title: High contrast two-photon imaging of fingermarks.
abstract: Optically-acquired fingermarks are widely used as evidence across law enforcement agencies as well as in the courts of law. A common technique for visualizing latent fingermarks on nonporous surfaces consists of cyanoacrylate fuming of the fingerprint material, followed by impregnation with a fluorescent dye, which under ultra violet (UV) illumination makes the fingermarks visible and thus accessible for digital recording. However, there exist critical circumstances, when the image quality is compromised due to high background scattering, high auto-fluorescence of the substrate material, or other detrimental photo-physical and photo-chemical effects such as light-induced damage to the sample. Here we present a novel near-infrared (NIR), two-photon induced fluorescence imaging modality, which significantly enhances the quality of the fingermark images, especially when obtained from highly reflective and/or scattering surfaces, while at the same time reducing photo-damage to sensitive forensic samples.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Montana State University, Bozeman MT. 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Caleb R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Stoltzfus
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Montana State University, Bozeman MT. 59717, USA.|National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia, 12618.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rebane
mesh_terms: D003487:Cyanoacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D007259:Infrared Rays; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D017785:Photons; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013499:Surface Properties; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D003487:Cyanoacrylates; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes