NDT refers to an array of inspection techniques that allow inspectors to collect data about a material without damaging it. NDT stands for Non-Destructive Testing. It refers to an array of inspection methods that allow inspectors to evaluate and collect data about a material, system, or component without permanently altering it. In the field, NDT is often used as an umbrella term to refer to non-destructive inspection methods, inspection tools, or even the entire field of non-destructive inspections.
For commercial applications, the goal of NDT is to ensure that critical infrastructure is properly maintained in order to avoid catastrophic accidents.
While NDT methods are typically associated with industrial use cases, like inspecting weak points in a boiler at an oil refinery, uses in medicine are actually some of the most common. For instance, when inspectors in industrial settings review the outside of a pressure vessel with their naked eye, that would fall under the NDT designation, since they are collecting data on the status of the boiler without damaging it. On the other hand, using a sophisticated tool like an ultrasonic sensor to look for defects in a certain material or asset would also be called NDT.