The forensic interest on human bloodstains derives from their relation to crime investigation, whereas an archaeological and ethnographic concern arises from their occurrence because of warfare and ritual. The development of digital reflected light microscopes provided an opportunity to use ligh microscopy to study surface topographies in a more accurate way than previously. However, this enhancement has been focused on increasing magnification rather than resolution. An advanced type of light microscope is the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Its potential as an alternative to scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) for imaging human bloodstains was tested. A fragment of stone (brown chert) was smeared with human peripheral blood, air-dried, and stored indoors. After nearly two years, the sample was examined and imaged using an Olympus LEXT OLS4000 CLSM. The surface detail of CLSM images appeared to be comparatively lower than that of SEM micrographs of coated bloodstains taken at high-vacuum mode and high accelerating voltage, similar to that of SEM micrographs of uncoated bloodstains taken at low-vacuum mode and high accelerating voltage, and similar to or even higher than that of SEM micrographs of uncoated bloodstains taken at high-vacuum mode and low accelerating voltage. These results suggest that a CLSM is a practical alternative to SEMs for imaging human bloodstains when a very-high level of surface detail is not required.

对人类血迹的法医学关注源于其与犯罪调查的关系，而考古学和人种学方面的关注则源于战争和仪式的发生。数字反射光显微镜的发展为使用轻型显微镜研究表面形貌提供了一个比以前更加准确的机会。但是，此增强功能已集中在增加放大率而不是分辨率上。共聚焦激光扫描显微镜（CLSM）是一种先进的光学显微镜。测试了其作为扫描电子显微镜（SEM）替代品对人类血迹成像的潜力。将一块石头（棕色石）涂上人的外周血，风干并保存在室内。近两年后，使用Olympus LEXT OLS4000 CLSM对样品进行检查并成像。CLSM图像的表面细节似乎比在高真空模式和高加速电压下拍摄的涂层血迹的SEM显微照片要低，类似于在低真空模式和高加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片，类似于或什至高于在高真空模式和低加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片。这些结果表明，当不需要非常高水平的表面细节时，CLSM是SEM的实用替代品，可对人的血迹进行成像。与在低真空模式和高加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片相似，并且与在高真空模式和低加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片相似甚至更高。这些结果表明，当不需要非常高水平的表面细节时，CLSM是SEM的实用替代品，可对人的血迹进行成像。与在低真空模式和高加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片相似，并且与在高真空模式和低加速电压下拍摄的未涂层血迹的SEM显微照片相似甚至更高。这些结果表明，当不需要非常高水平的表面细节时，CLSM是SEM的实用替代品，可对人的血迹进行成像。