Serving Justice with Forensic Comparison Investigation Microscope
Not a lot of people know that the most powerful tool a crime scene investigator has is a forensic comparison investigation microscope. These microscopes are the very ones that help police and the whole law enforcement agency to determine suspects and pinpoint with considerable accuracy the perpetrator of the crime.
Without much of a description, forensic comparison investigation microscopes can be considered as complex microscopes. These are the types of microscopes commonly seen inside crime evidence laboratories. There are a lot of specimens that this device can be used with. And all of them are related to the testing of evidences found in a particular crime scene.
Forensic comparison investigation microscopes are low power stereomicroscopes. Most of the time, they are also equipped with a digital camera, which in turn, can be connected to a computer system. This allows investigators to produce some hard copy of the evidence that they have uncovered for presentation to the court during trial. The images can be printed or can be stored in a digital format for image viewing purposes.
Here are the most common uses of forensic comparison investigation microscopes:
1. Ballistic The most common use of forensic comparison investigation microscope is to perform ballistics test on a certain firearm recovered on the scene of a crime. With these microscopes, it is possible to determine which firearms actually fired a certain bullet. Therefore, the whole investigation can determine the person who actually used the gun that killed the victim. When a bullet is fired, certain striations are created in both the bullet and on the firearm. These striations are unique from one firearm to another. Investigators can then start mixing and matching firearms with bullets with the use of forensic comparison investigation microscopes.
2. Fingerprint Comparison Aside from ballistics, another common use of forensic comparison investigation microscope is to inspect fingerprints. Everybody knows that one person’s fingerprint is different from another. And in most of the celebrated crime and sleuth movies of all times, there is always a scene where the suspect had mistakenly left a mark or two allowing police to conceal their identity. The movie adaptation of these instances is based on real facts. Investigators always look for fingerprints in every crime scene they go to. And more often than not, they were able to find them, especially if the perpetrator is merely an amateur.
3. Hair Strand Inspection Nowadays, fingerprints are not the only ones that allow investigators to determine who did the crime. If the criminal had unknowingly left a single hair strand, it becomes easy for the police to slowly apply the principle of elimination. With the recovery of a hair strand, it is easy to find out if the criminal is a blonde, a red head, or has black hair. And if the police have caught a suspect already, all they have to do is to check the hair strand that is recovered in the scene with a sample of the hair of the suspect. Forensic comparison investigation microscopes have the ability to show the image of two different samples at the same time. Comparing two entirely different elements, like a bullet and a firearm, with the use of this microscope is very possible.
5. Software 4. Fabric or Fiber Analysis The principles behind fabric or fiber analysis are the same as the ones that hair strand inspection follows. Just like hair strands, it is possible that the criminal’s shirt or pants had caught in a nail or the victim’s grasp in the crime scene. Small evidences like there are placed under the forensic comparison investigation microscope so that detectives will have a fair idea as to who the suspect was. The color and the type of fabric the suspect wore can be used as an indication of what type of person he is, what work he does, and probably, if other people had such seen such a person wearing that color of a shirt inside the premises.
5. Documentation of Evidences Evidences are nothing if they cannot be properly documented for further reference. And this job becomes easier with forensic comparison investigation microscopes as well. These microscopes are not merely used to investigate crimes. It also has the ability to store evidences through a digital image on a computer, a database, or a secured server. This is the same reason why investigators can easily involve and rule out suspects. Those are the five major applications of forensic comparison investigation microscopes. With all of these, it is very safe to say that these microscopes play a big role in promoting justice in the society.

