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01-03-2014 | Original Article

Spectrometric evaluation of post-mortem optical skin changes

Authors: Vera Sterzik, Lioudmila Belenkaia, Andreas W. Liehr, Michael Bohnert

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 2/2014

Abstract

As to their optical properties, the components of human skin can be divided into two different categories: the light-scattering components shown as peaks and those absorbing light appearing as dips in the reflectance spectrum. As the post-mortem interval progresses, the concentration of scatterers and absorbers and thus the reflectance spectra change due to post-mortem tissue breakdown and degradation. Based on a total number of 532 reflectance spectrometric measurements in 195 deceased, a characteristic change in the reflectance spectra could be documented in the post-mortem course. Subsequently, an algorithm to calculate the post-mortem interval was developed by analysing the reflectance spectrometric extrema.

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Title: Spectrometric evaluation of post-mortem optical skin changes
Authors: Vera Sterzik
Lioudmila Belenkaia
Andreas W. Liehr
Michael Bohnert
Publication date: 01-03-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 2/2014
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-013-0855-2

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Spectrometric evaluation of post-mortem optical skin changes

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