Bryan K. Marcia, Ph.D.
Iridology – The Science of Hereditary Biology
We can respect that the science of Iridology particularly in terms of hereditary biology, is a very useful diagnostic tool in determining genetically weak organs and tissues in the body. Organ markings in the iris are the expression of a genotype or disposition of illness as a constitutional factor. In order to truly understand and recognize disease one must be able to understand the fundamental nature of our biological systems in which stem from our genetic inheritance and constitution.
The character of our genes is also affected by our mental, physical and spiritual life. We are in constant interchange of information with our environment in which has an effect on our DNA and biochemistry. Genetic damage, or abnormalities can result in metabolic diseases. By learning about our inherent weaknesses, it gives us the opportunity to discover that we may have to live differently, in order to support such weaknesses.
Will Current Genome Research Prove Iridology?
Every cell in the body contains a super hologram of the body’s entire cellular system. It is highly feasible that iris markings are nothing more than holographic fields of radiation. Not only does each cell contain in its DNA the total information of a living organism, but it also mirrors the characteristics of the individual. A good example of this would be acupuncture in which the ear represents a holographic pathway of organs and organ systems.
It is significant to observe that structural and regulatory genes must be distinguished from each other. Structural genes are involved with the formation of structure, whereas regulatory genes determine functional, physiological events. Regulatory genes can remain latent although capable of forming physiological disease markings in the iris such as impregnations, deposits, pigment, etc. Structural genes form structural markings in the iris and are irreversible.
Geneticists believe that disadvantageous genes can remain effective for up to 40 generations. Geneticists and biophysicists are quickly learning to recognize the structure of DNA molecules and their defects. Such defects will soon determine the structure of the defect markings found in the iris.
The future of genetics will reflect around methods in changing gene life especially in regards to eliminating an inherent weakness in a human being. A genetic hereditary disposition accounts for 80% of all defect markings found in the iris which provides us with valuable genetic information. There will be a day when genetic scientists discover that iridology has understood many of our genetic questions all along.
EXAMPLE CLINICAL STUDY IN IRIDOLOGY USING COMPARATIVE REGION OF INTEREST (ROI) AND SPECTRAL ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE PIGMENTARY CHANGES IN IRIS.
The following examples present two photos of the same right iris. The first photo was taken in 1991 while the second photo taken 1998. We next choose a region of interest (ROI). In the below image we select a single pigment that is associated to liver weakness.
1991 Iris image pigment section
Calculated number of points of pigment section in the selected area are then displayed
The pigment region selected in the 1991 right iris image contains 2401 points.
The Average Spectrum plot window displays the mean spectrum (mean of every band for the selected ROI in aquamarine) for the file associated with the displayed image. The standard deviation spectrum (standard deviation of every band) is plotted both above and below the mean spectrum (+/- 1 std. deviation in green). The minimum and maximum spectra (minimum and maximum for every band) are plotted above and below the standard deviation spectra (in red). The plot window containing the statistics is identical to the plot windows used for X, Y, and Z profiles, and all interactions are the same.
The ROI Statistics window lists the file name, the region name and number of points, and the band number, minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation for each band.
1998 Iris image pigment section Comparison
Techniques such as using a pixel locator can be applied to further determine pinpoint accuracy of pigment sector.
The ROI Statistics in the 1998 image show window lists the region name and number of points, the band number, minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation for each band. We can now compare statistics between the 1991 and 1998 images sections and also compare band data with known chemicals.
The region of interest in both 1991-1998 images are then linked together for differential analysis of specified ROI’s.
The zoom angle shows distinct pigment changes and is detectable by the human eye
Region of Interest and Spectral Statistics
Both images are now accurately linked together. We can now observe iris pigment changes by spectral and ROI data outputs.
The ROI section has increased by 49 points in a seven year time span thus establishing that the pigment has enlarged.
Spectral bands also display increased values in 1998 (Region #1B) pigment ROI.
Each spectral band values assist in the evaluation of pigment transformation.
Diagnostic Research in Iridology using 3-D Spectrographic Imaging
Through clinical investigation of the existence of iris markings in individuals with time frames of 3 months to 15 years, I mostly observe very subtle changes in the iris using 35 MM macro photographs. I did not expect major changes in regards to infectious diseases or structural markings and mainly found defects markings that appeared in organs through toxins. Through our current research using sector macro photography along with 3D surface view spectral imaging, we can now analyze visible transformations in the iris via spectral electromagnetic and holographic radiation of specific Regions of Interests or ROI’s.
WHAT IS 3D IMAGE SPECTROSCOPY?
To better understand my focus in iridology research using 3D spectroscopy, I will first attempt to explain the science of general spectroscopy.
Spectroscopy is the study of light as a function of wavelength that has been emitted, reflected or scattered from a solid, liquid, or gas. Spectroscopy can also be used to detect individual absorption features due to specific chemical bonds in a solid, liquid, or gas.
Imaging spectroscopy is a new tool that can be used to map specific materials by detecting specific chemical bonds. As a result it is an excellent tool for scientific environmental assessments, mineral mapping and exploration, detecting vegetation species and diverse health studies. It’s main application is that of the ability to detect the reflectance that emits from every pixel in a spatial image.
Every material including the body is formed by chemical bonds, and has the potential for detection using spectroscopy. Actual detection is dependent on the spectral coverage, spectral resolution, abundance of material and the strength of absorption features for that material in the wavelength region measured.
Imaging spectroscopy also has many names in the remote sensing community, including imaging spectrometry, hyperspectral, and ultraspectral imaging. Spectroscopy in much respect is the study of electromagnetic radiation. Spectrometry is derived from spectro-photometry, the measure of photons as a function of wavelength, a term used for years in astronomy. However, spectrometry is becoming a term used to indicate the measurement of non-light quantities, such as in mass spectrometry. Ultraspectral is beyond hyperspectral, a goal that has actually not yet been reached. Terms like laboratory spectrometer, spectroscopist, reflectance spectroscopy, thermal emission spectroscopy, etc, are in common use today.
Electromagnetic Radiation is Made of Photons
The photon concept is important in spectroscopy because photons are emitted and absorbed one photon at a time. For instance, a molecule in a vision cell in your eye can absorb one photon, but never half a photon. For frequencies of x-rays and above, the energy of a single photon is large compared to the energies typical of atoms. That is why a single x-ray photon can shoot right through your body.
Photons may also originate from a surface, a process called emission. All natural surfaces emit photons when they are above absolute zero. Emitted photons are subject to the same physical laws of reflection, refraction, and absorption to which incident photons are bound.
Photons are absorbed in minerals by several processes. The variety of absorption processes and their wavelength dependence allows us to derive information about the chemistry of a mineral from its reflected or emitted light. The human eye is a crude reflectance spectrometer as we can look at a surface and see color. Our eyes and brain are processing the wavelength-dependent scattering of visible-light photons to reveal something about what we are observing, like the colors of red or green. A modern spectrometer, however, can measure finer details over a broader wavelength range and with greater precision. Thus, a spectrometer can measure absorptions due to more processes than can be seen with the eye.
There are 4 general parameters that describe the capability of a spectrometer: 1) spectral range, 2) spectral bandwidth, 3) spectral sampling, and 4) signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Spectral range is important to cover enough diagnostic spectral absorptions to solve a desired problem (Example 1A.)
EXAMPLE 1A
Today, spectrometers are in use in the laboratory, in the field, in aircraft (looking both down at the Earth, and up into space), and on satellites. Reflectance and emittance spectroscopy of natural surfaces are sensitive to specific chemical bonds in materials, whether solid, liquid or gas. Spectroscopy has the advantage of being sensitive to both crystalline and amorphous materials, unlike some diagnostic methods, like X-ray diffraction. Spectroscopy's other main advantage is that it can be used up close (e.g. in the laboratory) to far away (e.g. to look down on the Earth, or up at other planets).
Spectroscopy's historical disadvantage is that it is too sensitive to small changes in the chemistry and/or structure of a material. The variations in material composition often cause shifts in the position and shape of absorption bands in the spectrum. Thus, with the vast variety of chemistry typically encountered in the real world, spectral signatures can be quite complex and sometimes unintelligible. However, that is now changing with increased knowledge of the natural variation in spectral features and the causes of positional shifts. As a result, the previous disadvantage is turning into a huge advantage, allowing us to probe even more detail about the chemistry of our natural environment.
Spectral features of hyper-spectral data to library spectra was originally designed for scientists including NASA to identify rocks, minerals, vegetation, and other materials on the earth from satellite images. Is it possible that we can use this same technology to assist us in detecting changes in the iris?
With new advances in computer and remote detection technology, many new fields of imaging spectroscopy are developing. Imaging spectroscopy is a new technique for obtaining a spectrum in each position of a large array of spatial positions so that any one spectral wavelength can be used to make a recognizable image. The image might be of a rock in the laboratory, a field study site from an aircraft, a whole planet from a spacecraft or Earth-based telescope, or human tissue. By analyzing the spectral features of the human eye and its specific chemical bonds, one can map where those bonds occur, and then map diagnostic differentiations and transformations in the human eye.
Because spectroscopy is sensitive to so many processes, the spectra can be very complex and there is still much to learn. However, it is because of this sensitivity that spectroscopy has great potential as a diagnostic tool in Iridology.
Iridological Research Applied with 3D Imaging Spectroscopy.
Using several types of revolutionary image processing systems that are primarily designed for remote sensing research in combination with high resolution 3-D image spectroscopy takes upon a whole new perspective in Iridodiagnostics.
Spectroscopic imaging systems combine file-based and band-based techniques with interactive functions. Once a data input file is opened, each band is stored in a list so that it can be manipulated by all system functions. If you open multiple files at once, you can select bands of disparate data types to be processed as a group and displays these bands in 8 or 24 bit displays. Multiple dynamic overlay capabilities allow easy comparison of images in multiple displays. Real-time extraction and linked spatial/spectral profiling from multiband and hyperspectral data give the user new ways of looking at high-dimensional data with interactive functions that include data transforms, contrast stretching, 2-D – 3D scatter plots, filtering, classification, registration and geometric corrections, spectral analysis tools, and radar tools.
Iris images can be linked to allow simultaneous, identical action on multiple images. Images are typically linked only when they are the same size or when one image is a subset of the other image although one can specify the link pixel regardless of the relation between images.
The digital elevation model transects to develop terrain profiles, generation of slope, and shaded relief images; vmrl and 3-D perspective viewing and image overlay and by extracting elevation profiles.
This feature is significant since we can select a specific pigment or lesion found in the iris for use in clinical time comparison analysis studies. The primary macroscopic characteristics of the iris recorded photographically are color, surface texture and elevation. The idea is to map the above pigment by its color, then to measure its specific spectrum points. For example, we take two sets of iris images 5 years apart and accurately measure the amount of points of a pigment section to see if the pigment has increased or has dispersed. This information would be quite beneficial especially in assisting practitioners with how effective a specific treatment is working.
Specific tools for processing hyperspectral data include special mapping tools for linear spectral un-mixing and matched filtering using either image or library end-members. One can the access many world wide spectral libraries and compare library spectra to image spectra. This is useful in comparing iris pigments with available chemical spectral libraries.
Other techniques that can be used in iridodiagnostic spectrography include a multitude of interactive functions including X, Y, Z profiling - extraction of horizontal (X), vertical (Y), spectral (Z for individual pixels), and arbitrary profiles. (EXAMPLE 1); linear and non-linear histograms and contrast stretching & color tables (EXAMPLE 2.) density slicing and classification color mapping (EXAMPLE 3.); and 3D wire mesh (EXAMPLE 4.).
EXAMPLE 1- XYZ Profiles
EXAMPLE 2 – Color Tables & Contrast Stretching
EXAMPLE 3. – Density Slicing and Classification Color Mapping
EXAMPLE 4 - 3D wire mesh
One can draw Regions of interest (ROIs), which are graphically-selected image subsets. The regions can be irregularly-shaped and are typically used to extract statistics for classification, masking, and other operations. One can select of any combination of polygons, points, or vectors as a region of interest. Multiple regions of interest can be defined and drawn in any of the Main Image, Scroll, or Zoom Windows. Regions of Interest can be "grown" to adjacent pixels that fall within a specified threshold.
