Rampley Sponge Forceps 21cm

Overview

The Rampley Sponge Forceps (21cm) is precision-machined from surgical-grade stainless steel with carefully aligned tips for a secure, predictable grip. Whether grasping tissue, holding swabs or achieving haemostasis, the instrument delivers consistent spring tension and tactile control.

The 21cm Rampley extends the classic Australian sponge-holding pattern into theatre and larger-field territory. The additional working length over the 18cm version keeps the operator's hand further from the prep site — valuable when painting wide antiseptic fields before surgery — while retaining the familiar Rampley loading action that lets any team member fit and lock a gauze swab in seconds. It is the size most theatre coordinators specify for general prep trays, balancing reach against easy handling for staff of every hand size.

Built from surgical-grade stainless steel by an ISO 13485-certified manufacturer and TGA-registered for Australian supply, the instrument combines fenestrated gauze-gripping jaws with a graduated ring-handle ratchet. Locked at the chosen position, the swab cannot rotate or drop, which makes the Rampley equally trusted for prepping, wound swabbing and transferring sterile items around the trolley without breaking technique. Because the action is identical across sizes, staff can move between the 18cm and 21cm instruments with no adjustment at all.

Also known as: Rampley sponge-holding forceps 21cm, Sponge holder 21cm, Rampley swab holding forceps, Theatre sponge forceps.

Care & sterilisation

Clean promptly after use, paying attention to serrations and box joints. Sterilise in an open position and inspect tip alignment regularly to maintain performance.

Clinical applications

Operating theatres · Hospitals · Day surgery units · Emergency departments · GP minor surgery rooms · Veterinary surgeries

Common procedures

The 21cm Rampley is used for pre-operative antiseptic skin preparation over medium and large fields, intra-procedure swabbing, and handling or transferring sterile gauze and supplies. It is a standard inclusion on theatre prep trays and general surgical sets across Australia.

Recommended users

Theatre nurses · Scrub and scout staff · Surgeons · Anaesthetic room staff · General practitioners performing minor surgery · Veterinarians

Buying guide

Choose the 21cm Rampley when your prepping is theatre-based or covers larger areas — the longer shanks improve clearance and control at reach. The 18cm sibling (RSF-SS18) remains the better fit for dressing trolleys and compact outpatient trays. If your facility uses the Foerster style with serrated oval jaws, the 20cm and 25cm Foersters cover the equivalent short and long roles. At under a dollar's difference between Rampley sizes, select purely on working length, and consider one of each per tray for flexibility.

Care & maintenance

• Cleaning: Open fully before decontamination and pay attention to the fenestrations, ratchet teeth and box joint; automated washer-disinfector processing is suitable with the instrument racked open.
• Sterilisation: Autoclave unlocked and open following your validated steam cycle; allow full drying, as trapped moisture at the box joint is the usual starting point for staining.
• Maintenance: Function-test the ratchet through all positions after each reprocessing round and lubricate the joint with instrument milk. Check the rings and shanks for bends after any drop — a sprung shank ruins jaw closure.
• Storage: Keep in a dry instrument rack or wrapped set, unlocked, with the jaws supported; avoid stacking heavy instruments on top of the shanks.

• Surgical-grade stainless steel with corrosion-resistant finish
• Precisely aligned serrated or toothed tips
• Consistent spring tension for fatigue-free handling
• Fully autoclavable for repeated sterilisation
• Trusted patterns used across general practice, nursing and theatre settings
• 21cm length suits theatre prep and wider antiseptic fields
• Fenestrated jaws lock gauze so it cannot rotate or drop mid-prep
• Graduated ratchet gives repeatable, hands-free swab pressure
• TGA-registered pattern from an ISO 13485-certified manufacturer
• Doubles as a sterile-field transfer forceps on the trolley
• Consistent Rampley action across our 18cm and 21cm sizes

• Extra reach over 18cm — hands stay well clear of the prepped zone
• Locked ratchet grip — consistent pressure across the whole prep field
• Robust stainless steel — stands up to daily theatre reprocessing
• Multi-role instrument — prepping, swabbing and sterile transfer in one
• TGA-registered — simplifies compliance documentation for buyers