Identification of body fluids using raman spectroscopy

• US 8,467,053 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Lednev, Igur K., Virkler, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Woolwine, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Kaijiang
• Application Number:
  US12/994,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 506/13, 356/301
• US Class Current: 356/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/653 Coherent methods [CARS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of identifying types of body fluids in a sample. This method involves providing a sample potentially containing one or more types of body fluids. The sample is subjected to Raman spectroscopy to produce a Raman spectroscopic signature for the sample. The Raman spectroscopy signature is identified to ascertain the types of body fluids in the sample. A method of establishing a reference Raman spectroscopic signature for specific types of body fluids is also disclosed as is a library of such reference signatures is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of identifying types of body fluids in a sample, said method comprising:

providing a sample potentially containing one or more types of body fluids;

subjecting the sample to Raman spectroscopy to produce a Raman spectroscopic signature for the sample; and

identifying the Raman spectroscopic signature to ascertain the types of body fluids in the sample.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of blood, semen, saliva, vaginal fluid, sweat, canine semen, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample is a solid or liquid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises:

comparing the Raman spectroscopic signature for the sample to reference Raman spectroscopic signatures for different body fluids and

determining the type of body fluids in the sample based on said comparing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying determines the species source of the body fluid in the sample.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying distinguishes a human body fluid from an animal body fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying determines the age range of the source of the body fluid in the sample.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of blood, semen, saliva, vaginal fluid, sweat, canine semen, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for human semen which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 640-643, 714-716, 828-830, 844-846, 954-959, 1002-1004, 1266-1269, 1326-1328, 1447-1450, and 1668-1670 cm⁻

1.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for blood which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 741-747, 962-967, 1001-1002, 1121-1124, 1242-1248, 1335-1338, 1366-1368, 1444-1449, 1572-1576, and 1619-1620 cm⁻

1.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for saliva which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 518-519, 619-620, 640-642, 850-852, 931-934, 1002-1003, 1124-1126, 1262-1268, 1445-1448, and 1651-1654 cm⁻

1.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for vaginal fluid which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 526-530, 849-852, 932-935, 999-1001, 1078-1080, 1122-1124, 1205-1208, 1334-1337, 1443-1448, and 1650-1654 cm⁻

1.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for sweat which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 527-533, 851-853, 998-1000, 1037-1040, 1082-1085, 1157-1161, 1414-1421, 1445-1451, 1592-1599, and 1667-1674 cm⁻

1.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference Raman spectroscopic signature is for canine semen which comprises specific Raman wavenumbers of 419-422, 520-523, 760-762, 839-841, 892-895, 954-957, 1062-1067, 1410-1414, 1465-1468, and 1604-1614 cm⁻

1.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of body fluid in the sample is unknown.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is carried out as a confirmatory test.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is carried out to distinguish one body fluid from another body fluid.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample is from a crime scene.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample comprises an individual body fluid.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample comprises a mixture of body fluids.