<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=200498&amp;fmt=gif">
Toggle Nav

Puritan Blog

Jan 31, 2019Print this page

The History and Evolution of the Swab

History of the Swab

Consider the swab – it has been around for less than a century. It began quite simply, chronicled in 1923 as the inspiration of a Polish-American named Leo Gerstanzang. Today, the swab, no longer a simple tool but rather a broad range of tipped applicators, is used for everything from patient care and microbiology to forensics and manufacturing.

Puritan dates back to 1919, before that first cotton swab appeared on scene in 1923. That’s right!   Puritan began the production of toothpicks 100 years ago, before Leo devised his swab. Throughout the year, we’re celebrating our 100th year in business in a number of ways. And you can see a timeline of our evolution here.

First known as the Minto Toothpick Company, the company developed a line of single-use items. From toothpicks, the line grew to include wood items for food service and then medical use, adding applicators, tongue depressors and other similar products. The Puritan brand cotton tip applicator, commonly called a “swab,” has been the gold standard for swabs used in patient care ever since the first case left our plant.

Other brands have since become familiar, like the well-known Q-Tip®, but most are now imported.  Puritan continues to manufacture all Puritan brand tipped applicators, of all kinds, in Guilford, Maine.

It Didn't Stop There

The swab has evolved over the years. While you can still buy Q-tips at the drugstore, swabs today come in any number of shapes and sizes; and inventors are continuing to innovate on Gerstenzang’s simple design. Now swabs are available with wooden, plastic, paper and metal handles, and any number of tip-types, such as foam, sterile cotton, polyester, and flock.

These handy devices have made their way into dozens of useful applications. Every day, we talk with Puritan swab users who tell us of their work in the research wild elephant populations, or in providing lifesaving medical services in impoverished nations, testing for the flu, and much more. 

Perhaps, without Gerstenzang’s ingenuity all those years ago, we’d still be the Minto Toothpick Company – or perhaps not!  Innovation has been the hallmark of Puritan since 1919.

Want to learn more about how you can use our swabs for diagnostics, DNA testing, industrial manufacturing, or specimen collection? Contact one of our knowledgeable product specialists today.

Contact a sales rep, today!

Topics: Puritan, Medical, Diagnostics

Comments

How To Videos

Visit our training center, where you can view videos on a range of applications from food safety to microbiology.


Videos

Resource Library

We've compiled our content in a handy library so you can find all our best resources in one place.


Resource Library

Find a Distributor

Using our distributor chart, you can see a list of distributors where you can buy our products.


Where to Buy

Recent Posts

Disclaimer

The information on this document and/or our website is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this document and/or our website is for general information purposes only. Please consult with a licensed medical professional regarding the application of products.

Posts Archive

More Archives

Subscribe


Stay informed about industry news, current events, and the unique properties of Puritan's wide range of products that set them apart from the rest.

puritan footer logoCopyright © 2024 Puritan Medical Products. All rights reserved.Proudly Made in the USA