Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product information for lab, clinic and supply staff. It is not medical advice and does not describe how to perform any procedure.
Short answer
A towel clip, also called a towel clamp or towel forceps, is a manual, reusable surgical instrument that holds surgical towels or drapes together, or secures items such as cables and leads, during an operation. The FDA files it under product code GDJ, “Clamp, Surgical, General & Plastic Surgery”, a Class 1 device under 21 CFR 878.4800. Backhaus is a widely listed pattern name.
Definition and scope
NIH’s AccessGUDID database describes the device as “a manual instrument designed to hold together surgical towels and/or drapes, or for securing other devices such as cables/leads, during an operation/intervention”, adding that some types may also be used for compressing tubes. The same entry says it is made of metallic and/or polymer materials, comes in a variety of sizes and designs (for example two blades joined at their midpoints, or a single alpha-shaped device, with various gripping jaws), and is commonly known as a towel clamp, towel forceps or towel clip (record for a Backhaus Towel Forceps, 13 cm, checked 2026-10-31).
So “clip”, “clamp” and “forceps” are one device family under three names. Within it, a pattern name such as Backhaus or Lorna identifies a particular design, and a product listing is where the design is specified. For the wider forceps family, see the medical and laboratory forceps guide.
What are towel clips used for?
They hold drapes and towels in place around a surgical field, and they can anchor accessories such as cables or leads to the drapes. That is the use stated in the AccessGUDID description above. A vendor listing for a Backhaus towel clamp gives the same purpose: it is “designed to securely fasten surgical drapes or towels” (Alimed product page, checked 2026-10-31). For what the drapes themselves are, see what a sterile drape is.
What are towel clips used for in gynecology?
The same way as in other surgery: to secure drapes. The FDA product code used for the Backhaus record is the general surgery code, GDJ. As an obstetric example, CASRAI’s C-section kit guide records a published caesarean set (an MSF supply catalogue entry, checked 2026-10-31) that lists four Backhaus towel clamps, 13 cm, among its 23 instruments.
What are the clamps used in surgery called?
“Surgical clamp” covers many different devices. Towel clamps are only the drape-holding ones, and they sit in the general manual-instrument category. 21 CFR 878.4800 defines manual surgical instruments for general use as nonpowered, hand-held or hand-manipulated devices, either reusable or disposable, used in a broad range of surgeries. Class 1 instruments are subject to general controls and are exempt from premarket notification, subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 878.9 (eCFR, checked 2026-10-31). Other clamp types sit under other device names and regulation numbers. A hemostat, which clamps tissue or vessels rather than cloth, is covered in what a hemostat is.
Backhaus and Lorna: the patterns a listing names
The Backhaus towel clamp is the pattern most often named. One vendor lists its Backhaus clamp as “perforating” in stainless steel, 5-1/2 in long. The same vendor’s collection also lists a Lorna towel clamp, described as having two curved arms and finger loops for gripping towels. These are vendor descriptions, not a standard, so a pattern name alone does not guarantee a particular tip design or length. Read the specification of the item itself.
What is a Jones towel clamp?
Jones is a pattern name, not a regulatory category. The FDA and NIH records identify the device family (towel clamp, product code GDJ) and do not define individual pattern names, so a listing’s own description and length are the reliable way to identify a Jones clamp.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
The public record gives a short, sourced checklist of fields that identify a towel clamp. Each row below comes from the AccessGUDID record or the vendor listing named in the last column.
| Field to check on a listing | What the record shows for a Backhaus towel clamp | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Device name and family | Towel forceps, commonly towel clamp or towel clip; GMDN term “Towel clamp, reusable” | AccessGUDID |
| FDA product code and class | GDJ, Class 1, 21 CFR 878.4800 | openFDA classification, data updated 2026-10-19 |
| Reusable or single-use | Reusable | AccessGUDID |
| Sterile as supplied | Not packaged sterile; must be sterilized before use; listed methods are ethylene oxide, moist heat or steam, and UV | AccessGUDID |
| Tip design | “Perforating” stated on the listing | Alimed vendor listing |
| Length and material | Length (5-1/2 in on the vendor listing, 13 cm in AccessGUDID) and stainless steel | Alimed listing; AccessGUDID |
The gap this table closes: vendor pages show length and tip design but rarely the regulatory identity, while the FDA and NIH records show class, reusability and sterility status but not tip design. A listing that states all of these is the easiest to compare across suppliers.
Common misunderstandings
- “Towel clip” and “towel clamp” are different products. The AccessGUDID entry lists clamp, forceps and clip as common names for the same device.
- A reusable clamp arrives ready to use. The AccessGUDID record says this device is not packaged sterile and requires sterilization before use. Sterilization equipment is covered in what an autoclave is.
- Class 1 means unregulated. Class 1 devices are subject to general controls; the 510(k) exemption is subject to the limits in 21 CFR 878.9.
FAQ
What do you use towel clips for?
To hold surgical towels or drapes together, or to secure cables and leads, during an operation (AccessGUDID, checked 2026-10-31).
What are the clamps used in surgery called?
Drape-holding clamps are towel clamps, also called towel forceps or towel clips. Other surgical clamps have different names and regulation numbers.
Is a towel clamp the same as a towel clip?
Yes. AccessGUDID names towel clamp, towel forceps and towel clip as common names for the same device.
Are towel clamps reusable?
The Backhaus AccessGUDID record is reusable and must be sterilized before use. The regulation covering the family allows both reusable and disposable instruments, so each listing must state which it is.
Sources
- NIH National Library of Medicine, AccessGUDID, Backhaus Towel Forceps 13cm (DI G25003048130), https://accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov/devices/G25003048130, checked 2026-10-31.
- FDA, openFDA device classification, product code GDJ, https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=product_code:GDJ, data last updated 2026-10-19, checked 2026-10-31.
- eCFR, 21 CFR 878.4800 Manual surgical instrument for general use, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-878/section-878.4800, checked 2026-10-31.
- Alimed, Backhaus Towel Clamp product page, https://www.alimed.com/products/backhaus-towel-clamp, checked 2026-10-31 (vendor description, not a standard).
