Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA)
Definition
The scientific discipline that examines the size, shape, distribution, and location of bloodstains to reconstruct the events that produced them, addressing questions of force, direction, and sequence.
Related terms
- IABPA
- The International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, founded 1983, which sets training standards and accreditation criteria for BPA specialists.
- Passive drip
- A stain formed when blood falls from a source under gravity alone. The resulting drop is roughly circular; its diameter correlates with...
- Presumptive test
- A fast, low-cost, class-specific screen used to triage a caseload before instrumental work begins. Examples are Marquis reagent for opioids and amphetamines,...
- Projected pattern
- A pattern produced when blood is expelled under pressure or force exceeding gravity, as in arterial spurting, impact spatter, or cast-off from...
- Transfer stain
- A stain deposited when a wet, blood-bearing object contacts a surface and leaves an impression. Shoe soles, hands, fabric, and tools can...
Explained in
- Introduction to Bloodstain Pattern RecognitionThe scientific discipline that examines the size, shape, distribution, and location of bloodstains to reconstruct the events that produced them, addressing que...