A study by the Pomeranian Medical University (PUM) provides an interesting assessment of the impact of fabric composition and colour on the visualisation of biological traces and lubricants using the Foster + Freeman Crime-lite® ML PRO.

The study showed that both fabric composition and colour are crucial for effective blood stain visualisation. Using appropriate wavelengths significantly enhances blood detection, which is vital in forensic science. Fabric composition greatly affects stain visibility, with materials like polyester, cotton, viscose, and blends responding differently to various wavelengths. Fabrics containing polyester and acrylic-cotton blends changed colour under infrared light, impacting stain visibility.
Fabric colour also played a key role, with white fabrics generally offering better stain visibility than dark fabrics, especially under infrared light. Dark fabrics often failed to reveal blood stains due to a lack of contrast. The best results were achieved with white viscose and polyester fabrics, where all stains were visible under proper lighting. On dark fabrics, stains were not visible under infrared light.

Overall, the findings from the PUM study closely mirror the patterns we observed during the development of our own in-house PVL project. Their findings reinforce what our in-house research demonstrated: fabric composition and colour have a decisive impact on visualisation performance, and the right wavelength selection can dramatically elevate detection capability. This alignment not only validates the science behind our approach but also highlights why our solutions consistently deliver clearer, more reliable results in real-world forensic environments

The study used the Crime-lite ML-PRO, a simple and intuitive laboratory imaging solution, designed to provide high-intensity illumination in laboratory applications. Learn more about our range of forensic solutions here, including our laboratory-specific devices.