Fingerprints Give New Evidence

A technology to remove fingerprints from a crime stage could uncover if a crook think has taken drug or been in meeting with explosives.

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University have created a way to takeover fingerprints that can pick out substances touched, and secretions from a person's body.

This could supply new data about a suspect's activities and habits.

Scientists hope the technology will be existing to military inside of 3 years.

A fingermark contains not usually a pattern of ridges, but moreover element from the skin aspect and human gland secretions. Current military methods can usually indicate the shallow pattern to compare with database records.

This has paltry value, according to lead writer Dr Simona Francese: "Someone with a washed crook record won't be found, and the print can frequently be distorted."

The new way takes multi-part images of a print from many not similar surfaces, using a technology called Mass Spectrometry Imaging to create a minute containing alkali signature.

"We use a special powder that can redeem prints from glass, wood, steel and leather. When you mist a well-off on the powder, it dissolves in to crystals containing containing alkali substances. These can uncover contaminants such as drugs, explosives or war paint on the skin," Dr Francese told BBC News.

In a example, scientists were able to declare if a fingerprint theme had rubbed a condom. They believe that this could help supply indication in cases involving passionate crime.

The routine moreover detects drug that a think has ingested - as Dr Francese detected when she drank a crater of coffee before contrast herself.

"I found a caffeine signature on my own prints, that increased as my body take in the drink."

Researchers believe that this could be used to discover unlawful drug taken by a subject.

Fingerprint technology has been overshadowed in new years, as gene contrast has valid a more correct means of crook profiling. Yet Dr Francese believes fingerprinting has the future to create richer information.

"We could supply not just an image, but a story about the crook - who they are. You'll be able to say a lot more about a think than you could."

The UK Home Office has invested 80,000 in serve research, and Dr Francese is confident that the network will shortly be existing to police.

"It takes time to confederate every new technology, but my theory is it'll take two to 3 years for this to happen."