DETECTION OF LATENT PRINTS BY RAMAN IMAGING

• US 20100021023A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Connatser, Raynella Magdalene, Lewis, Samuel Arthur SR., Lewis, Linda Anne
• Granted Patent: US 7,869,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for detecting a print on a surface, the method comprising: (a) contacting the print with a Raman surface-enhancing agent to produce a Raman-enhanced print; and (b) detecting the Raman-enhanced print using a Raman spectroscopic method. The invention is particularly directed to the imaging of latent fingerprints.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a print on a surface, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the print with a Raman surface-enhancing agent to produce a Raman-enhanced print; and

(b) detecting the Raman-enhanced print using a Raman spectroscopic method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the Raman-enhanced print comprises correlating one or more Raman spectral signals emanating from the Raman-enhanced print with one or more chemical components of the print.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the Raman-enhanced print comprises imaging the print.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein imaging of the print results from correlating one or more Raman spectral signals emanating from the Raman-enhanced print with one or more chemical components of the print and determining the distribution of said Raman spectral signals over the surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent is contacted with the print by applying the surface-enhancing agent directly onto the print.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent is contacted with the print by transferring components of the print to a surface containing the Raman surface-enhancing agent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises a zerovalent noble metal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises zerovalent gold, silver, or copper nanoparticles.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises a transition metal oxide.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises nanorods of zerovalent noble metals or transition metal oxides.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises silver-containing nanorods.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises identifying one or more chemical components of the print by correlating one or more Raman spectral signals emanating from the Raman-enhanced print with said one or more chemical components.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more chemical components being identified is a drug, explosive, or firearm residue.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the print comprises a latent fingerprint.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a fingerprint pattern is elucidated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fingerprint pattern is elucidated by correlating one or more Raman spectral signals emanating from the Raman-enhanced print with one or more natural components found in finger excretions and determining the distribution of said Raman spectral signals over the surface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more natural components comprise amino acids.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more natural components comprise one or more carboxylic acids.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more carboxylic acids comprise lactic acid.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying one or more chemical compounds in the fingerprint.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more chemical compounds being identified is a drug, explosive, or firearm residue.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the latent fingerprint is a decomposed latent fingerprint.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a pattern of the decomposed latent fingerprint is elucidated by correlating one or more Raman spectral signals emanating from the Raman-enhanced print with one or more decomposition products found in decomposed latent fingerprints and determining the distribution of said Raman spectral signals over the surface.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the latent fingerprint is eccrine in nature.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the latent fingerprint is sebaceous in nature.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the latent fingerprint resides on a surface selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic, wood, paper, polymer, and skin.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein the latent fingerprint resides on a skin surface.

28. The method of claim 14, wherein the latent fingerprint resides on a steel surface.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein the latent fingerprint resides on a porous surface.

30. The method of claim 14, wherein the latent fingerprint resides on a rough surface.

31. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent is contacted with the latent fingerprint by applying the surface-enhancing agent directly onto the latent fingerprint.

32. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent is contacted with the latent fingerprint by transferring the latent fingerprint to a surface containing the Raman surface-enhancing agent.

33. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises a zerovalent noble metal.

34. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises zerovalent gold, silver, or copper nanoparticles.

35. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises a transition metal oxide.

36. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises nanorods of zerovalent noble metals or transition metal oxides.

37. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises zerovalent noble metal-containing nanorods.

38. The method of claim 14, wherein the Raman surface-enhancing agent comprises silver-containing nanorods.