Spectroscopic fingerprint method developed

London -- British scientists have developed a spectroscopic fingerprinting technology that's designed to improve the collection and analysis of crime scene evidence.

Sergei Kazarian and colleagues at Imperial College London said current fingerprint collection methods can alter the prints and erase forensic clues, including traces of chemicals.

In the new study, researchers developed a special gelatin tape to collect fingerprints from several different surfaces. They exposed the imprinted gels to a highly sensitive spectroscopic instrument that uses infrared light and an array detector to obtain images of the collected fingerprints.

The scientists said those images can reveal valuable chemical information, such as whether the person was a smoker or vegetarian, as well has providing clues about what substances the person had recently handled.

In addition, the new method keeps the original fingerprints intact and available for further analysis.

The research is scheduled for publication in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.