Development of forensic blood substitute: Focusing on luminol reaction functionality

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is crucial for crime scene reconstruction.
• Luminol is widely used for latent blood detection via chemiluminescence.
• Current artificial blood substitutes offer either luminol reactivity or pattern reproduction, not both.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and verify a novel forensic blood substitute with dual functionality.
• To assess its luminol reaction and bloodstain pattern reproduction capabilities.
• To evaluate its morphological characteristics and stability compared to commercial alternatives.

Main Methods:

• Verified luminol reaction of the new blood substitute.
• Assessed bloodstain pattern reproduction and morphological features.
• Analyzed coordinate characteristics of impact spatter patterns.
• Conducted visual inspection of luminol fluorescence.

Main Results:

• The developed blood substitute showed comparable luminol fluorescence to commercial synthetic blood.
• It demonstrated the smallest standard deviation, indicating superior homogeneity and stability.
• Morphological analysis confirmed its close mimicry of human blood, especially in z-axis coordinates.

Conclusions:

• The new forensic blood substitute effectively combines luminol detection and bloodstain pattern reproduction.
• Its stability, homogeneity, and morphological accuracy make it a versatile tool for forensic applications.
• This innovation enhances both latent blood identification and crime scene reconstruction.