Ballpoint pen as diagnostic tool

Dating of ballpoint pen ink.

In this paper we describe a case in which a cash book, dated of the year 2000, was sent to the Forensic Science Division, Document Laboratory, Zurich Canton Police in March 2003. The questioned document was a list of 29 pages containing a consecutive handwritten numbering and dated entries (payments) made of blue ballpoint pen ink. By definition, a cash book has to be written by hand and the en...

Self-inflicted orbitocranial injury with a plastic ballpoint pen.

Characterization of ballpoint pen inks by thermal and desorption and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The characterization of ink on paper is of importance for dating and comparing questioned ink entries in forensic document examination. Inks are commonly characterized by their colorant profile that is identified by well-established analytical methods. Numerous ink formulations show identical colorant profiles, though. In order to differentiate inks that are not distinguishable by colorant anal...

A Narrative as Diagnostic Tool

Penetrating brain injury caused by retained plastic tip of ballpoint pen.

Radiological evaluation was performed using a 64MDCT scanner without any sedation. Multiplanar reformation images clearly revealed a residual foreign body – possibly the tip of the ballpoint pen – in the frontal lobe ( fig. 1 ). Therefore, surgical removal of the foreign body was planned. Bifrontal craniotomy was performed. The orbital roof was found to be fractured, and bone fragments were lod...