Emergency Bra

Dr. Elena Bodnar demonstrates her 'Emergency Bra' at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Sept. 28, 2010. Elena Bodnar of Hinsdale, Illinois and colleagues who designed and patented the bra that can be quickly converted into a pair of gas masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander, won the 2009 Ig Nobel Public Health Prize.

A brassiere that can transform into two respiratory face masks in case of an emergency may be the ultimate resort when caught in a disaster.




Simply unsnap the bright red bra, separate the cups, and slip it over your head — one cup for you, and other for your friend.


Researcher Elena Bodnar working at Hinsdale, Illinois, won an Ignoble Award for the invention last year, an annual tribute to scientific research that on the surface seems goofy but is often surprisingly practical.


Now Bodnar has brought the eBra to the public purchase online for just$29.95, reports Fox News.

"The goal of any emergency respiratory device is to achieve tight fixation and full coverage. Luckily, the wonderful design of the bra is already in the shape of a face mask and so with the addition of a few design features, the 'Emergency Bra' enhances the efficiency of minimising contaminated bypass air flow," the eBra website explained.