05:50 PM PST on Monday, March 14, 2005

By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

New technology gives Tina Bight a chance to see something a normal x-ray can't. Using thermal imaging, researchers can tell if she has early signs of arthritis in her hands.

The thermal scanner detects temperature differences. Inflamed joints are warmer, the first sign of arthritis.

KING

The thermal scanner detects temperature differences.

"Mostly we rely upon x-rays, which are an indicator of what happens in the bone or around the cartilage, but we know earlier on you have changes in the cartilage and inflammation going onthat are not visible to x-ray," said Dr. Virginia Byers Kraus of Duke University Medical Center.

The thermal scanner is sensitive enough to detect differences of a tenth of a degree in temperature.

"The hope is that if you can identify it earlier, then you'd have a much easier chance of treating it and preventing those late-stage x-ray changes," said Dr. Kraus.

Tina already has arthritis in her knees, so she knows the impact the disease can have. She hopes this new scanner technology will help patients get treatment sooner.

"Anything to do with research that can help people in the future - I'm all for it," she said.

"It's very exciting, and I think the prospect for identifying early and then treating early is going to be very valuable, as new methodologies for treating this disease come along," said Dr. Kraus.

Researchers say thermal scanning for arthritis could become commonplace within five years and could also help evaluate the effectiveness of arthritis treatments.