The Old Way of Visual Field Testing is Over

For decades, the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HVFA or HFA) has been seen as the standard for perimetry. But with its high upfront cost, stationary tabletop setup, dark-room requirements, and need for consistent technician oversight, it was made for a different era of eye care.

That era is behind us.

Virtual Field is the best alternative to Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer setups — especially if you prioritize portability, lower cost of ownership, multiple exam capacity, and a great patient experience.

As a portable, automated VR platform, Virtual Field delivers gold-standard visual field accuracy and expands testing to Color Vision, Extraocular Motility (EOM), and Pupillometry.

Here’s why doctors, techs, and patients pick Virtual Field over Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer:

• Test Anywhere — Portable device, no dedicated dark room required.
  
  
• Faster Exams — 2–4 minutes shorter than Humphrey, with no eye patch needed.
  
  
• Expand Capacity — Run multiple exams in parallel, even the bedside or in waiting areas.
  
  
• Lower Costs — Avoid Humphrey’s eyewatering price and service contracts; achieve ROI in as few as 4 exams.
  
  
• Proven Accuracy — Clinically validated against Humphrey’s gold standard results.
  
  

It’s time to step out of the dark room and leave the Humphrey Visual Field era behind.

‍

Discover Virtual Field (free for 30 days)

‍

The Best Replacement for the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer is a Modern, All-in-One Alternative

The Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer and other table-top perimeters were built decades ago. 

Virtual Field was designed for today.

• Test Every Patient
  Patients who use wheelchairs, those with neck injuries, or non-English speakers often can’t complete a standard Humphrey exam. Virtual Field’s lightweight VR headset works anywhere in your clinic and includes 38 languages built in.
  
  
• Free Up Your Techs
  Humphrey requires a technician to sit through every test and verbally instruct patients. Virtual Field is self-guided, freeing staff for higher-value work and reducing fatigue.
  
  
• Faster ROI
  A Zeiss Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer can take years to pay off due to its $25k–$35k ticket price, costly calibration visits, and annual service contracts. Virtual Field pays for itself in 1–3 months — sometimes in as few as 4 exams.
  
  
• No Dedicated VF Room
  A typical Humphrey setup requires a dedicated, darkened space and a tabletop and can’t be moved to more convenient areas. Virtual Field fits anywhere — exam lane, waiting area, or bedside — letting you expand testing capacity without adding space.
  
  
• Patients Love It
  No chin rests. No eye patches. No claustrophobic booths. Just a comfortable, modern exam that improves patient satisfaction, compliance, and practice reviews.
  
  
• Beyond Visual Fields
  Humphrey stops at visual field testing. Virtual Field also performs Color Vision, Extraocular Motility (EOM), and Pupillometry. Expand billable codes and clinical capabilities in a single device.
  
  

‍

Clinical Studies Comparing Virtual Field vs. Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer

Independent research from ARVO, ASCRS, and Bascom Palmer confirms that Virtual Field delivers accuracy equivalent to the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HVFA).

Key Findings Across Studies

• Comparable Accuracy 
• Faster Exams
• Fewer False Positives
• Strong Agreement
• Practical Utility
  
  

Study Snapshots

1) ARVO (IOVS) – Academic Ophthalmology Practice

• Design: Retrospective paired analysis, Humphrey 24-2 SITA-Standard vs. Virtual Field BOLT.
  
  
• Findings: No significant differences in MD, PD, or VFI; Virtual Field tests were ~2.4 minutes faster on average with fewer false positives; strong correlations (Pearson r = 0.65–0.74).
  
  

‍

2) ARVO (IOVS) – UNSW Sydney

• Design: Prospective, randomized 24-2 testing; Bland-Altman + regression analysis.
  
  
• Findings: Strong correlations (R² = 0.79 MD, R² = 0.74 PSD). Results deemed functionally indistinguishable from Humphrey, validating Virtual Field as a portable, low-cost alternative.
  

‍

What This Means for Your Clinic

• You can replace or supplement a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer with Virtual Field without sacrificing diagnostic rigor.
  
  
• Expect operational gains from shorter test times, fewer false positives, and improved patient comfort.
  
  
• Virtual Field is a multi-test platform that goes beyond perimetry with Color Vision, EOM, and Pupillometry.
  
  

Schedule a Demo to see clinical reporting side-by-side with Humphrey, or Start Your Free Trial to validate accuracy with your own patients.

‍

Case Study Snapshot: Real-World ROI from a Humphrey Replacement

Scott & Christie Eyecare Associates made the switch from a traditional Humphrey Visual Field analyzer to Virtual Field after facing backlogs, scheduling delays, and frustrated patients.

“Before we implemented Virtual Field, we were running a double doctor schedule… The biggest negative impact of having one Humphrey was that I was booking glaucoma patients six months out for their routine screenings. They should be seen every four to six months, so a six-month lead time was unsustainable,” explains Practice Administrator Ashton Deal.

By adopting Virtual Field, the practice eliminated bottlenecks, increased efficiency, and gave patients a more seamless testing experience—often right in the exam room.

The results speak for themselves. Deal says, “We tried it and immediately loved it. We loved the portability. We could conduct a patient’s visual fields right in their exam room. And it eliminates so much of the human error that happens with the Humphrey.”

Today, Scott & Christie runs multiple Virtual Field devices across their locations, ensuring consistent care and efficient workflows that keep patients on track with glaucoma treatment plans.

• 4,100+ exams conducted with Virtual Field
• 2,203% ROI realized since adoption
• 44.5 hours saved per year in technician and doctor time
• Multiple Humphrey replacements across the network

‍

Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer Costs, Financing, and ROI

When evaluating perimetry equipment, the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HFA/HVFA) comes with more than just a high sticker price. The real decision comes down to total cost of ownership (TCO). Here’s where the difference between Humphrey vs. Virtual Field becomes impossible to ignore.

Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer: Hidden Costs Add Up

High Upfront Price

• Purchasing a new Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer typically runs $25,000–$35,000 — that’s before accessories, delivery, installation, software updates, and staff training.
  
  

Service Contracts

• Once purchased, clinics are locked into $5,000–$7,000 mandatory annual service contracts, covering calibration, software patches, and routine maintenance.
  
  

Calibration & Downtime

• Humphrey systems require frequent recalibrations. Every recalibration or repair creates downtime that reduces exam throughput, further slowing ROI.
  
  

Dedicated Exam Room

• A Humphrey isn’t portable and ties up valuable real estate. For practices in urban centers or smaller clinics, that room could be generating revenue with other services.
  
  

Slow ROI

• When you combine a high sticker price, annual service contracts, downtime, and space requirements, ROI on a Humphrey stretches out for years.
  
  

Used Humphrey Machines: The Hidden Risks

Searching for a used Humphrey Visual Field Machine is common when practices want to cut upfront costs. But the reality is that “cheap” often means expensive over time:

• Outdated Technology — Many used Humphreys run on legacy operating systems that don’t support modern EMR integrations or automated reporting.
  
  
• More Calibration Problems — Older units may break down more often, requiring more recalibrations and repair visits.
  
  
• No Warranty or Support — Buying used usually means no manufacturer coverage. Repairs become out-of-pocket emergencies.
  
  
• Shorter Remaining Lifespan — Even if purchased at a discount, many used Zeiss Humphreys are already at the end of their usable life.
  
  

👉 By contrast, Virtual Field offers a brand-new, modern device with no service contracts and no calibration downtime. Virtual Field starts paying for itself almost immediately. With ROI in 1–3 months, delaying replacement can cost thousands of dollars per month in lost opportunity.

Virtual Field: Lower Investment, Faster Payback

• Affordable Entry Point — Costs a fraction of a new Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, and often less than buying one used.
  
  
• No Service Contracts — No $5k–$7k annual agreements. No calibration visits. Updates are free and automatic.
  
  
• Minimal Maintenance — Durable VR hardware designed for daily clinical use. Easy to sanitize, with quick-swap replacements if needed.
  
  
• Zero Space Costs — Works anywhere: exam lane, waiting room, or bedside. No dark room needed.
  
  
• Faster ROI — Most practices see full payback in 1–3 months, with some breaking even after just 4 reimbursed exams.
  
  

‍Calculate Your ROI with Virtual Field

‍

Billing & CPT Codes: Virtual Field vs. Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer

Virtual Field pays for itself: validated CPT codes, broader billable services, and ROI in as few as 4 exams.

Billable CPT Codes Supported by Virtual Field

Virtual Field covers the same core visual field CPT codes as the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer for reimbursement continuity:

• 92081: Visual field, limited examination (screening)
  
  
• 92082: Visual field, intermediate examination
  
  
• 92083: Visual field, extended examination (e.g., glaucoma monitoring)
  
  
• 95919: Central motor conduction studies, pupilometry
  
  

But unlike Humphrey, Virtual Field also performs Color Vision, Extraocular Motility (EOM), and Pupillometry, which means additional reimbursable tests and revenue opportunities.

Revenue Growth Opportunities with Virtual Field

• Higher Exam Volume
  Virtual Field’s exams run 2–4 minutes faster than Humphrey, with parallel testing capability. That means more billable tests per day without additional staff or space.
  
  
• Capturing Missed Opportunities
  Many clinics underutilize 92082/92083 codes with Humphreys. Virtual Field’s automated, patient-friendly workflow ensures every follow-up is captured.
  
  

ROI and Time-to-Value

• Rapid Payback — With ~$70 average reimbursement per VF exam, Virtual Field can pay for itself in as few as 4 exams.
• 1–3 Month ROI — Most practices see full return in under 3 months, thanks to faster throughput and reduced overhead.
• Enterprise-Level Revenue Impact — Multi-site groups standardizing on Virtual Field generate tens of thousands in additional annual revenue.
• Lower Operating Costs — No dark room buildout, no calibration visits, and no service contracts accelerate profitability.

‍

‍See Your Potential ROI with Virtual Field

‍

The Best Alternative to the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer Starts Here

The Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer had its place in eye care — but today it’s a machine from the past: it can be expensive to buy, costly to maintain, slow to run, uncomfortable for patients, and difficult to scale.

Virtual Field is the modern HVFA alternative.

• Lower cost and ROI in weeks, not years
• Clinically validated accuracy, proven in independent studies
• Expanded test menu beyond visual fields (Color Vision, EOM, Pupillometry)
• Portable, scalable, and built for today’s multi-site practices
• Patients and staff overwhelmingly prefer it

You don’t need another used Humphrey, another financing contract, or another dark room. You need a future-proof platform that pays for itself quickly and scales with your growth.

👉 It’s time to step out of the dark ages of visual field testing — and into the future of exceptional eye care with Virtual Field.

Schedule a Demo or Start Your Free Trial today and see why practices are choosing Virtual Field as the best alternative to the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer.

‍

‍

Disclaimer:

The information provided on this page is based on publicly available sources and independent research. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, details such as pricing, specifications, and feature comparisons may change over time and could become outdated. At Virtual Field, we believe in transparent pricing, features, and support. We do our best to gather and present information with integrity and honesty, though some manufacturers are not as forthright about their prices, policies, or capabilities. If you believe any information here is incorrect or requires updating, please contact us at hello@virtualfield.io and we will be happy to review and update the content as appropriate.

‍