Quantitative Age Estimation Of The Fingerprints Donor Through Atomic Force Microscopy: Nanoscale Analysis Of Morphological Variations

This research studies the extensive application of the atomic force microscope (AFM), which is a non-invasive and non-destructive method of analysis to estimate the age of the latent fingerprint donor. 200 latent fingerprints (consisting of subjects of 5 age groups between 10 and 60 years of both male and female) were analyzed using the non-contact mode under AFM, which enabled the nanoscale reading of the morphometric characteristics of the sample surface upon the interaction of the cantilever tip over the sample surface. The deflection in the laser beam focused on the cantilever tip is captured with the help of a photodiode, which in turn is depicted in the form of a graph. The study analyzed the variation in the deflection range of the samples of varying age groups and further used statistical analyses such as ANOVA, correlation, and a regression model to prove the significance of the study with forensic relevance. The study showed a strong correlation between sex, age groups, and the morphometric characteristics of the ridges, making the age estimation of the fingerprint donor and the sex determination equally possible, ascertaining that the AFM is a novel approach for the latent fingerprint analysis and criminal profiling.