Convert Pinnacle TAR Archives to DICOM

Philips Pinnacle³ treatment planning system stores all patient radiotherapy data in a proprietary .tar archive format. This format includes:

• Patient information - Demographics, identifiers, and metadata
• CT Images - Planning CT series in Pinnacle's native format
• Structure Sets - Contoured organs at risk and target volumes
• Treatment Plans - Beam parameters, dose prescriptions, and delivery instructions
• Dose Distributions - Calculated 3D dose distributions

While efficient for Pinnacle³ itself, this proprietary format creates interoperability challenges when:

• Migrating to a new treatment planning system (Eclipse, RayStation, Monaco, etc.)
• Upgrading PACS or oncology information systems
• Archiving data for long-term retention
• Sharing data with external facilities or researchers

Converting Pinnacle TAR archives to DICOM RT objects provides:

• Universal compatibility - DICOM is recognized by all modern radiotherapy systems
• Data preservation - Ensures long-term access to historical treatment data
• Regulatory compliance - Meets standards for medical imaging data archival
• Storage optimization - Typically reduces storage footprint by ~50%
• Future-proofing - DICOM standard is maintained and evolved by NEMA

Pinnacle³ TAR archives contain the following data structures:

Each .tar file contains proprietary binary data specific to Pinnacle³. The Archive Exporter service reads these files directly without requiring an active Pinnacle workstation.

The conversion involves several technical steps:

1. Archive Parsing - Extract and parse the TAR archive structure
2. Metadata Extraction - Read patient, plan, and structure metadata from proprietary format
3. DICOM Object Creation - Generate standardized DICOM datasets for each RT object type
4. Attribute Mapping - Map Pinnacle-specific attributes to DICOM standard attributes
5. Relationship Establishment - Create proper DICOM references between related objects
6. Validation - Automated checks for data integrity and DICOM compliance

This process preserves all clinical data including:

• Patient identifiers and demographics
• CT image pixel data and geometry
• Structure contours and names
• Plan beam parameters and MU values
• Dose grid data and normalization
• Spatial relationships between all objects

Archive Exporter supports the following Philips Pinnacle³ versions:

Note: If your version is not listed, contact us to discuss compatibility. The conversion process is designed to be version-agnostic where possible.

Archive Exporter produces the following standardized DICOM objects:

1. RT Struct (RT Structure Set)

• Purpose: Defines contoured structures (targets, OARs, etc.)
• DICOM SOP Class UID: 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.3
• Contains: Structure names, ROI numbers, contour data, approximation method
• Referenced by: RT Plan, RT Dose

2. RT Plan (RT Treatment Plan)

• Purpose: Defines treatment plan parameters and beam geometry
• DICOM SOP Class UID: 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.5
• Contains: Beam parameters, dose prescription, fractions, treatment machine, accessories
• Referenced by: RT Dose
• References: RT Struct, CT Image

3. RT Dose (RT Dose Distribution)

• Purpose: Defines calculated dose distribution
• DICOM SOP Class UID: 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.2
• Contains: Dose grid, normalization point, dose units, grid frame offset
• References: RT Plan, RT Struct, CT Image

4. CT Image (CT Series)

• Purpose: Defines planning CT image series
• DICOM SOP Class UID: 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.2
• Contains: Pixel data, image position, slice thickness, window level/width
• Referenced by: RT Struct, RT Plan, RT Dose

Exported DICOM files are organized in a hierarchical folder structure:

This structure makes it easy to:

• Locate specific patient records
• Verify completeness of conversions
• Import into PACS or TPS systems
• Navigate during clinical review

Pinnacle-specific data is mapped to DICOM standard attributes:

Note: This is a simplified mapping. The complete conversion includes hundreds of DICOM attributes to ensure full clinical data preservation.

DICOM is the universal standard for medical imaging. Converting to DICOM ensures:

• Compatibility with all modern treatment planning systems (Eclipse, RayStation, Monaco, etc.)
• Seamless import into PACS and oncology information systems
• Easy data sharing with external facilities and researchers
• Future-proof access as systems evolve

As Pinnacle³ reaches end of support, maintaining access to historical data becomes increasingly difficult:

• Legacy Pinnacle workstations have limited lifespan
• Modern operating systems may drop support for old hardware
• Pinnacle³ infrastructure requires ongoing maintenance
• DICOM files can be stored on any standard storage system

DICOM optimization typically reduces storage requirements by ~50%:

• Elimination of proprietary overhead in TAR format
• Removal of redundant data structures
• Better compression of DICOM pixel data
• Efficient organization of related objects

Example: A 500GB Pinnacle archive typically converts to 250-350GB of DICOM files with zero clinical data loss.

DICOM is the standard for medical imaging archival:

• Meets DICOM PS3.3 RT object standards
• Compliant with IHE RO profiles
• Supports long-term retention requirements
• Facilitates audits and inspections

Converted DICOM files enable:

• Treatment plan comparison across different time periods
• Historical data analysis for research and QA
• Patient follow-up with access to prior treatment information
• Second opinions with easy data sharing
• Staff training using historical cases