Syntervention’s Swicker Radiopaque Surgical Foam Sponge Issued Key Patent

October 14, 2025—Syntervention, Inc., a North Carolina-based company focused on eliminating preventable contamination in medical procedures, announced that its Swicker radiopaque surgical foam sponge has been issued a United States patent that covers the formulation and design of Swicker. Applications for Swicker include all diagnostic, interventional, surgical, robotic, and laparoscopic procedures.

According to the company, Swicker is a highly absorbent, lint-free foam sponge that addresses challenges in the operating room, including retained surgical sponges and other complications such as inflammation, adhesions, and infection linked to cotton lint contamination.

Swicker is intended to reduce the number of surgical sponges required during a procedure and lower the costs associated with sponge counting and medical waste. By contrast, traditional cotton surgical sponges can release lint into the body, noted Syntervention.

As summarized in Syntervention’s press release, innovations protected by the patent include the following:

• Lint-free. Swicker, which is engineered with hydrophilic foam, wicks fluids instantly without shedding particles, minimizing the risk of foreign body contamination.
• Continuous use design. Swicker can be wrung out and reused multiple times during a single procedure, reducing the need for 20-50 traditional sponges to just two to three per case.
• Versatile applications. Swicker is available in various shapes (sponge, digit, and mitt); it serves as an extension for suction instruments and as a packing tool; and it can be used rolled, folded, or flat.
• Radiopaque integration. Embedded x-ray detectable markers ensure easy visualization if retained, enhancing compliance with surgical safety protocols.

The technology is available through distributors—including Wexler Surgical—and is projected to be cleared for sale in strategic international markets by the end of 2025, advised Syntervention.