Fingerprint Development Techniques

Stephen M. Bleay, PhD, Senior Technical Specialist, Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology. Stephen has worked at the Home Office since 2003, his work focusing on processes for the visualisation and imaging of fingermarks. He is one of the principal authors of the Home Office Fingermark Visualisation Manual and has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed articles on fingerprints and related forensic science subjects. Ruth S. Croxton, PhD, Principal Lecturer, University of Lincoln. Ruth has worked at the University of Lincoln since 2002 and is programme leader for the BSc (Hons) Forensic Science degree. Her main research areas are latent fingermark composition and the development of new methods to study them, contributing to a number of peer-reviewed articles in this area. Marcel de Puit, PhD, Senior Scientist, Netherlands Forensic Institute and Associate Professor, Delft University of Technology. Marcel started as a forensic scientist at the NFI in 2007. His main interest is the analysis of fingerprints with the purpose of providing information in other forensic disciplines. He has published over 20 scientific articles on fingerprints and related matter.

• Series Preface xiAcknowledgements xiii1 Introduction 1Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de PuitReferences 102 Formation of fingermarks 11Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de Puit2.1 Introduction 112.2 Initial contact 122.3 Interaction outcomes 132.4 The finger 172.5 The surface 242.6 Removal of the finger from the surface 302.7 Summary of the initial contact 32References 333 Composition and properties of fingermarks 35Ruth S. Croxton, Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de Puit3.1 Chemical composition of fingermarks 353.2 Biological properties of fingermarks 553.3 Physical properties of fingermarks 57References 624 Ageing of fingermarks 69Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de Puit4.1 The ‘triangle of interaction’ 694.2 The fingermark 704.3 The surface 704.4 The environment 784.5 Interactions 814.6 Time 94References 965 Initial examination and the selection of fingermark enhancement processes 99Stephen M. Bleay5.1 Introduction 995.2 Processing options 1005.3 Process selection 1035.4 The processing environment 105References 1096 Optical detection and enhancement techniques 111Stephen M. Bleay6.1 Introduction 1116.2 Current operational use 1166.3 Visual examination 1176.4 Fluorescence examination 1256.5 Ultraviolet reflection 1386.6 Infrared reflection 1416.7 Colour filtration and monochromatic illumination 1446.8 Multispectral imaging 149References 151Further reading 1537 Vapour phase techniques 155Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de Puit7.1 Introduction 1557.2 Current operational use 1567.3 Superglue/cyanoacrylate fuming 1587.4 Vacuum metal deposition 1727.5 Iodine fuming 1817.6 Radioactive sulphur dioxide 1857.7 Other fuming techniques 189References 193Further reading 1968 Solid phase selective deposition techniques 199Stephen M. Bleay8.1 Introduction 1998.2 Current operational use 2008.3 Powders 2018.4 ESDA 2138.5 Nanoparticle powders 216References 2199 Amino acid reagents 221Stephen M. Bleay9.1 Introduction 2219.2 Current operational use 2239.3 Ninhydrin 2249.4 1,8‐Diazafluoren‐9‐one 2319.5 1,2‐Indandione 2379.6 Ninhydrin analogues 2429.7 Fluorescamine 2469.8 o‐Phthalaldehyde 2509.9 Genipin 2529.10 Lawsone 2569.11 Alloxan 2599.12 4‐Chloro‐7‐nitrobenzofuran chloride 2609.13 Dansyl chloride 2629.14 Dimethylaminocinnemaldehyde and dimethylaminobenzaldehyde 263References 268Further reading 27210 Reagents for other eccrine constituents 275Stephen M. Bleay10.1 Introduction 27510.2 Current operational use 27610.3 4‐Dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde 27710.4 Silver nitrate 279References 281Further reading 28211 Lipid reagents 283Stephen M. Bleay11.1 Introduction 28311.2 Current operational use 28511.3 Solvent Black 3 (Sudan Black) 28611.4 Basic Violet 3 (Gentian Violet, Crystal Violet) 29011.5 Oil Red O (Solvent Red 27) 29511.6 Iodine solution 29711.7 Ruthenium tetroxide 29911.8 Osmium tetroxide 30111.9 Europium chelate 30211.10 Natural Yellow 3 (curcumin) 30511.11 Nile Red and Nile Blue A 30811.12 Basic Violet 2 31111.13 Rubeanic acid–copper acetate 31311.14 Phosphomolybdic acid 315References 317Further reading 32012 Liquid phase selective deposition techniques 321Stephen M. Bleay12.1 Introduction 32112.2 Current operational use 32312.3 Small particle reagent 32612.4 Powder suspensions 33012.5 Physical developer 33612.6 Multi‐metal deposition 345References 352Further reading 35513 Enhancement processes for marks in blood 357Stephen M. Bleay13.1 Introduction 35713.2 Current operational use 36113.3 Protein stains 36313.4 Peroxidase reagents 369References 380Further reading 38114 Electrical and electrochemical processes 383Stephen M. Bleay14.1 Introduction 38314.2 Current operational use 38514.3 Etching 38614.4 Corrosion visualisation 38814.5 Electrodeposition 392References 397Further reading 39915 Miscellaneous processes: lifting and specialist imaging 401Stephen M. Bleay15.1 Introduction 40115.2 Current operational use 40315.3 Lifting 40415.4 Scanning electron microscopy 40715.5 X‐ray fluorescence (and X‐ray imaging) 41015.6 Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) 41315.7 Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS) 41415.8 Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) 415References 417Further reading 41916 Evaluation and comparison of fingermark enhancement processes 421Stephen M. Bleay16.1 Introduction 42116.2 Technology Readiness Level 3: Proof of concept 42316.3 Technology Readiness Level 4: Process optimisation 42516.4 Technology Readiness Level 5: Laboratory trials 42716.5 Technology Readiness Level 6: Pseudo‐operational trials 43716.6 Technology Readiness Level 7: Operational trials 43916.7 Technology Readiness Level 8: Standard operating procedures 43916.8 Technology Readiness Level 9: Ongoing monitoring 440References 44017 Sequential processing and impact on other forensic evidence 443Stephen M. Bleay and Marcel de Puit17.1 Sequential processing of fingermarks 44317.2 Test methodologies for developing processing sequences 44917.3 Integrated sequential forensic processing 453References 46618 Interpreting the results of fingermark enhancement 469Stephen M. Bleay18.1 Introduction 46918.2 Location of the mark 47118.3 Type of substrate 47318.4 Constituents of the mark 47818.5 Enhancement process 48018.6 The environment 48218.7 Image processing 48318.8 Image capture 484References 487Index 489