Identification of mass disaster victims: the Swiss identification system.

A new, simple, and reliable forensic identification system has been described. It permits the rapid and positive identification of victims of catastrophies such as airplane accidents, battles, floods, and fires. An electronic microprocessing unit directs a mechanical engraver to encode up to 13 alphanumeric characters on a small gold disk 0.25 mm thick and 2.0 mm in diameter. The identification chip is sealed in a 0.8-mm deep cavity prepared with a specially designed diamond burr in the lingual enamel of a molar tooth. The sealant is a stained composite material shown experimentally to be leakage proof, fire resistant, and readily detectable in teeth exposed to high temperatures. At the identification center the gold disk can easily be recovered and the victim positively identified without recourse to time-consuming comparison of dental records. Minimal training is required for the forensic personnel.