Pinnacle³ End of Support · December 31, 2026

Philips Pinnacle³ Reaches End of Support

Philips has officially announced that Pinnacle³ proprietary workstations will no longer receive vendor maintenance after December 31, 2026. This page provides radiation oncology departments with everything they need to know to preserve access to historical treatment data.

View Migration Checklist → Request Migration Quote →
DECEMBER 31, 2026

What the End of Support Means for Your Department

Key Impact

After December 31, 2026, Philips will no longer provide:

  • Software updates for Pinnacle³ treatment planning system
  • Security patches addressing vulnerabilities
  • Technical support for Pinnacle³ workstations
  • Bug fixes for existing Pinnacle³ installations
  • Compatibility updates for new operating systems or hardware

Most critically: As Pinnacle³ infrastructure ages and modern systems evolve, maintaining reliable access to historical Pinnacle TAR archives will become increasingly difficult without proactive migration.

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Departments that have not migrated their Pinnacle archives by December 31, 2026 risk losing access to historical treatment data. Once the legacy Pinnacle system is decommissioned or becomes incompatible with modern infrastructure, retrieving patient data, treatment plans, dose distributions, and CT images from TAR archives will require specialized conversion services.

Why This Matters for Radiation Oncology

Historical radiotherapy data is critical for:

Migration Checklist

What You Need to Do Before December 31, 2026

Follow this checklist to ensure your department is prepared for the Pinnacle³ end of support deadline.

Q1-Q2 2026: Assessment Phase
  • Inventory your Pinnacle archives - Identify all TAR archive files, their locations, and approximate data volume
  • Identify critical data - Determine which patients, plans, and time periods must be preserved
  • Assess Pinnacle version - Document your current Pinnacle³ version(s) and any version history
  • Review data retention policies - Confirm regulatory and institutional requirements for long-term storage
  • Establish budget - Allocate resources for migration project (software, services, or personnel time)
Q3 2026: Preparation Phase
  • Select migration approach - Choose between professional service, internal development, or legacy system maintenance
  • Evaluate migration vendors - If using a service, assess providers based on experience, validation methodology, and support
  • Test data samples - Validate that your chosen approach works with your specific Pinnacle version and data
  • Plan validation process - Define how you will verify DICOM output accuracy and completeness
  • Coordinate with IT - Ensure infrastructure is ready for conversion process and DICOM storage
Q4 2026: Execution Phase
  • Complete full migration - Process all identified Pinnacle archives to DICOM format
  • Validate all conversions - Perform comprehensive quality checks on DICOM output
  • Establish DICOM storage - Implement long-term archival solution (PACS, dedicated storage, etc.)
  • Document the process - Maintain records of migration methodology and validation results
  • Decommission Pinnacle - Only after successful migration and validation, retire legacy systems
Recommended Timeline

When to Start Your Migration Project

Based on typical department sizes and data volumes, here is the recommended timeline to complete migration before December 31, 2026.

September 2025 - December 2025
Early Adopters
Large departments (500+ patients/year) or those with complex migration requirements should begin assessment and planning now.
January 2026 - March 2026
Standard Timeline
Medium-sized departments (200-500 patients/year) should initiate assessment phase to allow adequate time for evaluation and migration.
April 2026 - June 2026
Final Window
Smaller departments (<200 patients/year) can complete assessment and preparation, but should begin immediately to avoid last-minute issues.
July 2026 - September 2026
Critical Period
All departments should have completed assessment and be in active migration phase. Vendors may experience increased demand.
October 2026 - December 2026
Last Chance
Only departments with minimal data volumes or those willing to accept risk should attempt migration. Emergency pricing and limited vendor availability likely.
Available Solutions

Migration Options for Pinnacle³ Archives

Departments have several options for addressing Pinnacle³ archive migration. Each has different implications for cost, timeline, and long-term viability.

Option 1: Professional Migration Service (Recommended)

Archive Exporter provides a turnkey service that:

  • Converts Pinnacle³ TAR archives to standardized DICOM RT objects
  • Includes automated integrity checks and sample-based validation
  • Supports selective export by Patient ID or plan name
  • Provides detailed export reports and 1-month warranty
  • Typically completes migration within a week

Best for: Most departments seeking a reliable, validated, and supported solution with minimal internal resource investment.

Option 2: Legacy Pinnacle System Maintenance

Maintain an old Pinnacle³ workstation for archive access:

  • Retain existing Pinnacle³ hardware and software
  • Keep legacy workstation operational for historical data access
  • Requires ongoing IT support for aging infrastructure
  • No data format conversion or modernization

Best for: Departments with minimal data volume that can justify maintaining legacy systems long-term. Not recommended as a primary archival strategy.

Option 3: Internal Scripting Solution

Develop custom scripts to convert Pinnacle archives:

  • Requires significant development resources and DICOM expertise
  • Development time: 3-6 months for most departments
  • Ongoing maintenance responsibility for conversion tools
  • Validation methodology must be developed internally

Best for: Departments with in-house DICOM and Pinnacle expertise, significant development resources, and time to dedicate to the project.

Option 4: Manual Re-import/Export

Use Pinnacle's built-in export functions:

  • Requires active, functional Pinnacle³ workstation
  • Time-consuming process for large databases
  • Prone to errors without automated validation
  • May not export all required DICOM objects

Best for: Very small datasets or selective exports. Not practical for full database migration.

Time to Act is Now

Don't Wait Until It's Too Late

With the December 31, 2026 deadline rapidly approaching, now is the time to assess your Pinnacle³ archive migration needs and begin the process. Departments that start early will have the most options, the best pricing, and the least risk of missing the deadline.

Request Migration Quote → View Technical Details →