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A new and improved prototype biohazard suit specifically tailored for viral outbreaks such as Ebola has been designed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering Laboratory for Innovation and Design, Sputnik reports, citing AFP.

Researchers have developed a new suit in order to reduce the risk of infection for health workers fighting the dealy Ebola epidemic.

It was discussed during a weekend hackathon in October and it has now received funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), lifting hopes that it could be in production and out in the field within a few months.

The suit is made of Tyvek, a DuPont synthetic fabric already widely used for industrial coveralls, heavy-duty mailing envelopes and weather-resistant "house wrap" for buildings under construction.

"I don't want to say this is a profound revolution in PPE (personal protective equipment) suits," professor Youseph Yazdi, director of the university's Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design, told AFP. "But you don't want rocket science. You want simple improvements that can actually save lives, have an impact on health and safety… but get to the field quick," he said while demonstrating the bright yellow prototype mounted on a mannequin.