Jonathan SteelePACSESS North America

Going Digital: NDT Radiographic Imaging

• Digital Imaging Fundamentals – not same as film -

• Digital Standards – learn them

• Qualified Digital Systems – CR/DR/CT

• Digital System Performance Baselining & Monitoring

• Image Quality Measures - learn

• Computer Literacy required - absolute

• Digital User Interface – get comfortable

Digital Imaging: Knowledge to go Filmless

• Preserved Metadata - automatically

• Adjustable Brightness / Contrast

• Apply Magnification

• Apply Image Processing

• Apply Measurements, Calculations,

• Obtain Statistics

• Apply Annotations

• Include Stamps

$ Increased visibility, Saves inspection time / consumable cost – improves

productivity

What’s great about digital?

What is a digital image?

Analog ImageDigital Image

Filmless

• Photography

• Medical/Dental

• Non Destructive Testing

Still primarily film…

- - - A matter of “time”

Film Warehouses……

$ Digital: Reduces consumables & re‐working - eliminates chemical disposal /

film storage costs. RESULT: Improves image evaluation - share/store files…

Example Crossings: Film to Digital

How Do You Explain……?

• An entire industry converted from film to digital (filmless in North America, Japan, Norway, etc….)

• Converting from film to digital radiography1995-2015

An entire Industry transitioned

FROM: FILM-BASED workflow….

TO: Digital Radiography workflow

• DR/CR/ Focus: Acquiring digital images – easy!

• AND: What about comparing analog film with digital…?

Digital Imaging: THE Business Case

Incompatibility issue between analog and

Digital Imaging Workflow -

• How to compare/evaluate

prior analog films

to digital images

- Light box/Film vs. Digital image (CR/DR/CT)

• Workflow process: Match film with digital

Reality check: Incompatible formats

Business Case: MEDICAL Imaging

SOLUTION:

1. 1993: DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine)

2. Hospital administrators: Included Film digitizers with CR/DR/CT

• Problem solved: Compatible digital imaging workflow

• Result: Medical industry - Filmless

• Lesson: Address analog film issue

Example Business Case: Medical Imaging

Non Destructive Testing (NDT)

INSPECTION SERVICES EXAMPLE

• Digital Radiography (DR) - increasing…• Computed Radiography (CR) – increasing…• Computed Tomography (CT) - increasing…

+ Industrial film sales growth

• NDT Converting Film to Digital……..

• Industrial Film incompatible with CR/DR/CT

• Converting/Comparing/Evaluating film with CR/DR/CT files

• Level II / III time-limited

• Light box Vs. digital = incompatible

• Visual quality/consistency issues

• Staff required to handle film

NDT: Eg. Inspection Services Workflow

NDT Crossing To Digital

• Film digitizing is integral to digital workflow compatibility

• Affordable compatibility with CR/DR/CT

• Digital metadata preserved

• Archived / indexed / accessable

• DICONDE file format

• No more courier/transportation costs

• DICOM: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

1993: Established Medical imaging and archiving standard

• DICONDE: Digital Imaging and Communications for Non-Destructive

Evaluation

2004: ASTM Established NDT imaging and archiving standard

NDT Digital Imaging: * DICONDE *

Digital Imaging: Film Digitizer’s Role

• Business LESSONS:

1.) Medical Film Digitizers + DICOM = Full CR/DR/CT integrated compatibility

2.) NDT Film Digitizers + DICONDE = Full CR/DR/CT

integrated compatibility