Term | Definition |
Angle of Impact | The acute angle formed between the direction of a blood drop and the plane of the surface it strikes |
Arterial Spurting Pattern | Bloodstain pattern(s) resulting from the blood exiting the body under pressure from a breached artery. |
Back Spatter | Blood directed back towards the source of energy or force that caused the spatter. |
Cast-Off Pattern | A bloodstain pattern created when blood is released or thrown from a blood-bearing object in motion. |
Directionality | The direction the blood was traveling when it impacted the target surface. |
High Velocity Impact Spatter (HVIS) | A bloodstain pattern caused by high velocity impact/force to a blood source such as that produced by a gunshot or high speed machinery. |
Impact Pattern | Bloodstain pattern created when blood receives a blow or force resulting in the random dispersion of smaller drops. |
Low Velocity Impact Spatter (LVIS) | A bloodstain pattern that is caused by a low velocity impact so a blood source such as that caused by a punch. |
Medium Velocity Impact Spatter (MVIS) | A bloodstain pattern that is caused by medium velocity impact to a blood source such as that caused by blunt force trauma with a weapon. |
Parent Drop | A drop of blood from which a wave, cast-off, or satellite spatter originated. |
Passive Drop | Bloodstain drop(s) created or formed by the force of gravity acting alone. |
Point of Convergence | The common point on a two dimensional surface, over which the directionality of several blood drops can be retraced. |
Point of Origin | The common point in a three dimensional space to which the trajectories of several blood drops can be retraced. |
Satellite spatter | Small droplets of blood that are distributed around a drop or pool of blood as a result of the blood impacting the target surface. |
Spine | The pointed or elongated stains which radiate away from the central area of a bloodstain. |
Swipe Pattern | The transfer of blood from a moving source onto an unstained surface. |
Target | A surface upon which blood has been deposited. |
Transfer Pattern | A bloodstain pattern created when a wet bloody surface comes in contact with a second surface. A recognizable image of all or portion of the original surface may be observed in the pattern. |
Void | An absence of stains in an otherwise continuous bloodstain pattern. |
Wipe Pattern | A bloodstain pattern created when an object moves through an existing stain, removing and/or altering its appearance. |