Hoowaki, of Greenville, S.C., has developed and initiated production of the Hoowaki NP Collection Swab, a one-piece, injection-molded design that makes use of the company’s proprietary microgrip surface technology. The swab is made with thermoplastic elastomer, with micropillars designed to be soft and comfortable for the patient. In independent laboratory testing, the swab has been proven to be equivalent to the industry-standard flocked filament swabs in the collection of patient RNA that is critical for COVID-19 testing. Mass-production of the swab will begin this summer and is expected to reach at least several million units per month.
“The Hoowaki NP Collection Swab is an important answer to the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic,” says Ralph Hulseman, president of Hoowaki. “Our design allows for production to be quickly scaled in communities around the world—rapidly addressing the rising demand for swabs, a critically important element of all COVID-19 testing.”
The Hoowaki swab is manufactured using advanced injection molding technologies that utilize existing equipment that is readily available in communities throughout the world. The swab’s scalability is due to formulations and engineering designs working at existing injection-molding facilities, which enables the swab to be produced in quantities that meet local demands anywhere in the world.
“Prisma Health collaborated with Hoowaki in the testing and development of the innovative new design. The soft feel and ease of use of the Hoowaki NP Collection Swab tip impressed my team,” says Jennifer Meredith, PhD, clinical microbiology director at Prisma Health-Upstate.
