Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37570657›Full record

ArticleMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2023

Expanding the Efficacy of Fingermark Enhancement Using ToF-SIMS.

Deborah Charlton, Catia Costa, Steven J Hinder, John F Watts, Melanie J Bailey

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Interpol review of fingermark composition and visualization 2022-2025.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Deborah CharltonDepartment of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3489-9926
Catia CostaSurrey Ion Beam Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5792-3891
Steven J HinderSchool of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7505-5562
John F WattsSchool of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2109-0335
Melanie J BaileyDepartment of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9050-7910

Funding

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory XEPSRC Fellowship EP/R031118/1Marion Redfearn X
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) has been shown to enhance fingermark recovery compared to standard processes used by police forces, but there is no data to show how generally applicable the improvement is. Additionally, ToF-SIMS can be run in either positive or negative ion mode (or both), and there is no data on which mode of operation is most effective at revealing fingerprints. This study aims to fill these gaps by using ToF-SIMS to image fingerprints deposited on two common exhibit-type surfaces (polyethylene and stainless steel) using 10 donors and ageing fingerprints in either ambient, rainwater, or underground for 1 and 5 months. In all, 120 fingerprints were imaged using ToF-SIMS, and each was run in positive and negative modes. A fingerprint expert compared the fingerprint ridge detail produced by the standard process to the ToF-SIMS images. In over 50% of the samples, ToF-SIMS was shown to improve fingerprint ridge detail visualised by the respective standard process for all surfaces tested. In over 90% of the samples, the ridge detail produced by ToF-SIMS was equivalent to standard development across all different ageing and exposure conditions. The data shows that there is a benefit to running the ToF-SIMS in both positive and negative modes, even if no ridge detail was seen in one mode.

Indexed as

fingermarkfingerprintsecondary ion mass spectrometrySIMS

Identifiers

PMID37570657
PMCPMC10419545

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.