Comparing COMPASS and MAIA
Both track the retina at 25 Hz and both put the threshold result on a picture of the fundus rather than on a blank chart. They answer different questions, and the specifications show where the line is.
Side by side
Measured quantities only. What each instrument does and does not have is in the next section, because a table cannot tell the difference between a figure a manufacturer has not published and a feature an instrument does not have.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column. The row labels stay put.
| Specification | COMPASS PerimeteriCare | iCare MAIA TrueColor MicroperimetryiCare |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Not published | TrueColor confocal microperimetry |
| Projection field | 30° radius | 30° |
| Background luminance | 31.4 asb / Max: 10,000 asb | 4 asb |
| Maximum luminance | Not published | 1000 asb |
| Dynamic range | 0–50 dB | 36 dB |
| Stimulus | Goldmann III, round, white, 200 ms | Goldmann III |
| Retinal tracking | 25 Hz automated retinal tracking | 25 Hz automated |
| Test strategies | ZEST Fast, ZEST, 4-2 (full threshold), Suprathreshold, Quick Suprathreshold | Full threshold (4-2) with fixation analysis, Suprathreshold (4 fixed levels, Scotoma finder), Fixation only |
| Fundus field of view | 60° diameter (100° horizontal with SmartMosaic) | 60° |
| Imaging sensor | 5 megapixels (2592 × 1944) / 17 µm resolution | 5 MP (2592 × 1944) |
| Imaging modalities | Color, infrared, red-free, stereoscopic, SmartMosaic | TrueColor and Infrared; Red-free, Blue and Red via optional software |
| Focusing range | –12D to +15D (no trial lenses) | –12D to +15D |
| Working distance | 28 mm | 28 mm |
| Weight | 25 kg (55 lbs) | 27 kg / 59 lb |
| Power | 100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz, 80 W | 100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz, 80 W |
What separates them
One paragraph per instrument, taken from its own product page. Each names a real alternative instead of listing features again.
COMPASS Perimeter
This is a glaucoma instrument that earns its place on progression data. A practice running a modest field volume on a working perimeter may get more from replacing something else in the lane first. The practical test is how often unreliable fields currently force a retest, and whether you are making progression calls you do not fully trust.
iCare MAIA TrueColor Microperimetry
Microperimetry is an addition to structural imaging, not a replacement for it; a practice without OCT should almost certainly buy that first. MAIA also needs a genuine macular case load to justify itself; if you are referring most macular management out, the instrument will sit idle.
Where these figures come from
Every figure below comes from the manufacturer’s own published materials, linked here so you can check any of them. Nothing is estimated or filled in to complete a row: where a manufacturer does not publish a number, the table says so. Configurations change, so I will confirm the current details before you order.
- COMPASS Perimeter: iCare, reviewed 2026-09-05
- iCare MAIA TrueColor Microperimetry: iCare, reviewed 2026-09-05
The COMPASS publishes background and maximum luminance in a single field; the row above shows that field as printed rather than splitting it, because splitting it would mean retyping a number.
Where the labels differ
Manufacturers do not use one vocabulary across one product line, let alone across four. Every row above where two instruments publish the same quantity under different names is listed here with the reason, so the alignment can be checked, not taken on trust.
- Stimulus: The COMPASS sheet gives size, shape, color and duration in one field; the MAIA sheet splits size and duration into two. The MAIA duration is on its own product page.
- Retinal tracking: Two labels for the same 25 Hz mechanism across two iCare sheets.
- Fundus field of view: Two labels, one quantity.
- Imaging sensor: Two labels, one quantity.
- Focusing range: The MAIA sheet calls this auto refraction and the COMPASS sheet calls it auto-focus range. Both describe the dioptric range the instrument corrects for without trial lenses.
Configurations and specifications change. Ask me to confirm before ordering.
Talk it through with me
Tell me how your practice handles this now and what you want it to do, and we can work through the options together. You do not need to have settled on a product first.