Laser Applications in Criminalistics

Lasers find application in numerous areas of criminalistics, such as fiber analysis, document examination and serology. Their widest use, however, is in detection of latent fingerprints. Several routine procedures for obtaining laser-excited fingerprint fluorescence on a range of surfaces have been developed. However, many surfaces fluoresce so strongly themselves that they are not amenable to these procedures. Time-resolved luminescence imaging is being investigated to permit detection of fingerprints on such surfaces.