Comparison of laser and mercury-arc lamp for the detection of body fluids on different substrates.

The performance of two detection techniques for body fluids, the Spectra-Physics(R) Revealtrade mark portable forensic laser system and the mercury-arc lamp Lumatec Superlite 400, was evaluated with various biological stains on different substrates. Serial dilutions of neat, 1/10, 1/100 and 1/1,000 using fluid semen, saliva, urine and blood were applied on glazed tiles, glass, PVC, wood, metal, stone, formica, carpet and cotton. Apart from the fact that blood traces were not detectable with the laser, both light sources showed comparable results regarding their detection capability. Clear advantages of the Lumatec Superlite 400, however, are its lower size, weight, purchase costs and the possibility to operate this light source by battery.