the illuminating edge 28, in particular the top face of the illuminating edge 28, can be cleaned. According to the embodiment variant of Figures 3 and 4, the cleaning component 6 also covers the gap between the illuminating edge 28 and the base portion 27.

[0137] The cleaning layer 16 may be designed to be flexible so that the cleaning layer 16 conforms to the shape of the cleaning substrate 15. In Figures 3 and 4, the shape of the outer contour of the cleaning substrate 15 substantially corresponds to the shape of the outer contour of the cleaning layer 16 disposed on the cleaning substrate 15.

[0138] In Figures 3 and 4, the shape of the outer contour of the support structure 5 substantially corresponds to the shape of the outer contour 8 of the cleaning component 6, specifically, in Figures 3 and 4, it substantially corresponds to the shape of the outer contour of the cleaning layer 16 arranged on the cleaning component 6.

[0139] 3 and 4, the shape of the outer contour 8 of the cleaning component 6 is substantially circular, specifically arcuate.

[0140] For connecting the cleaning component 6 to the connection line 14, preferably removably or non-removably, the cleaning component 6 may be provided with a connection 31. This connection may be sealable and may be opened or closed manually or automatically.

[0141] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment variant of the cleaning unit 1 in the filled state.

[0142] The above comments regarding FIG. 3 apply equally to FIG.

[0143] In Fig. 3 the cleaning component 6 is empty, i.e. in the unfilled state. What is important is that the outer contour 8 of the cleaning component 6 has a spatial extension 10 which is smaller than the spatial extension 10 of the cleaning component 6 in the filled state and / or smaller than the spatial extension 11 of the housing 3. What is important is that the outer contour 8 of the cleaning component 6 in the unfilled state does not come into contact with the housing.

[0144] In Figure 4 it can be clearly seen that the spatial extent 10 of the cleaning component 6 is greater than the spatial extent 10 of the cleaning component 6 in Figure 3. This filled state of the cleaning component 6 can be achieved by filling the cleaning component 6 with a pressure medium in a deformation device 12.

[0145] It should be noted here that the cleaning unit 1 may have at least two similar cleaning components 6 or at least two different cleaning components 6 .

[0146] FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of one embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station 7 and a cleaning unit 1, which is arranged in front of the running gear 18, in particular the running rail, and in the unfilled state, similarly to FIG. 3.

[0147] In both Figure 5 and the subsequent Figures 6 to 10, dashed lines indicate hidden construction features, for example, the coupling device 30 is shown in dashed lines in Figures 5 and 6 because, taking into account the embodiment variant of Figure 2, the coupling device 30 is not externally visible in the side views of Figures 5 and 6.

[0148] FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of one embodiment variant of the installation with a maintenance station 7 and a cleaning unit 1, which is arranged on the upper surface of the running gear 18, in particular the running rail, and is in an unfilled state, similar to FIG. 3.

[0149] FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment variant of an installation with a service station 7, a cleaning unit 1 in the filled state as in FIG.

[0150] 7 shows an installation with a maintenance station 7 according to the invention, a medical imaging device 4 and a cleaning unit 1 for cleaning a housing 3, the medical imaging device 4 comprising a scanner unit 20, a patient receiving area 2 at least partially surrounded by the scanner unit 20 and a housing 3 around the patient receiving area 2. Furthermore, a running device 18 separate from the maintenance station 7 and from the medical imaging device 4 is provided.

[0151] 7, a patient examination table 19 on a separate traveling device 18 to the left of the medical imaging device 4 extends so that a portion of the patient examination table 19 enters into the patient receiving area 2 in the housing 3. The cleaning unit 1 is removably connected to the maintenance station 7 as shown in FIG.

[0152] In FIG. 7, the running device 18 of the maintenance station 7 can move the cleaning unit 1 into the housing 3 and / or move the cleaning unit 1 out of the housing 3.

[0153] 8 shows the installation of FIG. 7, where the cleaning unit 1 is transferred from the service station 7 to a patient couch 19 on a separate running device 18, preferably inside or outside the housing 3. A corresponding return transfer can also be envisaged. In this way, the cleaning unit 1 can be used for cleaning the housing 3 with the patient couch 19. For the transfer of the cleaning unit 1, a coupling device 30 is provided for the separate running device 18, the cleaning unit 1 and the running device 18 of the service station 7.

[0154] 7, it can be seen that in FIG. 8 the cleaning unit 1, specifically the cleaning component 6, is pressed against the housing 3 in the filled state.

[0155] FIG. 9 shows a schematic side view of a further embodiment variant of an installation with a service station 7, a cleaning unit 1 in the filled state as in FIG.

[0156] In the embodiment variant of FIG. 9, the running rail is designed to be sufficiently long so that the running device 18 of the maintenance station 7 is dimensioned so that the running device 18 of the maintenance station 7 can carry out the cleaning method of the housing 3 in addition to the maintenance method of the cleaning unit 1.

[0157] In FIG. 9 it can be seen that the cleaning unit 1 is movable within the housing 3 by means of a running device 18 of the maintenance station 7 from a first opening to a second opening in order to clean the entire length of the housing 3.

[0158] 10 and 11 show an installation according to the invention with a maintenance station 7, a medical imaging device 4 and a cleaning unit 1 for cleaning a housing 3, the medical imaging device 4 comprising a scanner unit 20, a patient receiving area 2 at least partially surrounded by the scanner unit 20 and a housing 3 around the patient receiving area 2. Furthermore, a running device 18 separate from the maintenance station 7 and from the medical imaging device 4 is provided.

[0159] 7 to 9, the maintenance station 7 does not have its own running device 18. In this embodiment, the cleaning unit 1 travels exclusively with a running device 18 and associated patient couch 19 that is separate from the medical imaging device 4 and the maintenance station 7.

[0160] The handover of the cleaning unit 1 in the embodiment of Figures 10 and 11 takes place in a maintenance station 7, where the cleaning unit is preferably parked and / or serviced as arranged in Figure 10. A patient couch can be driven up to the maintenance station 7 and then picks up the cleaning unit 1 and moves out of the maintenance station 7 into the housing 3 and can move within the housing 3 in at least one direction 21, 22.

[0161] Figure 12 shows a schematic top view of an embodiment variant of an installation with a maintenance station 7, a cleaning unit 1 in the filled state as in Figure 4, and a medical imaging device 4. In this case, the maintenance station 7 is illustrated in three different positions. The presence of three maintenance stations 7 is not assumed to be mandatory, but Figure 12 is intended to illustrate various possibilities for the positioning of the maintenance station 7. However, for such an arrangement, multiple maintenance stations 7 can also be provided, for example if advantageously multiple cleaning units 1 are used.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 12, it can be envisaged that the maintenance station 7 is located along a closed side of the medical imaging device 4, specifically the scanner unit 20, which is adjacent to the left in FIG. 12, or on an open side of the medical imaging device 4, specifically the scanner unit 20, which is above in FIG. 12.

[0163] It is also possible to envisage that the maintenance station 7 is arranged along a closed side of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20, which in FIG. 12 is in the lower left corner.

[0164] When the maintenance station 7 is arranged along the closed side of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20, the cleaning unit can be transported back and forth between the maintenance station 7 and the medical imaging device 4 over short distances manually and / or by a transport device, preferably partially, particularly preferably fully automatically.

[0165] When the maintenance station 7 is arranged along the open side of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20, the cleaning unit can be transported back and forth over short distances between the maintenance station 7 and the medical imaging device 4 manually and / or by a transport device, preferably partially, particularly preferably fully automatically, and / or by at least one running device 18, preferably partially, particularly preferably fully automatically.

[0166] In the case of an embodiment variant with at least one running device 18, preferably with at least two running devices 18 as illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, it may be advantageous if the maintenance station 7 is arranged at an opening of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20. Particularly preferably, as illustrated in Figure 12, the maintenance station 7 is arranged at an opening of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20, which opening faces another opening of the medical imaging device 4, in particular the scanner unit 20, in which it is possible to envisage a separate running device 18 together with a patient examination table 19 being arranged.

[0167] 8 and 9, it can be clearly seen in Fig. 12 that the cleaning unit 1, specifically the cleaning component 6, is pressed against the housing 3. As a result, the spatial extension 10 of the cleaning unit 1 corresponds to the spatial extension 11 of the housing 3, since the housing 3 defines the spatial extension 10 of the cleaning component 6 filled with pressure medium, in other words the cleaning component 6 in the filled state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0168] 1 Cleaning unit 2 Patient reception area 3. Chassis 4 Medical imaging equipment 5 Support structure 6 Cleaning Components 7 Maintenance Station 8 Outer contour of cleaning components 9. Inner contour of the housing 10 Spatial extension of cleaning unit 11 Spatial extension of the housing 12 Transformation Device 13 Transformation drive unit 14 Connection Lines 15 Cleaning substrate 16 Cleaning Layer 17 Outer contour of cleaning substrate 18 Running gear 19 Patient examination table 20 Scanner unit 21 First Direction 22 The Second Direction 23 Operating device 24 Output Devices 25 Travel drive unit 26 Running gear control and adjustment unit 27 Base 28 Lighting Edge 29 Ring section 30 Coupling device 31 Connection 32 Application device

Claims

1. A method for servicing a cleaning unit (1) provided for cleaning an enclosure (3) around a patient receiving area (2) of a medical imaging device (4), said cleaning unit (1) comprising a support structure (5) and cleaning components (6), said servicing method being carried out using a servicing station (7) arranged separately from and in the vicinity of said medical imaging device (4), - moving said cleaning unit (1) to said maintenance station (7); then carrying out at least one servicing step, by means of which said cleaning unit (1) is prepared for a subsequent cleaning.

2. below: - releasably connecting said cleaning unit (1) to said maintenance station (7), preferably by means of a coupling device (30); - supplying a power store and / or an energy store, - Deforming, preferably expanding, said cleaning component (6) by filling with pressure medium or by removing pressure medium, - positioning and preferably spreading the cleaning layer (16) of said cleaning component (6) on the cleaning substrate (15) of said cleaning component (6), preferably along the outer contour (17) of said cleaning substrate (15); - applying and / or introducing a cleaning agent onto and / or into the cleaning layer (16) of said cleaning component (6), said application and / or introduction being preferably carried out before, during and / or after said cleaning layer (16) of said cleaning component (6) is placed onto the cleaning substrate (15) of said cleaning component (6). The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the method steps:

3. below: - removing said cleaning unit (1), which is preferably removably connected to said maintenance station (7) by a coupling device (30); - transferring said cleaning unit (1) between said medical imaging device (4) and said maintenance station (7); - releasably connecting said cleaning unit (1) to said medical imaging device (4), - removing said cleaning unit (1) from said medical imaging device (4); The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one of the method steps:

4. 1. A method for cleaning an enclosure (3) around a patient receiving area (2) of a medical imaging device (4), comprising the steps of: a cleaning unit (1), said cleaning unit (1) comprising a support structure (5) and a cleaning component (6), a maintenance station (7), preferably arranged separately from and in the vicinity of said medical imaging device (4) and comprising at least one maintenance device and at least one travel device (18), wherein said cleaning unit (1) is detachably connected to said maintenance station (7); This is carried out using at least one servicing step, preferably as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, is carried out by the at least one servicing device, by means of which the cleaning unit (1) is prepared for a subsequent cleaning, - performing the cleaning by moving the serviced cleaning unit (1) in at least one direction (21, 22) within the medical imaging device (4), preferably in at least two directions; method.

5. A maintenance station (7) for servicing a cleaning unit (1), the cleaning unit (1) being provided for cleaning a housing (3) around a patient receiving area (2) of a medical imaging device (4), the cleaning unit (1) comprising a support structure (5) and cleaning components (6), the maintenance station (7) being arranged separately from and in the vicinity of the medical imaging device (4), the maintenance station (7) comprising at least one maintenance device for preparing the cleaning unit (1) for subsequent cleaning.

6. The at least one maintenance device comprises: - a coupling device (30) for releasably connecting said cleaning unit (1) to said maintenance station (7), - a supply device for supplying the force and / or energy stores, a deformation device (12) for deforming said cleaning component (6), - a placement device for placing the cleaning layer (16) of said cleaning component (6) on the cleaning substrate (15) of said cleaning component (6), or - an application device (32) for applying a cleaning agent onto and / or into the cleaning layer (16) of said cleaning component (6); The maintenance station (7) of claim 5, comprising:

7. 7. A maintenance station (7) according to claim 6, wherein the deformation device (12) comprises a deformation drive (13), a pressure medium and a connection line (14) which preferably detachably or non-detachably connects the cleaning component (6) to the deformation drive (13), the pressure medium being fillable into the cleaning component (6) and / or removable from the cleaning component (6) by the deformation drive (13), and the cleaning component (6) is deformable by filling with the pressure medium and / or removing the pressure medium.

8. A maintenance station (7) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the cleaning layer (16) can be positioned, preferably spread, on the cleaning substrate (15) by the positioning device, preferably along an outer contour (17) of the cleaning substrate (15).

9. A maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the positioning device comprises a positioning drive and a connection device for connecting, preferably detachably or non-detachably, to the cleaning layer (16), the cleaning layer (16) connected to the connection device being movable by the positioning drive to an operating position on the cleaning substrate (15), preferably unwound from a roll.

10. 10. The maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the cleaning agent can be applied onto and / or into the cleaning layer (16) by the application device (32) before, during and / or after the cleaning layer (16) is placed on the cleaning substrate (15).

11. 11. The maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the application device (32) comprises at least one spray nozzle and / or a tank and / or a storage container and / or an application drum and / or an application roll for applying the cleaning agent to the cleaning layer (16).

12. 12. The service station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 11, further comprising a reservoir containing a plurality of cleaning layers (16), preferably the cleaning layers (16) being pre-treated with a cleaning agent.

13. A maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 12, further comprising a transport device for transporting the cleaning unit (1) between the maintenance station (7) and the medical imaging device (4), the transport device being manually drivable and / or electrically powered.

14. A maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 13, further comprising a running device (18) by which the cleaning unit (1) removably connected to the maintenance station (7) can be moved in at least one direction (21, 22), preferably in at least two directions, towards the medical imaging device (4) and / or away from the medical imaging device (4) and / or within the medical imaging device (4).

15. 15. A service station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the entire service station (7) is mobile, preferably movable on rollers, or fixed.

16. The service station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 15, wherein the support structure (5) is shape-stable and / or the cleaning component (6) is elastically deformable.

17. 17. The service station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 16, wherein the majority, preferably all, of the electronic components for servicing the cleaning unit (1) are arranged on or in the service station (7).

18. 18. An installation comprising a maintenance station (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 17, a medical imaging device (4) and a cleaning unit (1) for cleaning the housing (3), the medical imaging device (4) comprising a scanner unit (20), a patient receiving area (2) at least partially surrounded by the scanner unit (20) and a housing (3) around the patient receiving area (2).

19. 19. The installation according to claim 18, wherein the maintenance station (7) is arranged along a closed side of the scanner unit (20) or at an open side of the scanner unit (20).

20. 20. The installation according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the installation comprises a running device (18) separate from the maintenance station (7), preferably together with a patient examination couch (19), and the cleaning unit (1) is transferable from the maintenance station (7) to the separate running device (18), preferably to the patient examination couch (19), and / or the cleaning unit (1) is transferable from the separate running device (18), preferably to the patient examination couch (19), to the maintenance station (7).

Images