A new test can diagnose arthritis in 10 minutes with 94% accuracy.

Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, which become painful, swollen, and warm to the touch. The affected joints lose mobility and may become deformed.

Now, a new study claims that a new method using bodily fluids can diagnose this disease in just ten minutes and with high accuracy.

The results, published in the scientific journal Small , also demonstrated that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis could be diagnosed and distinguished with an accuracy of over 94%. The technology achieved an accuracy of over 95% in determining the severity of rheumatoid arthritis.

According to previous research, more than half of all people over the age of 65 experience symptoms of osteoarthritis , while rheumatoid arthritis is known to be a serious chronic disease that affects approximately one in 100 people throughout their lifetime.

Although osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis may appear similar, scientists say they differ in both their causes and treatments, making accurate differentiation at the early diagnosis stage "of utmost importance."

But until now, diagnosis has relied on X-rays, MRIs, and blood tests, which are not only time-consuming but also expensive and have limited accuracy.

Dr. Ho Sang Jung and his research team at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, have developed technology that enables the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis using synovial fluid, which is found in human joints.

The researchers focused on differences in the composition of metabolites (byproducts of chemical processes occurring within the body) present in the fluid.

By analyzing metabolic differences, they have developed a technology capable of distinguishing between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in 10 minutes, in addition to assessing the severity of rheumatoid arthritis.

The Korean team used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, a phenomenon in which the optical signals of molecules are amplified several million times.

Dr. Jung says, "This technology amplifies the signals from trace molecules present in synovial fluid and, through a combination of AI-based analysis and mathematical algorithms , detects the tiny substances responsible for arthritis."

The researchers also developed a simple and rapid diagnostic method using a sensor composed of a sea urchin-shaped gold nanostructure formed on a paper surface with high moisture absorption, enabling efficient detection through bodily fluids.

In collaboration with St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, the research team conducted tests using the new technology on 120 patients. The researchers say the findings show that the technology not only significantly reduces the time and cost of arthritis diagnosis , but also ensures a high level of diagnostic accuracy.

Jung, a principal investigator at KIMS, added: "If this technology becomes commercialized, it will not only facilitate diagnosis but will also be very useful for monitoring treatment progress."

"We also plan to continue expanding our research to cover a broader range of diseases in the future ," he concludes.