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Blood identification and discrimination between human and nonhuman blood using portable Raman spectroscopy

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Abstract

Raman spectroscopy is commonly used in chemistry to identify molecular structure. This technique is a nondestructive analysis and needs no sample preparation. Recently, Raman spectroscopy has been shown to be effective as a multipurpose analytical method for forensic applications. In the present study, blood identification and discrimination between human and nonhuman blood were performed by a portable Raman spectrometer, which can be used at a crime scene. To identify the blood and to discriminate between human and nonhuman blood, Raman spectra of bloodstains from 11 species (human, rat, mouse, cow, horse, sheep, pig, rabbit, cat, dog, and chicken) were taken using a portable Raman spectrometer. Raman peaks for blood (742, 1001, 1123, 1247, 1341, 1368, 1446, 1576, and 1619 cm−1) could be observed by the portable Raman spectrometer in all 11 species, and the human bloodstain could be distinguished from the nonhuman ones by using a principal component analysis. This analysis can be performed on a bloodstain sample of at least 3 months old. The portable Raman spectrometer can be used at a crime scene, and this analysis is useful for forensic examination.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Project of Shimane University (establishment of a cross-disciplinary hub center to develop unique medical technologies) and in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 26713025 to J.F. The authors acknowledge the cooperation of Ms. Natsumi Taga for the technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan

    J. Fujihara, K. Kimura-Kataoka & H. Takeshita

  2. Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504, Japan

    Y. Fujita

  3. Faculty of Life and Environmental Science/Graduate School, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504, Japan

    T. Yamamoto

  4. Project for Advanced Technology Innovation, Shimane Institute for Industrial Technology, 1 Hokuryo, Matsue, Shimane 690-0816, Japan

    N. Nishimoto

  5. Kurata Clinic, 232-20 Higashi-asahi, Matsue, Shimane 690-0001, Japan

    S. Kurata

  6. Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan

    Y. Takinami

  7. Division of Medical Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuokashimoaizuki, eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui 910-1193, Japan

    T. Yasuda

Authors
  1. J. Fujihara
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  2. Y. Fujita
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  3. T. Yamamoto
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  4. N. Nishimoto
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  5. K. Kimura-Kataoka
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  6. S. Kurata
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  7. Y. Takinami
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  8. T. Yasuda
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  9. H. Takeshita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Fujihara.

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Fujihara, J., Fujita, Y., Yamamoto, T. et al. Blood identification and discrimination between human and nonhuman blood using portable Raman spectroscopy. Int J Legal Med 131, 319–322 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1396-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1396-2

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