ISU scientists are investigating new equipment and techniques that might help the state crime lab develop an improved fingerprinting process.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is working with scientists from Iowa State’s Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) to make DCI’s crime lab more efficient, said Carl Bessman, criminologist with the Iowa Crime Laboratory.

“Basically, [Iowa State has] the time and space to invest in research problems,” Bessman said.

Since the summer of 1999, IPRT scientists have been developing different methods of analyzing forensic evidence.

Currently, they are working on improving the fingerprint development chamber to provide greater control in detecting and receiving fingerprints from crime-scene evidence.

“They are doing research on developing fingerprints using a vacuum instead of heat to vaporize the glue,” Bessman said.

He said the heat process is done by adding glue to the evidence, vaporizing it with heat and allowing the vapors to condense on the surface to form a white deposit which can decompose the glue. Then fluorescent dye is then applied to make the fingerprints more visible and ready to be photographed.

The new fingerprinting process, which Bessman said should be finished by late September, will use a vacuum to draw air out of the chamber, causing the glue to vaporize without being heated.

Experts believe this will speed up the process, but one of the IPRT scientists working on the project admitted more work needs to be done.

“The modifications involved will add to the capability to control the humidity within the glove box and add a heater for the glue that can be controlled from the outside of the box,” said Bob Lipert, associate scientist with the ISU Mircoanalytical Instrumentation Center.

The new modifications are all attempts to make the state crime lab more efficient, Lipert said.

“They do not have a way of controlling the heat or humidity of the glue. The modifications we are making will allow for some feedback for temperatures,” he said.

The glove box, the device in which the evidence is placed, will have a window to view the fingerprints and gloves to hold and manipulate the evidence, Lipert said.

“Right now, they are working blind. They have to hope that they didn’t over do it,” he said. “There is the possibility of applying too much glue, which would destroy the evidence.”