Latent fingerprint detectors and fingerprint scanners therefrom

1. A method of detecting surface contaminants, comprising:

illuminating a sample surface with a first light source to produce specular reflection from the sample surface;

capturing the specular reflection from the sample surface with an optical detector arranged at a critical alignment angle relative to the first light source;

generating image data with the optical detector using the specular reflection to generate image data of the sample surface;

discriminating against diffuse reflection by said first light source and said optical detector having substantially equal and opposite numerical apertures with geometric filtering; and

analyzing said generated image data of the sample surface with a processor to determine if said generated image data includes an image of a surface contaminant.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising illuminating the sample surface with a second light source such that the sample surface produces diffuse reflection.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface contaminant comprises at least one of a fracture in the sample surface and a physical defect in the sample surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein illuminating the sample surface with the first light source further comprises illuminating the sample surface with a broadband light source.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein illuminating the sample surface with the first light source further comprises illuminating the sample surface with a collimated beam of light produced by the first light source.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising scanning the optical detector across a plurality of regions of interest on the sample surface with at least one scanner mechanically coupled to the optical detector.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein capturing the specular reflection from the sample surface with an optical detector further comprises directing and focusing incoming light onto a detector portion of an optical arrangement within the optical detector having a numerical aperture of the optical arrangement of zero to capture the specular reflection.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising producing image data of the surface contaminant responsive to a determination that the analyzed image data includes the surface contaminant.

9. A method for detecting a surface contaminant, comprising:

illuminating a sample surface to produce specular reflection with a light source alignment portion that aligns a light source at an illumination angle relative to the sample surface;

directing the specular reflection with a specular reflection discriminator to an optical detector aligned relative to the sample surface at an alignment angle that is substantially equal to an angle of reflection of the specular reflection such that the directed specular reflection does not saturate the optical detector, the optical detector and the light source have substantially equal and opposite numerical apertures to create geometric filtering to discriminate against diffuse reflection;

capturing the specular reflection from the sample surface with the optical detector; and

generating image data using essentially only the specular reflection to generate image data of the sample surface.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising analyzing the generated image data with a processor to determine if the generated image data includes a surface contaminant.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising producing image data of the surface contaminant responsive to a determination that the analyzed image data includes the surface contaminant.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising scanning the optical detector across a plurality of regions of interest on the sample surface with at least one scanner mechanically coupled to the optical detector.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein scanning the optical detector further comprises maintaining a critical alignment angle during scanning with the scanner.