The DARPA award is for Bioident and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to jointly develop a lab-on-a-chip portable diagnostic system. Officials say the Printed Diagnostic Arrays project is designed to "demonstrate the capabilities of biosensors with integrated printed optoelectronics," the release said.

The portable multi-parameter technology is an effort to replace current optical readout equipment, which is expensive and bulky, with a cost-effective biosensor system that could be utilized by the Navy in portable handheld applications.

"Our printed optoelectronic technology makes it possible for the first time to integrate the functionality of expensive lasers and CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras directly into the lab-on-a-chip system, and so to develop truly mobile, easy-to-use test equipment for the point of use," Max Sonnleitner, Bioident Technologies chief technical officer, said in a statement.

"We are proud to work together with the Navy Research Laboratory and to set the standard in this significant and expanding market with our revolutionary technology."