Magnetic resonance apparatus with cleaning unit and method for cleaning a patient receiving area

1 . A magnetic resonance imager, comprising:

a scanner; and

a patient receiving area at least partially surrounded by the scanner, wherein the scanner comprises:

an enclosure at least partially surrounding the patient receiving area;

a patient support with a patient table that is configured to move horizontally within the patient receiving area; and

a cleaner, comprising:

a sprayer including one or more cleaning agent nozzles that are coupled to the patient table, the one or more cleaning agent nozzles forming part of a dedicated cleaning agent distribution system,

wherein the sprayer is configured to spray, via a distribution of a cleaning agent via the one or more cleaning agent nozzles, the enclosure at least partially surrounding the patient receiving area with the cleaning agent, and

wherein the cleaner is activated for a cleaning operation upon movement of the patient table such that the sprayer sprays the enclosure with the cleaning agent while the patient table is moving into the patient receiving area; and

a dryer including one or more air nozzles that are separate from the one or more cleaning agent nozzles, the one or more air nozzles forming part of a dedicated air distribution system,

wherein the dryer is configured to supply air into the patient receiving area to dry the enclosure after being sprayed with the cleaning agent.

2 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more cleaning agent nozzles are arranged in a front area of the patient table with respect to an entry direction of the patient table when moved into the patient receiving area.

3 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sprayer comprises a storage tank arranged on a base of the patient support.

4 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dryer is at least partially arranged on the patient table and/or on the enclosure surrounding the patient receiving area.

5 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaner comprises an extractor.

6 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the extractor is at least partially arranged on the enclosure surrounding the patient receiving area and/or on the patient table.

7 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the extractor includes at least one suction extraction duct with a filter.

8 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaner is activated to execute the cleaning operation upon movement of the patient table such that, while the patient table is moving into the patient receiving area, the sprayer sprays the enclosure with the cleaning agent along an entire length of the patient receiving area.

9 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dryer is configured to perform a drying operation as the patient table is moving out of the patient receiving area.

10 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaner is activated to perform a further cleaning operation upon subsequent movement of the patient table such that, while the patient table is moving out of the patient receiving area, the sprayer sprays the enclosure with the cleaning agent along the entire length of the patient receiving area.

11 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the base of the patient support comprises a compartment accessible from an outside of the base, and

wherein the compartment is configured to receive the storage tank.

12 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the cleaner comprises a cleaning agent line arranged within the patient support, and

wherein the cleaning agent line is configured to transport the cleaning agent from the storage tank to the sprayer.

13 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the cleaner comprises a pump configured to transport the cleaning agent within the cleaning agent line, and

wherein the pump is arranged within the base of the patient support.

14 . The magnetic resonance imager as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the cleaner is arranged within and/or on the patient table.

15 . The magnetic resonance imager of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cleaning agent nozzles only distribute the cleaning agent, and

wherein the one or more air nozzles only supply the air.

16 . The magnetic resonance imager of claim 1 , wherein the cleaner further comprises a controller configured to execute computer-readable instructions to cause (i) the sprayer to spray the enclosure at least partially surrounding the patient receiving area with the cleaning agent, and (ii) the dryer to supply air into the patient receiving area to dry the enclosure after being sprayed with the cleaning agent.

17 . The magnetic resonance imager of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated cleaning agent distribution system comprises a dedicated set of cleaning agent ducts coupled to the one or more cleaning agent nozzles and to a cleaning agent storage tank, and

wherein the dedicated air distribution system comprises a dedicated set of air supply ducts coupled to the one or more air nozzles and to a fan and/or ventilator.