This Bra Is Designed to Detect Breast Cancer

A group of teenagers from Mexico made a bra to help women detect signs of breast cancer earlier.

Although it’s just a prototype for now, the Eva bra works by using biosensors to measure temperature changes in women’s breasts, which can be tracked over time on a smartphone app.

There is a logic to their design: Tumors generally attract more blood flow, causing the temperature of around the cancer to get slightly warmer. Women would need to wear the bra for at least 60-90 minutes per week to accurate readings, BBC reports.

Julian Rios Cantu, an 18-year-old entrepreneur from Mexico, came up with the idea after his mother nearly died of breast cancer five years ago. Together, along with his three friends, they started Higia Tecnologies. The teenagers won the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards last week, earning them $20,00 towards making their prototype a reality.

Blood flow isn’t necessarily the most reliable red flag for cancer, but the general idea that Higia Technologies has applied to its smart bra could work. Skeptics in the medical community say the Eva Bra must undergo thorough testing and studies before a product like it can be recommended to women as a reliable tool for spotting cancer.