Dr. Elena Bodnar, whose inspiration comes in part from having witnessed as a young physician the devastating effects of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986, has created an Emergency Bra which is also a gas mask. Once removed, it separates into two masks which, when placed over the nose and mouth, filter out particles.

Dr. Elena Bodnar 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. Bodnar emergency bra is now available for purchase online for just $29.95.

Bodnar explained when accepting the award:

Ladies and gentlemen, isn't that wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one? We can save not only our own life, but also the life of a man of our choice next to us.

Bodnar is also working on a "counterpart device for men" though the precise shape it will take has yet to be revealed.

[via Cnet]