Researchers have developed an innovative product that uses fluorescence to detect fingerprints. This new product, Lumicyano, will make it possible to highlight fingerprints directly, more rapidly, and at a lower cost, avoiding the cumbersome processes required until now.

An innovative product that uses fluorescence to detect fingerprints has been developed by a team from the Laboratoire de Photophysique et Photochimie Supramoléculaire et Macromoléculaire (CNRS/ENS Cachan) in collaboration with the specialised French firm Crime Scene Technology.

This new product, Lumicyano, will make it possible to highlight fingerprints directly, more rapidly, and at a lower cost, avoiding the cumbersome processes required until now. The product has been successfully put through its paces by the French Police and Gendarmerie as well as by Scotland Yard and the FBI. It has led to a publication in Forensic Science International and a patent has been filed.

ACNRS release reports that scientific police can find it difficult, however, to make use of such fingerprints when they are too light or their contrast is too low. When someone places their finger on an object, they leave behind a trace composed of water, salts, fats, amino acids and, potentially, DNA. To reveal this latent trace, the most widely employed technique is fuming of a cyanoacrylate compound, better known as “Super Glue.” This reacts with the elements present in the fingerprint and polymerises, leaving a white deposit that technicians can then photograph and analyse. This technique, however, can at times entail certain difficulties. For example, when the fingerprint support is of light colour, the contrast with the fingerprint is too low to be photographed. Similarly, if the fingerprint is very light, the deposit will be too tenuous to obtain an exploitable image.

The release notes that Lumicyano offers excellent detection performance. In addition, it reduces costs and treatment times. Another advantage is that it does not destroy the DNA that can sometimes be extracted from fingerprints. Its operational efficiency has been successfully tested and validated, not just by the French Police and Gendarmerie but also by several other police forces throughout the world such as Scotland Yard and the FBI.