BAM

Berlin

New Standard Practices on Digital RT

- essential parameters determining image quality -

Uwe Ewert, Uwe Zscherpel, Mirko Jechow

t@b
d
uwe.ewert@bam.de
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

Outline
- New standards on Computed Radiography and radiography with Digital
Detector Arrays have been developed and partly published.
- Some key requirements are discussed for the major standard organizations:
ASME, ASTM, EN ISO.
- The proof of minimum image quality by image quality indicators in radiography
is the basis for technical safetyy and contractual agreements
g
in industry
y and will
not be changed.
- The essential parameters for optimization and prediction of step hole visibility
are introduced and discussed
discussed.
- Three essential parameters for image quality in Digital Radiology (DR) are:
- Signal to noise ratio (SNR)
- Specific
S
ifi contrast
t t (
( eff)
- Basic spatial resolution (SRb).
- Discussion of the requirements for detector qualification and selection.
- Information on the implementation of the essential parameter concept in the new
standard practice EN ISO/DIS 17636-2: NDT of welds RT Part 2: X- and
gamma ray
g
y techniques
q
with digital
g
detectors and in the ASTM E 2033 ((draft: CR
practice) and E 2597 (DDA qualification) and E 2698 (DDA practice).
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

Overview of Standards on Digital Industrial Radiology

EN 13068

Radioscopy

EN 14096, ISO 14096

Film Digitization

EN 14784 CR ((2005))
Goes to ISO, revision required

Part 1: Classification of Systems,

y
, Part 2: General
principles, becomes ISO 16371

ISO 10893-7 (2010)

Steel tubes NDT of welds with DDA and (CR)

New ISO/DIS 17636-2

NDT of welds: CR and DDA to substitute EN 1435

New ISO draft: corrosion and Practice with film, CR and DDA for double wall and
wall thickness measurement tangential technique
ASME (BPVC, S.V, XI) CR

Radiography (CR) with Phosphor Imaging Plates

ASTM CR (2005)

Classification (E 2446-05), Long term stability (E244505), Guide (E 2007-10), Practice (E 2033-06)

Revision required

ASTM DDA (2010)

Characterization (E 2597-07), Guide (E 2736-10),

Practice
act ce (E
( 2698-10),
698 0), Long
o g Term
e Stab
Stability
ty ((E 2737-10)
3 0)

ASTM DICONDE (2010)

(data format)

Standard Practice for Digital Imaging and Communication

Non-destructive Evaluation (DICONDE)
2663 08 E 2699
10 E 2669
10 E 2738
10 E 2767
10 )
(E 2663-08,
2699-10,
2669-10,
2738-10,
2767-10

ASTM E 2422-05, E 2660Digital reference image catalogues,

April 2012,
Standards
in Digital
10, E 2669-10
Ewert et al.
light alloy,
titaniumRadiology
and steel castings

Basic Requirements for Film Radiography

g
y
in all National and International Standards

All film based standards require:

Minimum optical Density (e.g. D > 2.0)
Maximum
M i
fil
film system
t
class
l
((e.g. ISO C4)
p
((< 0.1 mm,, FFD/FOD))
Maximum unsharpness
Minimum IQI perception (e.g. > W14, < H3)
What are the correct requirements for film replacement by
Digital Radiology?
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

ASME BPVC Section V (NDE)

Article 2 (Radiographic Examination)
Mandatory Appendices
I

In-Motion Radiography

II

R l Ti
Real-Time
R
Radioscopic
di
i E
Examination
i i

III

Digital Image Acquisition, Display, and Storage for Radiography and Radioscopy

IV

Interpretation, Evaluation, and Disposition of Radiographic and Radioscopic Examination

Test Results Produced by the Digital Image Acquisition and Display Process

Glossary of Terms for Radiographic Examination

VI

Digital Image Acquisition, Display, Interpretation, and Storage of Radiographs for

Nuclear Applications

VII

Radiographic Examination of Metallic Castings

VIII

Radiography
g p y Using
g Phosphor
p
Imaging
g g Plate

IX

Application of Digital Radiography

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

ASME Section V Article 2 Radiographic Examination 2007

W 13
W 12
W 11
W 10
W 09
W 08
W 07
W 06
W 05
W 04
W 02
W 01

CEN wires

ASME requires
basically
q
y the
minimum IQI-Visibility for digital radiography only!
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

Basic Requirements for IQI Visibility of

International Standards in Comparison
y = 17,687x-0,483

Step
p Holes,, ISO/DIS 17636-2,, EN 1435
Plate Holes, ASME BPVC SC V Ar. 2
Plate Holes, ASTM E 1742, E 2104,

Wall T
Thickness
s Resolutio
on [%]

y = 15,711x-0,48
y = 11,112x-0,505

E 1025
3,00

ASME SC V
V, A.
A 2
2,
EN 1435-class A and
ISO 17636-class A are
about equivalent
y = 5,851x-0,402

Wi
Wires
ISO/DIS 17636-2,
1 636 2 EN 143
1435
0,30
1,00

y = 4,2561x-0,406

10,00

100,00

ASTM E1742, E 2104,

EN 1435-class B and
ISO 17636-class
17636 class b are
about equivalent below
t=12 mm (1/2)

Penetrated Wall Thickness [mm]

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

Contrast
Signal
(base material)

Intensity

Intensity

Influence of Image Noise on

Detail Visibility

Contrast
Signal
(base material)

Length

Length

Notch visible!

Notch not visible!

Contrast/Noise is high
g
Signal/Noise is high

Contrast/Noise is low
Signal/Noise is low

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

Effect of System Class in Film Radiography

Lost of information / perception of flaws

Fine grained film,
slow Imaging plates
Film system C1
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

D
C5

Standards in Digital Radiology

Coarse grained film,

fast imaging plates
C6
9

Noise Sources in Radiographic Images

Typical noise sources in digital radiography:
1. EXPOSURE CONDITIONS: Photon noise, depending on
exposure dose (e.g. mAs or GBqmin). This is the main factor!
SNR increases with higher exposure dose.
2. Limitation for the maximum achievable SNR:
1. DETECTOR: Structural noise of DDAs and Imaging Plates
also called fixed pattern noise (due to variations in pixel to
pixel response and inhomogeneities in the phosphor layer).
2. OBJECT:
1. Crystalline structure of material (e.g. nickel based steel,
mottling)
2. Surface roughness of test object
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

10

Noise in Dependence on Exposure Time

Normalized at constant contrast

CNR and SNR increase with increasing
time due to
g exposure
p
improved photon statistics
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

11

Human Observer Model: Perception Threshold PT

Detector = 50 m pixel size
or magnification technique

Wh t do
What
d you see?
?
0 5T 1T
0.5T

2T

4T

8T

Noise = 1000
Signal = 30000

CNR = 2.5
Alateral

CNR = 1.25
CNR = 0.625
Flat bottom holes of different depth
p and diameter

SRb image = 50 m

PTconst

Alateral C
Cdepth
SRb

Rose approach, 1946

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Large area flaws are better

visible than small ones at
same Contrast-to-Noise
Ratio
Each row has indications
with same CNR = Cdepth
d th/
Each column has holes
with same diameter

2T = 0.5 mm / 0.02
Calculated CNRmin = 1

PT - human perception threshold

Alateral area of just visible indication
Cdepth mean contrast of just visible indication

- noise of image
g ((N))
SRb basic spatial resolution (effective pixel size)

Standards in Digital Radiology

12

Image Quality in Digital Radiology

- the 3 Essential Parameters for Visibility of IQIs -

The 3 essential parameters:

Signal
Si
l tto noise
i ratio
ti (SNR)
Specific contrast (eff)
Basic spatial resolution (SRb)

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Contrast to noise
ratio (CNR)
Normalized signal to
noise ratio (SNRN)

Standards in Digital Radiology

13

Essential Parameters for Calculation of Just

Visible IQI 1 T Hole Diameter
The essential parameters are: eff, SNR and SRb?

New Formula

d visible

image
b

SR
PT
eff SNR

} {

Material,
M
t i l
keV, Source type
Scattered radiation
Screens and filters

Depends on Hardware: effective pixel size

Magnification
Focal spot
p size, source size

SNR - Signal to noise ratio

eff specific contrast,
effective attenuation coefficient
SRb effective pixel size in the image,
basic spatial resolution of image

Exposure time
Tube current, Activity
Detector efficiency
S
Source-to-Detector
t D t t Distance
Di t

2 8 for 1T-holes
PT 2,8
1T holes ; slightly dependent on
viewing conditions and operator
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

14

Comparison of Calculated and Measured Image Quality

d = PT*/square_root((kV,w) SNR(GV))

Dependence on tube kV

Berechneteand
undMeasured
gemessene
Bildqualitt
Calculated
Image
Quality
Calculated IQI visibility from measured CNR

W 14

Diame
eterDurchmess
of the jser
ustdes
visible
ebaren
IQI eleme
in mm
sicht
Drahtent
s (mm)

0,17

Diameter of Visible wires

0,15

Diameter of visible wires (digital filter)

SRb = const.
const
0,13

Diameter of Visible hole normalised by 2.5

W 15

Diameter of Visible hole normalised by 2.5 (digital filter)

Calculated IQI visibility from calc CNR

0,11

W 16

Calculated just visible wire

di
diameter
t

0,09

W 17

Just visible wire diameter and of the just visible1T-hole,

determined by 3 operators,
operators with and without image processing
(high pass filter)

0,07

0,05
60

80

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

100

120

140

160

180

200

Standards in Digital Radiology

132 mAmin
1 m SDD
19 mm Fe
UR 1, DynamIx HR
220

15

kV 240

EP
PS= equivallent penetra
ameter sens
sitivity (see
e ASTM E 74
46, E 747, E 1025)

Qualification of Imaging Plate Systems by the Visibility of

IQIs and/or EPS calculation from eff, SNR and SRb
EPS Procedure is proposed for CR qualification
in the new ASTM E 2033 draft and the Draft on Practice for the Use of
Computed Radiology for Aerospace Casting Inspections (USA: MAI group)
- The EPS (equivalent penetrameter sensitivity) measurement is based on E 746
- A smooth inch (19 mm) steel plate with a set of plate holes is radiographed at 200
kV in 1 m distance
- Other IQIs are on the plate
to increase the information
on image
g response.
p
The exposure is performed
with different mAs settings
Two graphs are generated
generated,
see next page
Verification of equation:

d visible

i
SRbimage
PT
eff SNR

N
New
fformula
l
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

E 746
PT depends slightly on operator and viewing conditions
eff for 200 kV and 19 mm Fe is about 0,05 mm-1

Standards in Digital Radiology

16

Example: EPS test with DRR HD CR scanner at

20 m pixel size

Do you see the holes?

(19 mm) steel plate, 200 kV

1 mm steel step for
measurementt off eff

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

CNR 0.8

17

Visibility of EPS holes (E 746)

Do you see the holes?

CNR 0.8
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

18

New Formula for Conversion of SNRN Measurements to

EPS Values and Working Range for CR (ASTM Draft E 2033)
PT is about 2100 for visibility of the 2 T hole of IQIs corr. to ASTM E 1025
EPS by ASTM E 746 with 200 kV, t = 19 mm Fe plate and eff = 0.05 mm-1

Plateau area defines the

working
ki range

EPS

PT '
ttestplate
l

ASTM
Level II E 2033 Draft

PT EPSmax

EPS = 15%

Level I

EPS= equivalent penetrameter sensitivity (see ASTM E 746, E 747, E 1025)

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

SRbimage
effff SNR

Standards in Digital Radiology

19

Requirements for Digital Detector Arrays

Exceeding Film Quality with
High Contrast Sensitivity Technique
HCS-RT

DDA

April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

20

Qualification of Digital Detector Arrays

- Management of Underperforming Pixels 6.2.1 Definition and Test of Bad Pixels:

A bad pixel can be corrected if it has at least 5 good neighbors

6 2 1 1 Dead Pixel
6.2.1.1

6.2.1.2 Over Responding Pixel

6.2.1.3 Under Responding Pixel
6.2.1.4 Noisyy Pixel
6.2.1.5 Non-Uniform Pixel
6.2.1.6 Persistence/Lag Pixel
6.2.1.7 Bad Neighborhood Pixel
6.2.2 Types or Groups of Bad Pixels:
6 2 2 1 Single Bad Pixel
6.2.2.1
6.2.2.2 Cluster of Bad Pixels
6.2.2.3 A cluster without anyy CKP is well
correctable.
6.2.2.4 A cluster with CKP is labeled a
relevant cluster.
6.2.2.5
6 2 2 5 A single bad line segment is a
special irrelevant cluster.
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

21

Qualification of Digital Detector Arrays

DDAs are qualified by different tests of ASTM E 2597.
Five relevant parameters shall be provided:

Basic spatial resolution (SRb)

Specific Material Thickness Range
Efficiency
Image lag
Contrast sensitivity

April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

22

Measurement of Contrast to Noise Ratio in DDA Practice

b ASTM E 2698
by
Noise

I=contrast

CNR shall be measured in the

4T hole for
f prooff off image quality.
A minimum CNR of 2.5 is
required by ASTM E 2698.
This value needs to be revised!

ASTM E 1025

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

CNR = 6
6.7
7
C = I = 473
Noise = 71
SNR = 155
23

Verification of CNRmin for ASTM Standard Practice

ASTM Draft, Practice for the Use of Digital Detector Arrays and Computed
Radiology for Aerospace Casting Inspections and E 2698 Standard
Practice for Radiological Examination Using Digital Detector Arrays
Arrays require
for digital images with DDAs in the 2T IQI hole:

CNRmin 2.5
But CNRmin for all digital images can be described more accurate by the
equation:

CNRmin

10 SR

diameterIQI hole
image
b

Based on old Rose equation

The ASTM E 2698 value (CNR = 2.5) is optimized for testing of thin objects with
thickness < and typical DDAs in the range of 0.1 mm < SRb < 130 m.
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

24

BAM 5, 8mm steel

FujiFilm IX25
SNRN ~ 265

Best (slowest) NDT film

DDA Technology
provides better image
quality than film with a
special
spec
a ca
calibration
b at o
procedure!
Images high pass
filtered for better
presentation

DDA exposure
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

PerkinElmer 1620
SNRN ~ 1500
Magn. = 3.5

25

Requirements of ISO/DIS 17636-2

NDT of welds RT Part 2: X- and gamma ray
q
with digital
g
detectors
techniques

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

26

Key Technologies for Film Replacement

Computed Radiography (CR) with storage
phosphor imaging plates
Digital Detector Arrays (DDA)

CR

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

DDA

Standards in Digital Radiology

27

New Standard Proposal

EN ISO 17636-2
17636 2
Radiographic testing of welds with digital detectors.
Most important parameters that are regulated by this standard:

I.

Minimum score for wire type or step-hole type Image Quality

Indicators (IQIs) in function of test technique (similar to ASME)

II.

Maximum image unsharpness requirements (SRb = Basic Spatial

Resolution, determined using a duplex wire gauge)

III. Choice of tube voltage or gamma source in function of object

composition, penetrated thickness and detector
IV Minimum normalized Signal
IV.
Signal-to-Noise
to Noise ratio (SNRN) requirements
Determine SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and SRb
Anti-scatter filter type
yp & thickness
Source-to-Detector Distance requirements
New testing geometries
V. New compensation principles
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

28

Minimum IQI score for wire type or step-hole

type IQI
IQI scores taken
from EN1435

Potential Issues
Same requirements
q
for
wire type and step hole
IQIs as in EN 1435 and
ISO 19232-3
New
N
exceptions
ti
ffor
isotopes for double
wall inspections

10 mm < w 25 mm :
1 wire or step-hole
value less for Ir192
5 mm < w 12 mm:
1 wire or step-hole
step hole
value less for Se75

April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

29

Selection of X-Ray Tube Voltage and Influence of eff

Compensation principle I:
Image Quality = f (eff SNR)

Diagram on selection
Di
l ti off
maximum tube voltage
applies for film only (ISO
17636)
Selection of maximum tube voltage for
application of digital detectors:
- CR, Class B: reduce kV by 20%
- Well calibrated DDAs: increase kV
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

30

New European standard proposal

ISO 17636-2
Mi i
Minimum
SNRN and
d anti-scatter
ti
tt filt
filter

Concept SNRN was taken

from EN14784-1.
Minimum values are
tabulated in function of
radiation energy
gy and
object thickness, similar to
table 2 of EN14784-2.
Front lead screens are
reduced to maximum
values only except for
hi h energy.
high

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

SNRRadiology
StandardsHigher
in Digital
N requirements than in EN14784-2

New European standard proposal ISO 17636-2

Maximum detector or image unsharpness (SRb)

0.030
0.030
0 040
0.040
0.040
0.063

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

SRb concept taken from EN14784-1

Standards
in Digital
Radiology
IQI scores
relaxed
compared with EN14784-2

Measurement of Interpolated Basic Spatial Resolution

1m SD
DD, smalll focus

Determination of the basic

spatial resolution in each
production radiograph is not
required but recommended.
SNRN controls
t l sufficiently
ffi i tl
the image quality at a given
pixel size.
The detector unsharpness
udetector shall be controlled
by reference exposures with
the duplex wire IQI.
The interpolated basic
spatial resolution is

Duple
ex Wire IQ
QI, 90 kV,

Duplex wire IQI

EN 462-5
ISO 19232-5
19232 5
ASTM E 2002

iSRb 12 utotal
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

33

Compensation Principle (II)

Compensation of high detector unsharpness by increased SNR
Unsharp digital systems may be applied for NDT if they enable
to compensate the missing sharpness by increased SNR.
Th
Thatt means, achieves
hi
a digital
di it l system
t
nott the
th required
i d
visibility of the separated duplex wires, it can be used for
NDT, if one or two single wires more than required (see
tables B.1 B.12 of ISO/DIS 17636-2) can be seen clearly in
the digital image for one or two missing duplex wire pairs.
Compensation
p
of 3 wires vs. wire p
pairs requires
q
agreement
g
of contracting parties.
Compensation principle (II):
High detector unsharpness can be compensated by
increased SNR

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Compensation Principle II
Standards
Digital
Radiology by Increased SNR
Compensation
forin
Higher
Unsharpness

34

New European standard proposal

ISO/DIS 17636-2
Example : new compensation principle II
Interesting for detectors with higher unsharpness
Compensate missing spatial resolution by increased single
wire sensitivity:
A lower spatial resolution i.e. a lower double wire score (D)
may be compensated by a higher single wire sensitivity i.e.
ie
higher single wire score (W).
Max. two (or three) single/double wire scores may be exchanged.

Duplex wire score

Single wire score

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Not
OK
D13
W13

Required:

OK:

OK

D12
W14

D11
W15

D10
W16

Standards in Digital Radiology

35

OK
by agreement
D9
W17

Conclusions

New standards were developer for digital industrial radiography for detector qualification, quality
assurance and standard practices.

Image quality depends on the essential parameters: (specific) contrast eff, achieved SNR and
basic spatial resolution SRb.

For practical application further parameters have been included for DDAs, as contrast sensitivity,
efficiency, image lag and material thickness range.

SNR and EPS improve with exposure time but they are limited by a maximum achievable SNRmax
value which is limited by the design of the imaging plate (fixed pattern noise) or DDA calibration.

The operator increases the contrast sensitivity by the exposure time and tube current up to a
plateau,, which defines the recommended g
grey
y value working
g range
g for CR ((ASTM E
certain EPS p
2033, new draft).

DDAs achieve a significant better contrast sensitivity with correct detector calibration than film
radiography. The prove of image quality requires CNR measurements (ASTM practice E 2798).

New standard practices have been developed for CR and Radiography with DDAs. Basic
requirements are defined by EPS, SNR, SRb and CNR depending on the technology.

ISO/DIS 17636-2 defines additionally compensation principles for the standard practice and
minimum requirements for wire and step hole IQIs
IQIs.

3 compensation principles (3rd one for DDAs only) are described in the standard.

ISO/DIS 17636-2 defines minimum requirements for detector SRb, depending on the material
thickness to inspect
inspect.
April 2012,
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Standards in Digital Radiology

36

Acknowledgement

www.filmfree.eu.com

European Projects:
FilmFree
FilmFree
with 33 Partners, 11 countries
2005 2009

HEDRad
High Energy Digital Radiography
2009 2011

April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

37

End
t@b
d
uwe.ewert@bam.de
April 2012,
Ewert et al.

Standards in Digital Radiology

38