Why ArminLabs?
Not all testing is created equal. Here's why the laboratory processing your results matters more than any marketing claim — and why we chose the most rigorously accredited tick-borne specialty lab in the world.
Your lab results are only as good as
the lab behind them.
If you've been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told "everything looks normal" — the problem may not be your symptoms. It may be the test. Jivora Health partners with ArminLabs, the most rigorously accredited tick-borne specialty laboratory in the world.
Months of answers that weren't really answers.
Tick-borne illness is among the most under-diagnosed and misunderstood conditions in modern medicine. Not because the disease is rare — but because the standard tests used to find it are profoundly inadequate.
The CDC two-tier test detects antibodies to a single Borrelia strain. It ignores co-infections. It doesn't test for persistent bacterial forms. And it's evaluated against a reference standard that was designed decades before the full complexity of tick-borne illness was understood.
The test failing you isn't a mystery. The lab standards behind it are.
- 🩺"Your tests came back negative."Standard tests only check for one Borrelia strain. If you were infected by B. afzelii, B. garinii, or B. miyamotoi — they wouldn't find it.
- 🔄"We treated it, but you're still sick."Borrelia can shift into pleomorphic "round body" forms that evade antibiotics and most standard assays. Most labs don't test for them. ArminLabs does.
- 🧩"It's probably something else."Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma — all transmitted by ticks, all capable of causing persistent symptoms, all missed by tests that only look for Borrelia.
- 📋"Your labs look fine to me."A result is only as meaningful as the lab that produced it. Without CAP accreditation, there's no guarantee the test was independently validated, compared across labs, or free from methodology that can't be externally verified.
"Why would I send my blood
to a lab in Germany?"
That's exactly the right question. And the answer is the same reason you'd buy a German car, trust German engineering, or drink a Guinness that takes 119 seconds to pour. The inconvenience is the proof of quality.
The clinician who chose ArminLabs — and sits on the board that sets the Lyme standard.
Dr. Tichauer didn't partner with Jivora Health because ArminLabs was convenient. He chose it because after two decades treating the most complex tick-borne cases in the Pacific Northwest, he knows what a defensible, clinically meaningful result looks like — and what it doesn't.
As a sitting board member of ILADS — the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, the global authority on tick-borne illness standards — Dr. Tichauer's endorsement of ArminLabs carries weight that no marketing claim can replicate.
Free Office Hours with Dr. Cory →Live group sessions where Dr. Cory walks through quiz results, explains immune response data, and helps customers understand their next steps.
Reserve Your Spot →ArminLabs vs. IGeneX vs. Vibrant.
The facts, not the marketing.
Verifiable, publicly documented accreditation status. The columns below determine whether your results can be independently confirmed, legally defended, and clinically trusted.
| What to Ask Any Tick-Borne Lab | ArminLabs | IGeneX | Vibrant Wellness |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAP (College of American Pathologists) Accredited | ✓ YesCAP #8458129 — plus three additional international accreditations | ⚠ CLIA certifiedCAP accreditation not confirmed on IGeneX's own accreditation page — CLIA is the stated credential | ✓ YesCAP-accredited; U.S. domestic only — no international equivalent |
| CLIA Certified (U.S. Federal Standard) | ✓ YesCLIA #99D2279264 — the floor, not the ceiling | ✓ YesCLIA certified for high-complexity testing | ✓ YesCLIA certified in California |
| ISO 15189 International Accreditation (DAkkS / UKAS) | ✓ YesDAkkS D-ML-20488-01 + UKAS Certificate of Equivalence (ILAC recognized globally) | ✗ NoNo international accreditation | ✗ NoNo international accreditation |
| Uses only commercially validated tests — no Lab-Developed Tests (LDTs) | ✓ Yes100% IVD-registered, commercially validated assays | ✗ NoUses proprietary LDTs — not independently verifiable | ✗ NoUses proprietary LDTs — not independently verifiable |
| Specific antigens / peptides disclosed per species tested | ✓ YesEvery antigen named and documented — full methodology transparency | ✗ NoMethodology proprietary and not publicly disclosed | ✗ NoMethodology proprietary and not publicly disclosed |
| Species-level results with disclosed diagnostic markers | ✓ YesNamed species, known antigens, documented validation data | ✗ NoReports "Bartonella — unknown species" without disclosing which antigen triggered the result | ✗ NoGenus-level positives only — no disclosed species differentiation methodology |
| Annual independent proficiency testing for all panels | ✓ YesCAP-mandated inter-laboratory comparisons for every single test offered | ⚠ UnconfirmedNot verifiable — depends on CAP status; CLIA alone does not require same-level proficiency testing | ✓ YesCAP-mandated; U.S. only — not subjected to international inter-laboratory comparison |
| Results independently replicable by a third-party lab | ✓ YesIVD-registered assays can be run by any qualified laboratory and validated | ✗ NoLDTs are by definition not independently replicable | ✗ NoLDTs are by definition not independently replicable |
| RFID real-time per-sample tracking during transit | ✓ YesUPS Premier + individual RFID chip, temperature-monitored throughout | ✗ NoStandard commercial shipping | ✗ NoStandard commercial shipping |
| Results accepted by ILADS-affiliated Lyme-literate practitioners | ✓ YesWidely used and referenced by ILADS practitioners globally | ⚠ VariesAccepted by some Lyme-literate clinicians; LDT status limits defensibility | ⚠ VariesAccepted by some; LDT status and methodology gaps limit clinical confidence |
Both IGeneX and Vibrant Wellness disclose on their own test reports and websites that their tick-borne tests "have not been cleared or approved by the FDA" — they are proprietary, lab-developed tests with in-house interpretive criteria. When a lab reports "Bartonella — unknown species" without telling you which peptides, proteins, or antigens triggered that result, there is no external way to evaluate whether it reflects a true immune response, cross-reactivity, or a false positive. ArminLabs uses only IVD-registered, commercially validated assays — validated internally, by test manufacturers, and by four independent accreditation bodies including two international ones. Every result can be traced, repeated, and independently verified by any qualified third-party lab.
TickPlex Plus: The broadest tick-borne panel
available at home.
Measuring what your immune system
is doing right now — not just what it remembers.
EliSpot and iSpot assays measure T-cell activity — a fundamentally different signal than antibody presence. Rather than asking "were you ever exposed?" they ask "what is your immune system actively doing about this right now?"
IFN-γ (Interferon-gamma) signals acute or active infection — your immune system is fighting. IL-2 signals immune memory and convalescence. The ratio between them gives clinicians a picture that no standard antibody test can replicate — critical in chronic tick-borne disease where serology frequently misses persistent infections.
Standard Lyme tests target spiral-form Borrelia — the textbook presentation. But Borrelia is not a textbook organism. Under antibiotic pressure or immune stress, it can adopt pleomorphic "round body" persister forms that evade standard assays, resist antibiotics, and continue to drive symptoms silently.
TickPlex is the first commercially available ELISA to include specific antigens for these round-body forms — giving clinicians a diagnostic tool that reflects the actual biology of persistent infection, not an idealized version of it.
Performance compared to conventional immunofluorescence test (IFT) methods previously used as the clinical benchmark in similar multiplex assay validation studies.
What these four letters
actually mean for your results.
The global leader in laboratory quality improvement — and the highest bar in the industry. CAP mandates inter-laboratory proficiency comparisons for every test offered, independent annual assessment of all processes, and exclusive use of IVD-registered test methods. CAP predates and surpasses CLIA requirements. Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins are CAP-accredited. So is ArminLabs.
The U.S. federal minimum for diagnostic laboratories. Required — but not sufficient. CLIA does not mandate CAP-level inter-laboratory proficiency testing, does not require commercially validated (non-LDT) tests, and does not require the same level of methodology transparency. Many labs stop at CLIA. ArminLabs holds CLIA as the floor, not the ceiling.
Germany's national accreditation authority — and the certifying body for the international gold standard in medical laboratory quality: DIN EN ISO 15189:2024. DAkkS certification covers clinical chemistry, immunology, microbiology, and virology across ArminLabs' full test menu. This is the accreditation that the world's most precise medical systems are built on.
The UK national accreditation body and an ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement signatory. Because DAkkS is also an ILAC signatory, ArminLabs holds a UKAS Certificate of Equivalence — results are recognized across the UK, EU, and all ILAC member nations. A global passport for your lab results.
Both controls are mandatory for CAP accreditation — used on every EliSpot and iSpot assay to exclude cross-reactivity and prevent false positives or false negatives from ever reaching a report.
Every sample carries its own RFID chip, tracked in real time through UPS Premier — position, temperature, and chain of custody continuously monitored from your door to the Augsburg lab.
All laboratory processes are independently assessed each year. Inter-laboratory comparisons run for every test offered — CAP-mandated and non-negotiable. ArminLabs also participates in international inter-laboratory comparisons beyond the U.S. domestic CAP program — a standard no U.S.-based tick-borne lab matches.
Still on the fence?
We expected that.
From your living room to
a CAP-certified result in ~10 days.
Take the Symptom Quiz
Maps your pattern to Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia profiles — helping you and your clinician know exactly what to test and what to discuss.
Order Your Kit
Telehealth physician reviews and authorizes your lab order. No office visit. Kit ships directly to you with prepaid return packaging.
Collect at Home
FDA-cleared Tasso+ device. Upper arm. ~1 mL of blood. 5 minutes. No needles, no clinic, no stress. Drop in the prepaid mailer and you're done.
Receive Your Results
Quantitative immune response values — not just positive/negative — in your secure portal in ~7–10 days. Shareable with any provider, anywhere.
Built for everyone who won't
settle for "inconclusive."
- CAP-accredited results defensible in clinical notes and referral letters
- Quantitative immune response values — not binary flags
- Customers can test before your appointment — arrive with data in hand
- ILADS-aligned methodology endorsed by Dr. Cory Tichauer, ND
- No time wasted initiating testing during precious appointment time
- No referral or physician order needed to get started
- At-home Tasso+ collection — FDA-cleared, painless, ~1 mL
- Ideal for mobility-limited, homebound, or remotely located individuals
- Results shareable with any provider, anywhere in the world
- Arrive at specialist appointments already armed with meaningful data
- Share access to the most rigorous tick-borne testing available in the US
- Built for the Lyme disease and chronic illness community
- Help others understand what accreditation actually means for their results
- Commission structure for qualified referrals
- Access to Dr. Cory's educational Office Hours sessions
The standard of care you deserve
has been available. Now it's accessible.
Choose your path. Every option connects you to the same world-class accreditation — and the same commitment to results that actually tell you something.
Laboratory testing is intended to support clinical evaluation and should be reviewed with a qualified healthcare provider. Diagnosis of tick-borne disease remains primarily clinical. ArminLabs: CAP #8458129 · CLIA #99D2279264 · DAkkS D-ML-20488-01. Results are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The comparison information above is based on publicly available accreditation records at time of publication. Privacy Policy · Health Disclaimer · © Jivora Health 2026
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