Bloodstain pattern analysis

Accompanying drop

Small drop of blood produced as a by-product of drop formation

Altered stain

Bloodstain with characteristics that indicate a physical change has occurred

Angle of impact

The acute angle, relative to the plane of a target, at which a blood drop strikes the target.

Area of convergence

Intersections drawn by the lines through the long axes of the individual stains that indicates in to dimensions the location of the blood surface

Area of origin

Three dimensional location from which spatter originated

Backspatter pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops that traveled in the opposite direction of the external force applied. Associated with an entrance wound created by a projectile

Blood clot

Gelatinous mass formed by a complex mechanism involving red blood cells, fibrinogen, platelets, and other clotting factors

Bloodstain

Deposit of blood onto a surface

Bloodstain pattern

Grouping or distribution of bloodstains that indicates through form the manner in which the pattern was deposited

Bubble ring

Outline within a bloodstain resulting from air in the blood

Cast off pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops released from an object due to its motion

Cessation cast off pattern

Pattern resulting from blood drops released from an object due to its rapid deceleration

Directionality

Characteristics of a bloodstain that indicates the direction blood was moving at the time of deposition

Directional angle

The angle between the long axis of a spatter stain and I defined reference line on the target

Drip pattern

Pattern resulting forms. Liquid that dripped into another liquid, at least one of which was blood

Drip stain

Bloodstain resulting from a falling drop that formed due to gravity

Drip trail

Pattern resulting from the movement of a source of drip stains between two points

Edge characteristic

Physical feature of the periphery of a bloodstain

Expiration pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from blood forced by airflow out of the nose, mouth, or a wound

Flow pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting for the movement of a volume of blood on a surface due to gravity or movement of the target

Forward spatter pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops that traveled in the same direction as the impact force

Impact pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from an object striking liquid blood

Insect stain

Bloodstain resulting from insect activity

Mist pattern

Bloodstains pattern resulting from blood reduced to a spray of micro-drops as a result of force applied

Parent stain

Bloodstain from which a satellite stain originated

Perimeter stain

Altered stain that consists of the peripheral characteristics of the original stain

Pool

Bloodstain resulting from an accumulation of liquid blood in a surface

Projected pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from the ejection of a volume of blood under pressure

Satellite stain

Smaller bloodstain that originated during the formation of the parent stain as a result of blood impacting a surface

Saturation stain

Bloodstain resulting from the accumulation of liquid blood in an absorbent material

Serum stain

Stain resulting from the liquid portion of blood that separates durning coagulation

Spatter stain

Bloodstain resulting from a blood drop dispersed through the air due to an external force applied to a source of liquid blood

Splash pattern

Bloodstain pattern resulting from a volume of liquid blood that falls or spills onto a surface

Swipe pattern

Bloodstain pattern result form the transfer of blood from a blood-bearing surface to another surface

Target

Surface onto which the blood has been deposited

Transfer stain

Bloodstain resulting from contact between a blood-bearing surface and another surface

Void

A sense of blood in an otherwise continuous bloodstain or bloodstain pattern

Wipe pattern

altered bloodstain pattern resulting from an object moving through an existing wet bloodstain