Foerster (Ballenger) Sponge Forceps – Serrated Looped Jaws

A looped jaw holds around an opening rather than between two surfaces. A sponge or swab pushed into the loop bulges through it and is gripped by the rim from all sides — which holds far more securely than pinching the same sponge flat, and lets go cleanly when the jaws open. The same geometry is what makes the pattern usable on tissue: the cervix is held within the loop rather than compressed against a flat jaw.

Serrated or smooth decides how firmly. Serrations bite into a sponge and into tougher tissue; smooth loops hold by rim contact alone, which is the gentler option where the structure must not be marked. Straight or curved then sets the approach — a curve follows the vaginal axis to the cervix, while straight suits sponge handling on the field. Four combinations from one pattern, chosen for the procedure rather than adapted to it.

Specifications