When Innovation Meets Clinical Care: The Alliance Between Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons and Melbourne Rapid Fields online visual field

At Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons, we are committed to delivering high-quality glaucoma care in a way that is efficient, patient-friendly, and clinically robust. A key part of this commitment has been our close alliance with GLANCE Optical, the Australian company behind Melbourne Rapid Fields (MRF), an innovative online visual field testing platform that is helping reshape how glaucoma assessment can be delivered in modern clinical practice.

Bringing validated innovation into real-world glaucoma care

Visual field testing is a critical part of glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring, but in many clinics it can become a major bottleneck. Traditional perimetry systems are highly valuable, but they are also expensive, limited in number, and can slow patient flow when demand is high.

This is where Melbourne Rapid Fields (MRF) has made a major difference at Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons.

Clinical Research Orthoptist Ms Joyce Tiang assisting a patient using MRF rapid online perimeter for visual field testing

MRF is a device-independent visual field testing software platform that can run on standard computer hardware, rather than requiring a dedicated bowl perimeter. It also uses intelligent webcam technology to help support appropriate patient positioning, fixation monitoring, and test reliability. Importantly, MRF has been clinically validated against gold-standard perimetry, giving clinicians confidence that the results are meaningful and suitable for real-world glaucoma management.

Comparable output, greater flexibility

One of the major strengths of MRF is that its output is comparable to the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). Because of this, at Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons, we are able to use MRF and HFA interchangeably as part of our glaucoma assessment workflow.

This gives our clinic a level of flexibility that is difficult to achieve when relying on a single conventional perimeter alone. Instead of waiting for one machine to become available, patients can be tested promptly using either platform, helping maintain a smooth workflow without compromising the quality of clinical assessment.

Fast testing without compromising practicality

MRF also delivers major advantages in testing speed. Its performance is similar to the latest SITA-Faster algorithm, meaning visual field testing can be completed rapidly and efficiently. In practical terms, this translates to testing that is approximately 50% faster than the traditional SITA-Standard algorithm.

For patients, faster testing means less fatigue and a more comfortable experience. For clinics, it means more efficient use of time, improved throughput, and less congestion around visual field testing.

Removing visual field testing as a clinic bottleneck

At Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons, having one and sometimes two MRF testing stations running alongside our HFA machine has transformed clinic flow. Visual field testing is no longer a bottleneck in glaucoma assessment.

This has allowed Dr George Kong’s clinic to effectively double glaucoma assessment throughput, enabling more patients to be seen efficiently and safely. In a busy specialist practice, this is not simply a matter of convenience, it has a direct impact on access to care, timeliness of review, and the overall patient experience.

A highly cost-effective way to expand glaucoma services

The financial advantages of MRF are equally compelling.

A typical conventional perimetry machine costs around AUD $40,000, in addition to several thousand dollars in annual maintenance costs. By comparison, the annual cost of MRF usage is roughly equivalent to the annual maintenance cost of a conventional perimetry machine.

This means clinics can substantially increase their visual field testing capacity at a fraction of the cost of purchasing one or two additional conventional field machines. For many practices, this creates a strong return on investment from day one.

For new clinics in particular, this can be a game-changer. Instead of needing to commit large capital outlays upfront, they can implement a validated visual field testing solution in a much more affordable and scalable way.

Broad testing capability with built-in progression analysis

MRF is not limited to a single field strategy. It is able to perform standard:

• 24-2

• 10-2

• 30-2

• Binocular Esterman-equivalent visual field testing 

In addition, MRF includes advanced progression analysis, making it easier for clinicians to interpret whether a patient is stable or showing signs of progression over time. This helps streamline follow-up assessment and supports confident clinical decision-making.

MRF rapid online visual field produces outputs similar to standard perimetry machines and allows side-by-side progression comparison with previous visual field tests.

A testing platform patients genuinely like

Technology only works if patients are comfortable using it. One of the standout features of MRF in daily practice is how well it is received by patients.

Patients often comment that the platform is comfortable, user-friendly, and easier to engage with than they expected. This is particularly valuable in glaucoma care, where repeated testing over many years is often necessary.

MRF also offers multi-language support, which is especially helpful for patients from non-English-speaking backgrounds. In a diverse community practice, this improves accessibility and helps make the testing experience more inclusive and less intimidating.

Associate Professor Kong’s perspective

Associate Professor George Kong sees MRF as an especially important innovation for clinics wanting to deliver high-quality glaucoma care without excessive setup costs.

“Melbourne Rapid Fields has been particularly valuable in our practice because it allows us to expand glaucoma assessment capacity in a validated, practical, and cost-effective way. It is especially important for new or established clinics looking to reduce initial setup costs, and for any clinic wanting to improve clinical output for glaucoma assessment.”

A partnership built around better glaucoma care

The alliance between Mt Waverley Eye Surgeons and GLANCE Optical - MRF reflects a shared vision: combining innovation, validation, and practicality to improve patient care.

By integrating MRF into our clinical workflow, we have been able to enhance efficiency, improve access, reduce bottlenecks, and maintain confidence in the quality of glaucoma assessment. Most importantly, this has helped us provide better care to more patients.

As glaucoma services continue to evolve, solutions like Melbourne Rapid Fields show that modern eye care can be both clinically rigorous and cost-effective, a combination that benefits clinics and patients alike.