An application of information about ocular detail and ophthalmic appliances in forensic discipline greatly depends on the correct choice of methods, their rational combination, and knowledge of forensic identification basics. It should be remembered that specific details of an identified object are of particular importance in a forensic discipline. This work reviews strengths and weaknesses of an article on the practical application of information about ocular detail and ophthalmic appliances and aims to provide fact checking.
Bertolli, Berg, and Pannone (2012) wrote an article named Ocular detail and ophthalmic appliances as a potential aid in forensic identification. The key idea is that ocular features and ophthalmic appliances play a great role in the identification of individuals and their residences. Such things can be easily detected by eye care professionals. The authors provide an example of a recent case when a police agency was seeking for a girl. Her specific eye features and information about spectacle frame were things that could help to find her. The problem is that some eye features cannot be easily identified by non-professionals, for example, cataract surgery or refractive surgery. An optometrist or ophthalmologist can consider the eye features from records, photographs, or the general public can easily identify them. The authors clearly follow the main thesis, provide examples to all ideas, and prove that ocular detail and ophthalmic appliances are of great importance, that is a strength of this research.
There is a great demand for new methods in forensic science. Joint efforts of scientists resulted in information on the direct relation between an ophthalmic device prescription and antemortem records. In short, any representative of official authorities who knows about eyeglass strength can measure the frequency of its prescription. Ophthalmic corrections can be effectively applied in the judicial system because glasses allow identifying a missing person. For example, in 2007 the police identified the Mr. Lankford could know a missing person. He refused this knowledge, but the police found specific glasses in his truck that were sent for analysis. According to ANSI standards, they were in full compliance with antemortem prescription data for Ms. Watanabe. This idea proves that all evidence contains information, and the experts can consider glasses and identify their owners.
The research of Tsujinaka et.al. (2003) reveals that ophthalmological observations may be useful for personal identification. The authors provide examples of three cases, in which ophthalmological observations of the eyeballs were provided. People’s eyeballs were removed and examined macroscopically and microscopically. The results allowed to identify the hospital where a patient had received the surgery, found a rise in intracranial pressure, and tiny hemorrhages and congestion (Tsujinaka et.al., 2003).
The next study stresses that forensic analysts can determine the strength of individuation of a spectacle match to antemortem records by calculating the frequency at which the observed prescription occurs in different populations. The database contains optical refractive errors, potential states, and combinations of refractive errors, and lens corrections are discussed. It is an identification tool that can be used if there is a connection to eyeglasses (Berg & Collins, 2007).
References
Berg, G., & Collins, R. (2007). Personal identification based on prescription eyewear. J
Forensic Sci., 52(2), 406-11.
Bertolli, R., & Berg, G., & Pannone, R. (2012). Ocular detail and ophthalmic appliances as
potential aid in forensic identification. The Forensic Examiner, Vol. 22 Issue 1, 24-34,
Retrieved from http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/archive2/
Caddy, B. (2001). Forensic Examination of Glass and Paint: Analysis and Interpretation.
Taylor and Francis. 2001.
Tsujinaka, M. et.al. (2003) Usefulness of postmortem ocular findings in forensic autopsy. Leg
Med (Tokyo), 1, 288-91.
