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Forensic Light Sources /

Crime scenes often contain a range of valuable evidence, including biological fluids, fingermarks, hairs, fibres and firearm evidence. Many of these evidence types are invisible to the naked eye. Forensic Light Sources (FLS) are essential to forensic professionals to help detect evidence, illuminate the crime scene and perform comprehensive examinations.

We offer a range of Forensic Light Sources and high power lasers to help visualise and detect different types of evidence, from body fluids and bone/teeth fragments to accelerants and narcotics.

The primary application of a FLS is for enhancing the detection of latent fingermarks. Although finger mark residues are inherently fluorescent when illuminated with UV radiation, the introduction of fluorescent chemical/powder processes greatly increased the types of surfaces from which latent fingermarks could be detected.

When exposed to incoming light of a specific wavelength (from a FLS), energy is absorbed by certain molecules present in treated fingermarks. Some of this absorbed energy is subsequently emitted as light of a different (longer) wavelength. Illuminating a surface with light in the UV, blue, green or yellow region of the spectrum can excite this “fluorescence”, which typically results in the emission of light in the yellow, orange, red or infra-red (IR) regions.

Fluorescence examination of crime scenes and recovered exhibits will detect more fingermarks (and other types of forensic evidence) than visual examination alone.

A large portion of the incoming light from a FLS is not absorbed by the treated fingermarks but is scattered or reflected from the surface being examined. Therefore, it is necessary to use filters that transmit only the emitted fluorescence from the treated fingermarks and block all other sources of light.

Biological fluids like semen, saliva and urine are naturally fluorescent. The use of a FLS offers crime scene personnel a unique method for locating these stains at the crime scene, without having to recover large items such as mattresses and carpets, and even allows the examination of fixed items.

FoxFury lights have been created to deliver an exceptional lighting experience. The premium lights are built to be portable, durable and used anytime, anywhere, including under water.

Using an ordinary UV light will reveal biological fluids, but many articles on which you would find them (e.g. clothing and bed sheets) will also glow, hindering evidence detection and imaging. Having a set of FLS with a range of wavelengths available can help eliminate this background interference, revealing the biological stain and leading scene investigators to articles that may need further examination.

The evidence types given here are only a few of the items found in a day-to-day environment that will fluoresce. Numerous other materials and compounds can be detected using FLS.

The FoxFury forensic light range is specifically designed for use by forensic and emergency service professionals, suitable for the most demanding scene conditions. The use of high-intensity LEDs provide more than adequate illumination to allow for the prompt search, detection and examination of forensic evidence.