Darkfield Microscopy

Most patients are familiar with the microscope of high school biology class. This technique, referred to as brightfield microscopy, relies on light from a lamp source that is gathered by a substage condenser, shaped into a cone and directed to the specimen. The visibility of the specimen is dependant on its ability to change the speed and path of the light passing through it. The specimen is visible only if contrast is high enough to make sense of the minute shapes on the slide. If the specimen has a refractive index similar to its surroundings, the contrast will be inadequate and the image will not be seen. This method is not adequate for any materials much smaller than a human body cell.

Darkfield microscopy works using a different lighting method, allowing the microscope to produce images unavailable with brightfield methods. Instead of producing contrast with a bright background, the background is darkened. The images are made possible due to the same principles that tiny dust particles in a dark room become visible when a strong shaft of light passes around them.

The darkfield techniques are most useful for live blood analysis, enabling the holistic practitioner the ability to view the inner environment and function of red blood cells. This terrain of an individual's blood changes rapidly after taking a sample, making the immediacy of the darkfield microscope examination even more helpful than regular blood tests sent to laboratories. The darkfield microscope can be helpful in demonstrating the effects of certain treatments, as the medication can be applied directly to the blood with the results viewed on a video screen connected to the microscope.

The darkfield microscope also shows structures such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and the evolutionary stages of endobionts, which are very small proteins. This method of examination is particularly useful for individuals with chronic illnesses, such as candidiasis and recurrent bacterial problems.

One very important reason for using darkfield microscopy versus traditional brightfield is the fact that brightfield microscopes cannot produce images of colloids, living particles smaller than the human cell. When using the brightfield method, one is viewing the effects of imbalances rather than the causes occurring at the organic level. The darkfield microscope creates the impression of the blood specimen emitting its own light. This permits one to view the most minute microorganisms that are the very root cause of most blood imbalances and organism aberrations.

The darkfield microscope is not approved by the FDA to diagnose or treat any disease.