A computerized neural network method for pattern recognition of cocaine signatures

This article describes a practical procedure for rapidly searching a large database of cocaine signatures to identify database entries that closely resemble a given reference cocaine exhibit using a personal computer (PC). The procedure takes advantage of the pattern recognition capability of the multilayer perceptron neural network to identify similar cocaine signatures. A PC-based software implementation is now being used on a daily basis at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) to aid forensic experts in identifying signatures that originate from the same batch. Intelligence reports generated from database searches have been useful to undercover agents in the field who are striving to build drug related conspiracy cases. This software was developed as a collaborative effort between the NCSBI and the Center for Systems and Engineering of the Research Triangle Institute.