Zeiss launches software upgrade for Humphrey Field Analyzer

Approved and expected to be available in Australia in the coming weeks, the version 1.5 software upgrade has been billed as one of the most meaningful updates for the HFA3 perimetry device since the company introduced its SITA technology. It’s said the new software makes visual field testing “faster, easier and more informative”.The update includes a new testing protocol, 24-2C, which was Zeiss’ response to a shift in thinking regarding care toward the testing and detection of macular damage in all stages of glaucoma.According to the company, its 24-2C technology has ten more macular points within the 24-2 testing pattern. To simplify the adoption of this new protocol, the Guided Progression Analysis (GPA) report will work with all SITA protocols as well as combining 24-2 and 24-2C tests using the common 24-2 points for GPA analysis.The company claims this will allow eyecare professionals to compare any 24-2 test, eliminating the need for the creation of a new baseline.The upgrade also features SITA Faster 24-2, which the company claims improves clinical workflow and patient satisfaction with the fastest test time in HFA threshold testing. The technology is approximately 50% faster than SITA Standard, 30% faster than SITA Fast, yet is said to offer the same level of reproducibility.In addition, the software update includes ‘Data Synchronization’, which automatically shares test data between multiple HFA3 instruments in the same office. It also allows for use of HFA II-i to take tests and contribute to the HFA3 network.“This allows practices with multiple HFAs to test any patient at any HFA with confidence that the patient information is always up to date,” a company brochure stated.The version 1.5 upgrade is provided on a USB drive and can be installed on any HFA3 instrument.