The Spiro Stat Lyme panel utilizes the specificity of DNA by first selectively targeting parts of the genetic code that are specific to unwanted bacteria. These bacteria can be found in body fluids or a tissue sample.

These specific bacterial DNA parts are amplified and then sequencing. This allows Spiro Stat to not only detect the bacteria, but also determine the specific identity of the organisms causing the disease. This PCR and sequencing combination is collectively called Molecular Confirmation.

Molecular confirmation methods are faster, more sensitive, and more specific than culture and serology based methods. Also, molecular techniques can detect and identify unculturable or fastidious organisms. For those organisms that can be cultured, molecular methods give more precise identification of bacterial strains that have very diverse phenotypes. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages molecular confirmation has is that it is not dependent on cell viability. This has been largely beneficial in studying organisms that are anaerobic, where the cellular organism can die upon exposure to air, during sampling, or during transportation. Most spirochetes are facultative anaerobes.