Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority: Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

OSAC	Research	Needs Assessment Form

Title	of	research	need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date	Approved:

(If	SAC	review	identifies	additional	subcommittees,	add	them	to	the	box	above.)

Background	information:

1.	 Description	of	research	need:

2.	 Key	bibliographic	references	relating	to	this	research	need:

3a.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	current	laboratory	capabilities?

SEE	ALSO	ATTACHED	ADDENDUM	for	additional	details.

Currently,	there	is	a	limited	understanding	of	how	intrinsic	properties	of	liquid	blood,	

environmental	factors	and	fluid	dynamic	properties	relate	to	the	size,	shape,	distribution	and	

appearance	of	bloodstains	and	bloodstain	patterns.	This	understanding	is fundamental	to	BPA.

Research	is	needed	to study	bloodstains	in	relation	to:

		1.	Intrinsic	properties	of	blood	(e.g.	hematocrit	levels,	lipid	levels, species, clotting,	etc.)

		2.	Environmental	factors	(e.g.	target	surface	characteristics,	atmospheric	conditions,	etc.)

		3.	Fluid	dynamic	processes (e.g.	drop	formation,	travel	of	drops	through	the	air,	deposition,	etc.)

Based	upon	an	improved	understanding	of	the	intrinsic	properties	of	blood,	research	is	needed	to	

develop	blood	substitutes	for	use	in	research,	training	and	case	experimentation	with the	same	

properties	as	fresh,	whole	human	blood	for	the	conditions	of	various	pattern-forming	mechanisms.

- Adam,	CD.	Fundamental	studies	of	bloodstain	formation	and	characteristics,	Forensic	Science	

International	2012;219(1-3):76-87.

- Attinger	D,	et	al.	Fluid	dynamics	topics	in	bloodstain	pattern	analysis:	Comparative	review	and	

research	opportunities.	Forensic	Science	International 2013;231(1–3):375-96.

- Kabaliuk	N,	et al.	Experimental	validation	of	a	numerical	model	for	predicting	the	trajectory	of	

blood	drops	in	typical	crime	scene	conditions,	including	droplet	deformation	and	breakup,	with	a	

study	of	the	effect	of	indoor	air	currents	and	wind	on	typical spatter	drop	trajectories.	Forensic	

Science	International	2014;18:107-20.

This	research	would	enable	an	analyst	to	better	relate	the	appearance	of	bloodstains	and	the	

corresponding	mechanism.	This	research	leads	to	objective	measurable	characteristics	which	are	

required	for	pattern	classification.

Behavior	of	Blood Outside	the	Body

Bloodstain	pattern	analysis	(BPA),	bloodstain,	physics,	fluid	dynamics

Bloodstain	Pattern	Analysis 01/29/16
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority: Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

3b.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	for	the	

subcommittee(s)?

3c.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	services	to	the	criminal	justice	system?

4.		Status assessment	(I,	II,	III,	or	IV):		

This	research	need	has	been	identified	by	one	or	more	subcommittees	of	OSAC	and	is	being	provided	as	an	

informational	resource	to	the	community.

Major gap	

in	current	

knowledge

Minor gap	

in	current	

knowledge

No	or	limited

current	research	

is	being	

conducted

I III

Existing current	

research	is	being	

conducted

II IV

This	research	is	at	the	core	of	BPA	and	contributes	to	the	fundamental	understanding	of	blood	

behavior	outside	the	body. The	scope	of	this	research	establishes	its	scientific	basis by	determining

how	bloodstains	are	affected	by:

1. intrinsic	properties	of	liquid	blood,	

2. environmental	factors	and	

3. fluid	dynamic	properties	

Once	established,	this	knowledge	will	provide	the	framework	for	improved	methodologies	and	

interpretations.

Research	would	provide	a	basis	for	a	more	complete	and	reliable	determination	of	patternproducing	mechanisms,	resulting	in	a	better	reconstruction	of	events.	Ultimately,	BPA	would	be

more	reliably	presented	to	the	criminal	justice	system.

I
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority: Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

// Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by majority	vote	of	subcommittee.		Once	approved,	forward	to	SAC.)

1.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	research	need?				Yes					

2.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	status assessment?				Yes								⃝	⃝

If	no,	what	is	the	status assessment	of	the	SAC:

Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	SAC.		Once	approved,	forward	to	NIST	for	posting.)

January	29,	2016

SAC

Subcommittee

17-Mar-2016