To detect diabetes earlier and save patients from suffering major health complications and paying for expensive treatment, researchers at the University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands are working to develop a prototype of a portable device that could detect both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Sonia García Blanco, a scientist at UT, is leading the project, which has received $250,000 in funding from the STW Technology Foundation, according to a statement from the university. Blanco’s team plans to create an affordable and portable device that will test a small portion of blood for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The device will be designed using biomarker chip technology, which indicates the presence of specific diseases, physiological processes or other biological states. Ideally, the device will enable any general physician to diagnose someone with the condition.

The major challenge in creating the device is making sensors sensitive enough to detect biomarkers in a small quantity of blood and ensuring it’s small and portable, said Blanco, who specializes in developing integrated optical components.

Five Dutch companies, including BioVolt, PhoeniX B.V., VTEC, Technobis and MEDLON, are involved in the making of the device, representing the entire production chain. Together, they are contributing more than $107,000 in cash and services.