TY - JOUR
T1 - The age estimation of blood stains up to 30 days old using visible wavelength hyperspectral image analysis and linear discriminant analysis
AU - Li, Bo
AU - Beveridge, Peter
AU - O'Hare, William T.
AU - Islam, Meez
PY - 2013/9/1
Y1 - 2013/9/1
N2 - A novel application of visible wavelength hyperspectral image analysis has been applied to determine the age of blood stains up to 30 days old. Reflectance spectra from selected locations within the hyperspectral image, obtained from a portable instrument, were subjected to spectral pre-processing. This was followed by the application of a linear discriminant classification model, making estimations possible with an average error of ±0.27days for the first 7days and an overall average error of ±1.17days up to 30days. This is also the first reported study of the determination of the age of fresh blood stains (less than one day old) with an error of ±0.09h. The studies have been made under controlled conditions and represent, at this stage, proof of concept results but also are the most accurate age estimation results for measurements between 0 and 30days reported to date. The results are consistent with well-established kinetic processes suggesting that the pre-processing stages described are revealing spectroscopic changes which are reliably following the time dependent oxidation of HbO2. The potential for parameterisation of environmental factors to make the method generally applicable at crime scenes is discussed, along with the developments required to further improve classification and to make the instrument genuinely portable.
AB - A novel application of visible wavelength hyperspectral image analysis has been applied to determine the age of blood stains up to 30 days old. Reflectance spectra from selected locations within the hyperspectral image, obtained from a portable instrument, were subjected to spectral pre-processing. This was followed by the application of a linear discriminant classification model, making estimations possible with an average error of ±0.27days for the first 7days and an overall average error of ±1.17days up to 30days. This is also the first reported study of the determination of the age of fresh blood stains (less than one day old) with an error of ±0.09h. The studies have been made under controlled conditions and represent, at this stage, proof of concept results but also are the most accurate age estimation results for measurements between 0 and 30days reported to date. The results are consistent with well-established kinetic processes suggesting that the pre-processing stages described are revealing spectroscopic changes which are reliably following the time dependent oxidation of HbO2. The potential for parameterisation of environmental factors to make the method generally applicable at crime scenes is discussed, along with the developments required to further improve classification and to make the instrument genuinely portable.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881554418&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scijus.2013.04.004
DO - 10.1016/j.scijus.2013.04.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 23937934
AN - SCOPUS:84881554418
VL - 53
SP - 270
EP - 277
JO - Science and Justice - Journal of the Forensic Science Society
JF - Science and Justice - Journal of the Forensic Science Society
SN - 1355-0306
IS - 3
ER -