GoEvidence Forensic Laboratories is the only independent forensic laboratory in North America offering this service.

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Posted:  Oct 01, 2016

We have multiple chambers including one of the largest chambers ever designed and developed for forensic use.

Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD) was first discovered as a potential process for latent print development in 1964. Serious research into the process began in 1968. Since then, extensive published research and equipment development has been done in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and Australia demonstrating that VMD is a highly sensitive and effective method of latent print development.

VMD has been proven to process latent pints on porous and non-porous items. VMD has advantages over other methods of latent print development, especially items that have been exposed to harsh and adverse environmental conditions.

VMD is the physical process of coating evidence with very a thin metal film under high vacuum. Gold, Zinc, Silver, Tin, Aluminum, and some alloys are used to coat the substrate. The result is a reversed developed latent print.

Since the process coats the substrate and not the latent print, it does not interfere with the collection of samples being submitted for DNA analysis. VMD can be uses to develop grab marks on fabric to aid in the collection of DNA.

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