Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terms

Target

The surface where the blood ends up

Angle of Impact

The angle at which a blood droplet strikes a surface

Cast-off Stains

Blood that has been thrown from a secondary object (weapon) onto a target other than the impact sight

Drop patterns

Characteristic patterns present when blood drips into standing, wet blood

Orgin

The point in space where the blood spatter came from

Parent Drop

The droplet from which the satellite spatter originated

Satellite Spatters

Small droplets of blood that break off from the parent spatter when the parent droplets strikes a surface

Projected Blood

Blood under pressure that strikes a target, ex; arterial gushing or spurts

Spatter

Bloodstains created from the application of force or energy to the states where the blood is

Splash

Pattern created when a volume of blood in excess of 1ml, strikes a surface at a low to medium velocity

Swipe

The transfer of blood into a surface by a bloody object that is usually moving laterally

Transfer Position

The pattern created when a bloody object comes in contact with a target surface, leaving a pattern, that has the features of the object making it useful for identifying the object

Wipe

Pattern created when a secondary target moved through an existing wet bloodstain in some other object