AU2007100331A4 - Health reporting using blood analysis - Google Patents

Description

HEALTH REPORTING USING BLOOD ANALYSIS 0 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to health reporting using blood analysis of a subject, particularly a human subject, but also applicable to animal subjects, e.g. for veterinary or animal husbandry purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION e¢ Most microscopic examrnination of blood specimens is performed to diagnose disease or to at least identify abnormal conditions indicative of manifested pathological or disease conditions. Some of the analyses can be automated, particularly cell counting, but visual inspection by a trained technician or by a medical or health practitioner is Srequired for identification and analysis of blood samples requiring some careful discrimination and identification skills.

There are known several blood analysis techniques but usually the one chosen to be applied to a particular blood sample is dictated by the particular condition for which the test is being specifically performed or by performance of standard blood analysis reports, e.g. red cell counts, white cell counts.

However, nutritional deficiency is responsible for, or at least can be a major contributory factor in, a majority of all degenerative diseases. Usually nutritional deficiencies are diagnosed from a subject's symptoms and blood analysis, if used at all, is often merely supportive or confirming analysis e.g. to determine iron levels, etc.

It is also known and reported that microscopic examination of blood specimens can reveal blood components which, to a trained observer, can be indicative of or associated with nutritional deficiency and/or abnonrmal body organ functions, and/or degenerative or stress related conditions. However, such uses of microscopic blood analyses have not been significantly more than a supportive technical aid or have been used only in a reactive manner to help treat a manifested unhealthy or unwell condition of a subject.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art in Australia or elsewhere.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of health reporting which is particularly suitable for detection of nutritional deficiencies and enabling corrective measures therefor, particularly a method suitable for use prior to significant manifestations of unhealthy or unwell states of a subject associated with abnonnal with nutritional deficiencies or associated body or organ processes or functions.

It is a preferred object to provide a method of health reporting suitable for implementation using trained but not necessarily medically qualified technicians.

It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a method of health reporting capable of considerable objective consistency when perfonned by different technicians and practitioners.

It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a method of health reporting suitable for establishing a health and wellness monitoring, diagnosis, prescription and maintenance regime or program over an extended period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of health reporting using blood analysis, including the steps: obtaining and preparing a blood sample from an individual subject, analysing blood specimens prepared from the blood sample to identify parameters of the blood components using each of the following analysis techniques: analysing a live blood specimen using dark field microscopy, analysing a live blood specimen using bright field microscopy, and 0 analysing a dried blood specimen for visible indications of the blood components sought, recording the identified parameters in a listing of observable blood components including recording indications of the frequency of observed occurrence of at least some of the blood components, inputting the recorded data comprising the identified parameters and frequency indications to a processing means, operating the processing means to automatically collate the recorded data of all the analysis techniques to produce a health summary report which presents at least the more strongly indicated health conditions of the subject inferred by the processing means from the recorded data from the multiple blood analysis techniques.

By using this method, it is possible to identify many nutritional disorders before standard blood tests, particularly chemical tests, can detect any chemical changes and it can be possible to therefore allow indicated or incipient abnonnal health conditions to be improved or corrected through the subject undertaking nutritional supplementation, or dietary or lifestyle changes.

Preferably the step of analysing blood specimens additionally includes using the analysis technique of analysing a stained blood specimen using bright field mrnicroscopy.

The method preferably includes the further step of presenting the health summary report to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regime for the subject.

If desired the processing means may be further operative to automatically generate a treatment report containing recommended treatment substances or supplements for treatment of at least some indicated health conditions of the subject desirably requiring improvement. Both the health summary report and the treatment report may then be presented to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regimrne for the subject as set out in, or as based on, the automatically generated treatment report.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of health reporting using blood analysis, including the steps: obtaining and preparing a blood sample from an individual subject, analysing blood specimens prepared from the blood sample to identify parameters of the blood components using each of the following analysis techniques: 0 analysing a live blood specimen using dark field microscopy, analysing a live blood specimen using bright field microscopy, and analysing a dried blood specimen for visible indications of the blood components sought, recording the identified parameters in a listing of observable blood components including recording indications of the frequency of observed occurrence of at least some of the blood components, inputting the recorded data comprising the identified parameters and frequency indications to a processing means, operating the processing means to automatically collate the recorded data of all the analysis techniques to produce a treatment report containing recommended treatment substances or supplements for treatment of at least some indicated health conditions of the subject inferred by the processing means from the recorded data and desirably requiring improvement. In this second aspect, preferably the treatment report is presented to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regime for the subject.

The analysing and recording steps may be perfonrmed by trained personnel, who are not necessarily medical or health professionals, and the health summary report and, in the preferred embodiment, the treatment report may be likewise presented to the subject by the trained personnel. Therefore the steps of involving a health professional are optional but can be preferred particularly for monitoring and training purposes, and for overseeing difficult or ambiguous analyses e.g. if there seem to be internal inconsistencies in the recorded parameters, or perhaps if a pathological or diseased indication is noted on which the analyst operator is not competent or qualified to remark but on which a qualified health professional is desirably able to comment, e.g. by recommending referral to a medical practitioner.

By using both dark field microscopy and bright field microscopy analyses of live blood specimens, the subject can be present and the images of the specimens in the microscope can be displayed on a visual display unit so that the operator conducting the analysis and recording steps can comment to the subject on blood components being identified. Likewise the images being inspected in the dried blood analysis and in the optional stained blood analysis can be displayed to the subject.

Preferably the method includes the further step of capturing images of the blood specimens for each of the multiple analysis techniques before, preferably during, and/or after the analysing steps, whereby the images can be stored for review by the person conducting the analyses and/or by another party, (ii) for displaying in a consultation with the subject or parties associated with the subject (such as family), and/or (iii) for comparison with later blood samples from the subject to analyse or demonstrate changes in the blood components and associated health or wellness conditions of the subject). By presenting images of earlier specimens of a particular individual subject with a currently taken and analysed blood sample, the subject can be given clear and positive information, including particularly reinforcement to promote compliance with the treatment regime. That is, the subject can monitor improvements in the condition of blood cells and relate this to general health and wellness of the subject.

To further provide encouragement to the subject, preferably the report produced a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the report produced by the processing means includes visual indications of the inferred health conditions of the subject accompanied by indications of reference or target health conditions for comparative analysis. For example, bar charts of the subject's data can be presented adjacent reference or target bar charts for a normal well subject's data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE METHOD The following detailed description of examples of methods according to the present invention is intended to enable the invention to be implemented in practice, but the particular steps described and the ancillary materials, printed matter, apparatus etc.

referred to are not to be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. Fig. I schematically illustrates the overall process and reference may be made to this figure for some of the terminology as well as understanding the general flow of steps.

A subject whose blood is to be sampled and analysed can attend at a clinic or the like. The operator first obtains a blood sample using conventional techniques, using a lancet to prick the subject's finger to allow a ball of blood to form on the surface of the skin. A first specimen for live blood analysis is placed on a microscope slide by touching the slide to the ball of blood and a cover slip is placed then on the first specimen to spread it and to protect it against drying. A second slide is then touched to the ball of blood eight times to produce eight drops of blood in a predetenrmined known sequence, usually in two rows of four, and that second layered blood specimen is placed aside to dry. If desired a further specimen can be taken for use in a conventional stained blood sample analysis technique which involves fixing and staining (which kills the blood) using known conventional techniques which need not be described here.

The first blood specimen is a live blood specimen to be analysed for identifying parameters of the blood components using both dark field microscopy and bright field microscopy. Dark field microscopy involves a special light source which illuminates the specimen on the slide from the side this can enable some aspects of the blood to be seen which may not appear in the more conventional bright field microscopy which involves illumination from below. Associated with the microscope there may be a video camera for displaying the images being viewed by the operator through the microscope on a visual display screen or monitor so that the client subject can see the live blood analysed.

The analysis of the blood specimens involves observing and recording parameters of the blood components including blood cell confonrmations and/or types, non-blood cell components, and non-cell inclusions and/or fragments. The parameters are recorded in a listing which the operator has conveniently at hand e.g. in the form ofa spreadsheet Cl presented on the screen of an adjacent computer monitor whereby the operator can record 12 indications of the frequency of observed occurrences of the blood components. There are many blood components including those found in nonnal healthy blood. Those found in c 5 blood of subjects having different levels of nutritional deficiency or imbalance and/or fatigue and/or degenerative processes, as well as extraneous components can have Cc normal or abnormal presence and/or levels.

¢€3 The accompanying Table I includes a listing of many blood components that can be present and observed using at least one of the blood analysis techniques being used in this detailed example of the present invention. The operator is trained to recognise and C count such blood components. The identification and determinations of the frequencies of observed occurrences of the blood components are performed by viewing the blood specimens using the different analysis techniques and using different microscope settings and adjustments during the analyses. For example the first live blood specimen may be inspected through a microscope firstly at 40x magnification, taking time to scan the sample and to capture images of important elements that are observed (the captured images being stored as image files on the associated computer), followed by viewing at 100x magnification, again taking time to scan and capture images of important elements observed. This process can be performed initially using the dark field condenser in the microscope. The bright field condenser can subsequently be substituted and similar analyses performed using bright field illumination. Detail of cells can be enhanced, particularly in bright field microscopy, by use of phase contrast microscopy to enhance contrast between structures of the cells. Provision and use of phase contrast condensers and objective lenses in the microscope enable better discrimination of cellular structures having different refractive indices, and hence better identification and more reliable recording of different blood components. Phase contrast microscopy can be used at and 1 00x bright field inspections of live blood samples.

For the layered dried blood specimen analysis, the slide containing the eight sequenced layers can be inspected at 4x magnification progressing from layer 1 through to layer 8 identifying blood components and recording parameters and their frequency, capturing images as before. Analysis of a stained blood specimen optionally can be further perfbrned using known techniques (not further described herein).

In the recording of the presence and the frequencies of observed occurrences of the blood components, the operator allocates relative frequencies of occurrence of observed blood components to a progressive scale ranging from non-observance of the particular blood component and/or low frequency of observed occurrence of the blood component through to high frequency of observed occurrence.

The progressive scale for example may comrnprise a numrnerical scale such as: 0 indicating that the element was not seen 1 indicating that elements were seen but in very small numbers 2 to 3 indicating moderate numbers 3 to 4 more significant indicating large numbers The operator separately records indications of the fi-equencies of observed occurrences for each monitored blood component and for each of the multiple analysis io techniques. For example, the accompanying Table I provides a listing in the form of a work sheet, which can obviously be provided as a spreadsheet on an adjacent computer and on which the operator records an indication of observed frequency for each of the blood components observed. In this case absence of a recorded indication in any of the five columns is the equivalent of a indicating that the element was not seen in the specimen.

Table I includes some explanatory material, including possible associated health conditions indicated by the observed blood components, so this Table may be most useful in training of operators. A simplified data recording sheet based on Table I is shown as Table la and this can be sufficient for day to day use.

The same listing forming Table I (or Table la) can be used by the operator during the dark field microscopy analysis of the live blood specimen, and a further identical listing used for the bright field microscopy analysis.

Table II is a spreadsheet of observable blood components and treatment substances or supplements that can be beneficial to respond to abnormal conditions. The operator need not use this Table II during an analysis but may be familiar with elements of the spreadsheet to discuss findings with the subject. The spreadsheet is also useable in a possible step performed at a later stage of the method, discussed further below.

The blood analysis of the dried blood specimen provides an accurate and simple test for detennining oxidative stress levels. There are eight specimens in the preferred procedure, each being tenned a "layer". As the specimens dry, concentric rings having different visual features are fonned. All eight layers are analysed and individual features of each layer and its rings are also analysed.

Appearing in the dried blood sample may be several features, one of the most common being the Polymerized Protein Puddles (PPP's). These PPP's contain a white material that is the result of excess hydrogen peroxide (H 2 0 2 Existence of PPP's in a sample is an indication of Oxidative Stress, inflammation and/or degenerative disease.

The excess of hydrogen peroxide activates enzymes that strip away the negatively charged sialic acid protection from blood fibrin protein.

In the process of coagulation of the sample, there is a centrifugal action that occurs whereby the soft clots or PPP's and metals (metal toxins contained in the blood) migrate out to form rings before the layer hardens.

The belief here is that PPP's locate in specific regions or rings related to the specific gravity. The heavier items such as metals appear to lodge towards the outer areas of the sample.

PPP's appear in numerous sizes from about 2 microns up to about 40 microns.

Small PPP's dispersed throughout the sample are an indication of allergic reaction or possible adrenal stress.

Larger PPP's may indicate physical, psychological or mental strain and are associated with stress.

Large round PPP's indicate inflammation, these are usually seen in the middle of the sample and may refer to bowel conditions.

Black lines (Fibrin Web) resembling plant roots throughout the sample, holes, holes or white areas within the Fibrin web or the absence of the web, are important factors in evaluation process.

Darkened areas are considered to indicate toxicity within the sample.

There is considerable subjectivity in deciding the spacing and placement of the rings which will be affected by the size and quality of the sample taken. Therefore according to the method of the invention, the analysis of the dried blood specimen is used in a conservative and prudent manner to primarily provide indications of: oxidative stress, adrenal stress, toxicity, inflammation.

The accompanying Table III is a listing or spreadsheet of observable blood components in dried blood specimens which the analyst uses to record indications of the frequency of observed occurrences of those components for each of the eight layers.

Some of the abbreviations and terms used in this listing and their definitions are: IBS Inflamed Bowel Syndrome Lakes large areas of polymerized protein that appear to form lakes.

PPP polymerized protein puddles.

Table Ill includes explanatory material so that sheet may be best used for training, and the simplified data collection sheet shown as Table Illa can be used for nonal day to day use.

The recorded data contained in the listings of observed blood components prepared by the analyst are input to a processing means which may comprise a central computer located for example at a remote location and which can receive and process data from multiple clinics or the like where blood samples are being taken from subjects and analysed. The use ofa centralised computer system for processing the data helps to ensure consistent processing and enables comparisons between data from different clinics and analysts, as well as enabling research into the collected data at the central computer system. For example if there appears a systematic difference in the type or content of data from one clinic or one analyst, that event can be analysed to check for example whether the method of the invention is being implemented properly and perhaps further training is required.

The processing means automatically collates data for the subject fromrn all of the analysis techniques to produce a health summary report which presents at least the more strongly indicated health conditions of the subject inferred from the multiple blood analysis techniques. The processing means or computer automatically converts the recorded parameters that are input to generate grading measures for possible indicated conditions of the subject associated with the respective observed blood components. For example, Table I shows in the left hand column various blood components and in the second column a description of possible indicated health conditions associated with the respective blood components, whereby when the respective components are observed and their frequency recorded, those frequency measures can be transposed by the processing means to respective grading measures for the possibly indicated health conditions of the subject. The processing means can then be operative to cumulate the grading measures generated for recorded parameters from the multiple analysis techniques to produce a combined grading of the subject for each of the possible indicated conditions associated with the observned blood components. For example, referring to Table IV, a hypothetical subject whose blood has been sampled and analysed to produce listings of observed blood components using both dark field and bright field analysis of a live blood specimen, and using dried blood specimen analysis may have observed blood components which in combination produce indications of the health conditions marked on the vertical axis of the bar charts of Table IV. The grading measure indicated by the length of the bar (and the accompanying numeral) adjacent each listed health condition gives a quantitative indication related to the probability of the subject exhibiting the respective indicated condition. For exalnple, in the hypothetical subject whose blood analyses has produced the combined gradings in Table IV, there are strong indications from both the live blood analyses and the dried blood analysis of oxidative stress, liver stress, pH imbalance and inflammation. The strong indication ofpH imbalance, for example, may have resulted from observance of significant frequencies in the live blood analysis of several of the following blood components, namely Ery agglutination, Platelet aggregation, Protit veil, and Thalli all of which are indicative of possible pH imbalance (see centre "description" column in Table A strong indication ofpH imbalance arising from the dried blood analysis may have arisen from observance of strong to severe white radial spokes in the layers subject to the dried blood analysis (see Table III "Light Feature" No. 8).

The separate cumulations of the grading measures in Table IV (for live blood and for dried blood) can be further cumulated to produce a combined grading or "symptom index" of the subject for each of the plurality of possible indicative health conditions associated with the observed blood components see Table V.

The cumrnulating process performnned by the processing means to produce the grading measures from the input data, to produce the gradings for the possible indicated health conditions, (whether gradings for the different analysis techniques as shown in Table IV, or whether a combined grading for all analysis techniques as shown in Table V, or both), can involve execution of a cumulating algorithmn. The implementing formulae or transformations of the algorithm can be empirically determined. However, the algorithm may comprise implementation of an essentially arithmetic summing process comprising for example either: a simple summing of frequency measures for each of the observed blood components of the multiple analysis techniques, or a weighted summing of frequency measures for the observed blood components, e.g. a strong weighting being assigned to measures for some blood components which have a strong or perhaps unambiguous indication of an abnormal health condition, with a lower weighting being assigned to measures of other blood components associated with but not necessarily being conclusively indicative of an abnormal health condition.

Table V also includes a combined grading for the subject for each of a number of broadly defined health or wellness conditions, namely fatigue, degenerative processes, and nutritional imbalance. These wellness conditions are also quantified in the method of the invention by the processing means cumulating grading measures derived from the recorded blood components. The grading measures and/or the cumulating algorithm are based on the association between the respective observed blood components and the wellness conditions of fatigue, degenerative processes, and nutritional imbalance. For example only, oxidative stress is strongly correlated with degenerative processes.

Proceeding from the health summary report or reports such as those in Tables IV and V, the method next involves developing recommended treatment substances or supplements for treatment of at least some indicated health conditions of the subject desirably requiring improvement. For example, the processing means may be operative to compare each combined grading to normal and abnonnal ranges for the health conditions associated with the respective blood components and, if a grading is in an abnonnal range, to correlate the combined grading for that health condition to recommended treatment substances or supplements to be included in a treatment report.

Table VI illustrates a table of health conditions (including both the generalised wellness conditions of fatigue, degenerative processes, and nutritional imbalance, as well as the more specific health conditions) for each of which the subject's combined grading or "score" is listed. The processing means compares these scores with the normal or acceptable range and with two levels of"abnonnal" ranges, namely a moderately elevated score where intervention is recommended, and a substantially elevated level where intervention is considered essential (the "intervention" mentioned is referring to treatment substances or supplements to be prescribed for the subject to treat the respective health condition). The positions in the reference ranges of the subject's particular scores are indicated in the third column as a quick and easily scanned report for a health practitioner to review. This report in Table VI is intended for viewing by the health practitioner.

An incidental but nevertheless potentially significant benefit of the method of the invention is the ability to automatically generate an alerting report if the blood analyses provide any indications of conditions desirably requiring medical practitioner review or medical intervention. For example only, observance of substantial numbers of monocytes can be tested by the processing means in the input data and, if present, an alert report to the health practitioner can be included, e.g. in a separate addendum to the type of report contained in Table VI. Such an alert is desirable because substantial frequencies ofmonocytes in the blood may be strongly indicative of a condition requiring medical review, e.g. severe infection or inflammatory process, bacterial infection including syphilis, forms of cancer, such as carcinomas and leukaemia.

The grading measures for the health conditions of the subject, preferably including the detennination of the position of each grading within the non-rmal to abnormal range, can be automatically processed by the processing means to generate a treatment report containing recommended substances or supplements for treatment of the indicated health conditions. For example, Table VII contains a treatment report in which there are specific nutritional recommendations set out in the fornn of a bar chart containing recommended relative levels of nutritional substances or supplements to be desirably prescribed for the subject. Table VII further includes a table or bar chart containing nutritional support co-factors providing recommended relative levels of treatment substances or supplements to support the subject's nutritional and other imbalance conditions of the body and/or organ functions. These numerical indications of recommended treatment substances can be derived by an algorithm implemented by the processing means which converts the data fiomrn the health condition reports to recommended treatment substance or supplement levels to be prescribed for treatment of the indicated conditions. The recommended levels of prescribed treatment substances or supplements can be weighted to target treatment of the more strongly indicated health conditions particularly those graded as "intervention essential".

k e, Table VII also includes a chart containing indicative levels of organ or other body system support indicated for the subject, again being derived from numerical analysis of the indicated health conditions, this chart being helpful to the practitioner, analyst and/or subject to understand the health weaknesses identified.

As an alternative process to an algorithm implemented by the processing means which converts the data from the health condition reports to recommended treatment substance or supplement levels, the method may involve a more direct derivation of the treatment substances and supplements in which the processing mneans generates directly from the recorded data for blood components a list of treatment substances and supplements. For example, the data in Table II directly correlates blood components to treatment substances and such correlations can be used by the processing means, e.g. in the manner of a look-up table, to generate a list of treatment substances and supplements.

Such more direct production of the treatment report enables an operator of the process to proceed directly from recorded data from blood analyses to the treatment report without producing a health summary report. However a health summary report is preferred also to help understanding and to encourage compliance of the subject with the treatment.

The treatment report such as the one contained in Table VII can be provided to the subject, preferably together with a report of Table V, so as to provide explanatory information and material to the subject. Further infonnation can be provided in the form of a chart relating the prescribed treatment substances or supplements to the health conditions, such a report being shown in Table VIII. The reports of the kind contained in Tables V, VII and VIII can be discussed with the subject by a health practitioner or the trained analyst at the time of providing the prescription to implement the treatment regime developed for the subject.

To improve comprehension and useability of reports produced according to the method of the invention, the reports, particularly those suitable to be discussed with the subject by a health practitioner or trained analysis, can include visual indications of the inferred health conditions of the subject with these indications being accompanied by visual indications of reference or target health conditions for comparative analysis. For example, Table X shows a table of health conditions and the subject's combined grading or "score" for each of the health conditions shown in the lower darker shaded bar for each respective condition. Immediately adjacent each of the subject's score bars is a bar shown in lighter shading providing the corresponding health condition grading or "score" for an ideal or average healthy or well subject. This enables the practitioner and the subject to compare the subject's scores with reference or target scores and particularly to perceive and understand those health conditions requiring more priority in the treatment regime being developed for the subject. For example, in Table X the substantial departure of the subject's combined grading or score for pH imbalance would indicate strong desirability of treatment to address that health condition.

Likewise, Table XI shows a report in which body systems of the subject have associated darker shaded bars indicating the level of support inferred by the method of the present invention. This Table XI corresponds substantially to the first part of Table VII except that in Table XI there is also shown adjacent each bar for the body system a lighter shaded bar indicative ofa nonnal or average healthy and well subject which therefore enables easy comparison with the particular subject's corresponding "scores".

Unlike Table VII which requires a practitioner or trained analyst to understand and interpret which body systemrns are indicated to be requiring support by the proposed treatment regime, Table XI by providing healthy subject's reference or target "scores" enables easier identification, explanation and understanding of bases for the proposed treatment regime. For example, in Table XI, the comparative healthy subject's scores immediately enable identification of the circulatory system, liver, and digestive system as requiring support in the proposed treatment regime. Table XI is therefore useful not only for the practitioner but also to provide informnnation and explanation to the subject.

The method of the invention may include automatic generation by the processing means of a prescription for the subject in which the recommended treatment substances or supplements, their dosages and frequency of their consumption by the subject are all taken into account and provided in a prescription report. A sample prescription report is contained in Table IX.

Although the detailed example described herein utilises live blood dark field microscopy, live blood bright field microscopy, and dried blood analysis, reference was made earlier herein to the conventional stained blood analysis also being useable. This analyst can use conventional fixing and staining techniques, and can microscopically examine the specimen to identify and quantify frequencies of blood components in an analogous operation to those described. The recorded data from the stained blood analysis can be incorporated into the algorithms implemented by the processing means.

It will be seen that the detailed exemplified method described herein can provide a complete process involving examination techniques using multiple types of blood analysis identifying blood components as indications or markers, the presence and frequency of which can show an individual subject's propensity or tendency towards developing degenerative conditions or disease. By repeating the process at regular intervals of time, progress of the subject can be monitored and the treatment regimes which the subject is undertaking can be reinforced by demonstrated inprovements between successive reports. Table XII shows in the top part a core wellness index or indicator bar chart similar to Table V except that it also shows in lighter shading corresponding bars for a healthy or well subject which can be considered as reference or target readings for the subject. To encourage and reinforce compliance by the subject with the treatment regime, the bottom part of Table XII shows the same data but with provision for late insertion of corresponding data obtained fromrn successive blood analysis processes according to the invention. For example, as shown in broken line for "Test progressive improvemnent in the respective gradings or scores towards the target or reference levels can demonstrate to the subject the progress being made by adherence to the treatment regime. A suitable time frame for blood analysis procedures might be for example: Test 2: three weeks after initial test 1 Test 3: three months after test 1 Test 4: six months after test 1 Test 5: twelve months after test 1 Ongoing, e.g. annual, blood analysis procedures according to the invention can monitor the subject's condition and can identify and implement desirable modifications to the treatment regime.

The method will be seen primarily a health and wellness promoting or maintenance technique enabling lifestyle changes in conjunction with consumption by the subject of nutritional substances and health promoting supplements. This can potentially provide a subject with the opportunity to have pre-clinical conditions addressed effectively, degeneration arrested, repair enhanced and further deterioration averted, before reaching stages that would normally be considered diseased conditions.

The method is not intended to diagnose disease. The method however does draw correlations between diet and/or nutritional deficiency, adverse lifestyle factors and subclinical indicators and such data and response thereto can help to avoid, reduce, minimise or more readily or rapidly recover from disease. The method is intended primarily as a proactive process to detennine protocols to help subjects approach wellness. By testing and analyses at cellular level, specific attention is made to the consequences of nutritional imbalances and deficiencies, identifying factors such as incomplete digestion, improper assimilation, and inadequate nutrition for optimal functioning of cells of the subject's body.

Claims (21)

1. A method of health reporting using blood analysis, including the steps: obtaining and preparing a blood sample from an individual subject, analysing blood specimens prepared from the blood sample to identify parameters of the blood components using each of the following analysis techniques: analysing a live blood specimen using dark field microscopy, analysing a live blood specimen using bright field microscopy, and analysing a dried blood specimen for visible indications of the blood components sought, recording the identified parameters in a listing of observable blood components including recording indications of the frequency of observed occurrence of at least some of the blood components, inputting the recorded data comprising the identified parameters and frequency indications to a processing means, operating the processing means to automatically collate the recorded data of all the analysis techniques to produce a health summary report which presents at least the more strongly indicated health conditions of the subject inferred by the processing means from the recorded data from the multiple blood analysis techniques.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of analysing blood specimens additionally includes using the analysis technique of analysing a stained blood specimen using bright field microscopy.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 including the further step of presenting the health summary report to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regime for the subject.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the processing means is further operative to automatically generate a treatment report containing recommended treatment substances or supplements for treatment of at least some indicated health conditions of the subject desirably requiring improvement.

A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the health summary report and the treatment report are presented to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regime for the subject as set out in, or as based on the automatically generated treatment report.

6. A method of health reporting using blood analysis, including the steps: obtaining and preparing a blood sample fiom an individual subject, analysing blood specimens prepared fromrn the blood sample to identify parameters of the blood components using each of the following analysis techniques: analysing a live blood specimen using dark field microscopy, 0 analysing a live blood specimen using bright field microscopy, and analysing a dried blood specimen for visible indications of the blood components sought, recording the identified parameters in a listing of observable blood components including recording indications of the frequency of observed occurrence of at least some of the blood components, inputting the recorded data comprising the identified parameters and frequency indications to a processing means, operating the processing means to automatically collate the recorded data of all the analysis techniques to produce a treatment report containing recommended treatment substances or supplements for treatment of at least some indicated health conditions of the subject inferred by the processing means from the recorded data and desirably requiring improvement.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the treatment report is presented to a health professional for review and prescription, development and/or endorsement of a treatment regime for the subject as set out in, or as based on the automatically generated treatment report.

8. A method as claimed in claim 3,5 or 7 wherein the step of inputting the recorded data includes transferring the recorded data to a central processor for reception, for storage, and for presentation to and review by the health professional so that the health professional can review data from different subjects at different locations with the analysing and recording steps being performed for different subjects by different operators.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the recording step includes allocating relative frequencies of occurrence of observed blood components to a progressive scale ranging from non-observance of the particular blood component and/or low frequency of observed occurrence of the blood component through to high frequency of observed occurrence.

A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the progressive scale comprises a numerical scale such as: 0 indicating that the element was not seen I indicating that elements were seen but in very small numbers 2 to 3 indicating moderate numbers 3 to 4 more significant indicating large numbers

11. A mrnethod as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of recording comprises separately recording indications of the frequencies of observed occurrences for each monitored blood component and for each of the multiple analysis techniques.

12. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the processing means is operative to automatically convert the recorded parameters to generate grading io measures for possible indicated health conditions of the subject associated with the respective observed blood components.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the processing means is operative to cumulate the grading measures generated for recorded parameters from the multiple analysis techniques to produce a combined grading of the subject for each of the possible indicated health conditions associated with the plurality of observed blood components.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the cumulating process comprises a simple summing of frequency measures for each of the observed blood components of the multiple analysis techniques.

A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the cumulating process comprises a weighted summing of frequency measures for the observed blood components, including a stronger weighting being assigned to measures for some blood components which have a strong or perhaps unambiguous indication of an abnonnal condition, with a lower weighting being assigned to measures of other blood components associated with but not necessarily being conclusively indicative of an abnormal condition.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15 wherein the processing means is operative to compare each combined grading to nonnal and abnormnnal ranges for the health conditions associated with the respective blood components and, ifa grading is in an abnormal range, to correlate the combined grading for that health condition to recommended treatment substances or supplements to be included in a treatment report.

17. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of analysing blood specimens includes observing and recording in the listing expected and possible blood components selected from blood cell confornations and/or types, non- blood cell components, and non-cell inclusions and/or fragments.

18. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and including the further step of capturing images of the blood specimens for each of the multiple analysis techniques before, and/or during, and/or after the analysing steps, whereby the images can be stored for review by the person conducting the analyses and/or by another party, (ii) for displaying in a consultation with the subject or parties associated with the subject (such as family), and/or (iii) for comparison with later blood samples from the subject to analyse or demonstrate changes in the blood components and associated health or wellness conditions of the subject).

19. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the report produced by the processing means includes visual indications of the inferred health conditions of the subject accompanied by indications of reference or target health conditions for comparative analysis.

A method of health reporting using blood analysis as claimed in claim 1 or 3 and substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings and tables.

21. Apparatus for use in performing a method of health reporting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.