Providing New Level of Precision for World’s Most Widely Used Glaucoma Perimeter

Carl Zeiss Meditec, a leader in glaucoma care, announced the release of the Humphrey Field Analyzer II-i (HFA II-i) with new Guided Progression Analysis(TM) (GPA) software that accurately determines the stage of disease, rate of progression and a patient's risk of future vision loss by automatically summarizing all available visual field test results on a single page and by calculating each patient's rate of visual field deterioration. With this advanced perimeter, eye care providers can more closely monitor changes in the eye to prevent irreversible loss of vision for a disease that often has no warning signs and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Humphrey Field Analyzers are used by more eye care providers than any other automated diagnostic perimeter today and more than 60 thousand units have been sold since the first system was introduced in 1984. The HFA II-i is the newest and most advanced visual field testing platform and the GPA feature adds significant new diagnostic power to this established platform.

"Vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible. Thus, it is vital that doctors be able to efficiently differentiate between those patients who are doing well on present therapy versus those who are not stabilized," said Robert N. Weinreb, M.D., distinguished professor of ophthalmology and director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center of the University of California, San Diego. "Only by identifying the patients who continue to progress can glaucoma be appropriately managed to prevent vision loss or even blindness."

With Guided Progression Analysis software, the HFA II-i's standard printout presents each glaucoma patient's baseline fields, disease staging versus time, rate of progression and most recent test result — all on a single page. This new presentation format is designed to simplify and streamline clinical processes. GPA uses VFI, or Visual Field Index, to correlate with ganglion cell density and is less affected by cataract and other media changes compared with earlier indices. The HFA II-i's GPA program is based upon data gathered from a 15-center international clinical trial and its progression event analysis was used as an endpoint in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial.

Guided progression analysis software also is available for the GDx Scanning Laser Polarimeter and the Stratus OCT with Advanced Serial Analysis.

"The goal of our investment in new glaucoma technologies is to preserve eyesight for the nearly 60 million people worldwide suffering from this disease," said Jim Taylor, Carl Zeiss Meditec president and chief executive officer. "The HFA II-i with new GPA software helps doctors closely monitor their glaucoma patients and ensure that each patient is receiving the best course of treatment to prevent vision loss. We are proud that our Humphrey Field Analyzers have been a standard of care for nearly a quarter of a century and we are committed to continuing our efforts to provide new capabilities through new products and upgrade opportunities."

Glaucoma is a degenerative disease of the optic nerve. Most types of glaucoma progress without obvious symptoms, which is why glaucoma is often described as the "sneak thief of sight." Visual damage is largely irreversible and may lead to blindness. A 2006 study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology estimates that 60.5 million people will be affected worldwide by 2010, increasing to 79.6 million by 2020 as the population ages.