Atomizing apparatus for development of latent fingerprints

This research focuses on using an atomizing apparatus to develop latent fingerprints. The atomizing apparatus for the development of latent fingerprints is an innovative device. This device improves conventional apparatus by providing safer and more efficient practices than those most adopted conventional ones including powder development method, Ninhydrin method, and smoke fuming method. Taking the smoke fuming method as an example, the conventional procedure is to heat up cyanoacrylate to react with fingerprint residues in order to visualize latent fingerprints. Conventional methods utilizing heat can be dangerous to technicians while our atomizing apparatus does not use heat but high frequency vibration, increasing workplace safety. The atomizing apparatus comprises a container which has an opening and a housing space communicating with the opening, a trace evidence developing solution held in the housing space to develop latent fingerprints and an atomizer located in the opening. The atomizer includes a piezoelectric vibration element in contact with the trace evidence developing solution. The piezoelectric vibration element can shake the trace evidence developing solution via high frequency vibration to form a plurality of small liquid particles to be discharged outside the container. The small liquid particles of the trace evidence developing solution pass through the opening and spray directly on the latent fingerprints to generate an oxidized reduction reaction therewith produce colored substance to reveal the latent fingerprints in a visible fashion. In short, the advantages of operating this innovative atomizing apparatus, which use high frequency vibration instead of dangerous heats, include: 1) no size limitation of the intended test objects, 2) low energy consumption and 3) the facts that the apparatus which can work more efficiently is easy to carry around and biological trace evidences can be revealed in a visible fashion.