Morphology of drying blood pools

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Biophysics

Background:

• Blood pools at crime scenes are crucial evidence.
• Limited understanding of blood pool drying dynamics hinders forensic analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the drying process of blood pools.
• To identify information relevant to forensic applications.
• To establish the reproducibility of blood pool drying.

Main Methods:

• Visual recording of blood pool drying using a camera.
• Mass measurement during the drying process.
• Normalization of mass and drying time for analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified five distinct drying stages: coagulation, gelation, rim desiccation, center desiccation, and final desiccation.
• Demonstrated reproducible mass diminution of blood pools under varied conditions.
• Confirmed a direct relationship between blood pool size, volume, and surface wettability.

Conclusions:

• Blood pool drying is a reproducible phenomenon.
• Understanding drying dynamics is vital for forensic timeline reconstruction.
• Internal and external factors significantly influence blood pool drying dynamics.