Converting .cfs to DICOM?

[John Wynne]

Hi, I've been struggling to convert the .cfs files I've been sent by the hospital into DICOM files that can be opened in Horos. Last time I received files, from a different hospital, they were in DICOM format and I had no problems. I've been searching online for (free) conversion tools, but so far I've come up empty. Any advice would be welcome, please and thanks!

[Todd Jensen]

Maybe this is a Compact File Set? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFS_(file_format)

Maybe something like this will open it: https://pismo-file-mount-audit-package.en.softonic.com/

Todd Jensen, PhD

Jensen Informatics LLC

[John Wynne]

Hi and thanks for your reply. I spent a long time today looking for such a thing, and didn’t succeed. One thing I forgot to mention in my original post is that I'm on Mac OS. One app I downloaded, Slicer, looked promising, but after I installed it, it failed to launch. The link you sent me was for a Windows app.

According to Google AI…

There are no known free DICOM readers that can natively extract files from .cfs archives, as .cfs (Chilkat File System) is a proprietary archive format not typically supported by standard medical imaging software. DICOM viewers usually handle uncompressed DICOM files, ZIP files, or standard compression schemes like JPEG 2000.

If it's the case that it's not supported by standard medical imaging software, I'm puzzled as to why the hospital would send it in that format!

John

[Dr Suresh Viswanathan]

I doubt it’s in the "Chilkat File System”. It’s most likely a reference to Chilkat File System, an archive format that’s compatible to ISO CD format, although this is the first time I’ve come across a DICOM distribution like this.

Suresh

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Horos Project" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to horos-projec...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/horos-project/725734e8-3f11-4ef6-bfca-d5b415133067n%40googlegroups.com.

[Karl Ploessl]

that is what I found:

"Converting .cfs files to DICOM involves identifying the type of .cfs file (usually tax data or compressed medical images), then using specialized software to extract/convert the actual image data (often JPEGs/TIFFs/PNGs) into the DICOM ('.dcm') format, potentially using tools like Pismo File Mount for extraction and DICOM editors like 3D Slicer for packaging into studies with patient info. 

If .cfs are Tax Data Files (CFS Software)

.cfs files from CFS Tax Software (like CFSLIB) are usually databases, not images, so you don't convert them to DICOM; you import the data into another CFS program or export it as a different format (like DBF). 

If .cfs are Medical Image Containers

If your .cfs files contain medical images (like CT/MRI scans), they are likely compressed archives (e.g., Compact File Set) holding DICOM or other image types. 

Steps to Convert:

1. Extract the Contents: Use a utility to unpack the .cfs file.
   • Tool: Pismo File Mount (specifically ptcfs.exe for older Windows builds) can extract these archives.
   • Command Example: ptcfs extract YourFile.cfs.
2. Identify Image Files: After extraction, look for standard image formats (JPG, PNG, TIFF) or existing .dcm files within the extracted folders.
3. Convert to DICOM: Use medical imaging software to create proper DICOM files from the extracted images.
   • Software:
     • 3D Slicer: Load the extracted images, create a subject/study, and use the "Export to DICOM" function, adding patient metadata.
     • Sante DICOM Editor: Allows for creating new DICOM templates and converting various images to DICOM.
     • Online Converters: Websites like dicomserver.co.uk can convert standard images to DICOM, but be cautious with sensitive medical data.
4. Verify: Load the newly created DICOM files into a DICOM viewer (like PostDICOM, RadiAnt) to ensure they are correctly formatted and contain all necessary patient/study information. "

And to run Windows apps: use Virtualbox etc for running Windows XP, 7 , 10, 11 (?) etc...

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Horos Project" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to horos-projec...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/horos-project/725734e8-3f11-4ef6-bfca-d5b415133067n%40googlegroups.com.

--

Karl Ploessl, Ph.D.
3700 Market Street, Room 305
Philadelphia, PA 19104

215-662-3989