Differences in Materials between Sterile Polyester Fiber Swabs and Ordinary Swabs

I. Composition Differences

1. Sterile Polyester Fiber Swabs
   They are mainly composed of polyester fiber. Polyester fiber is a synthetic fiber, which is a high-molecular compound made through chemical polymerization reactions. This material has good chemical stability and physical properties. Its molecular structure enables it to withstand the erosion of various chemical substances and remain in a relatively stable state under different environmental conditions.
2. Ordinary Swabs
   Ordinary swabs are commonly made of cotton. Cotton is a natural fiber, and its main component is cellulose. It is extracted from the fibrous material around the seeds of cotton plants. Compared with polyester fiber, the chemical structure of cotton is relatively simple, and its properties are largely affected by factors such as cotton varieties and planting environments.

II. Differences in Physical Properties

1. Adsorption Performance

• Sterile Polyester Fiber Swabs:
  The microscopic structure of polyester fiber results in a large number of tiny pores on its surface. These pores increase the contact area between the swab and the sample, endowing it with excellent adsorption properties. Whether it is a wet sample, such as wound secretions, or a dry sample, like some microorganism powders, polyester fiber swabs can adsorb them well. In virus detection, this good adsorption property helps to improve the capture efficiency of viruses and enhance the detection sensitivity.
• Ordinary Swabs:
  The adsorption performance of cotton swabs mainly depends on the fiber structure of cellulose and its hydrophilicity. Although cotton also has a certain adsorption ability, compared with polyester fiber swabs, its adsorption uniformity and the adsorption efficiency for some tiny particles (such as viruses) may be slightly inferior. For example, when collecting samples containing a small amount of viruses, polyester fiber swabs may collect more virus particles due to their better adsorption ability.

2. Softness

• Sterile Polyester Fiber Swabs:
  Polyester fiber material has a soft texture. This softness can minimize the irritation and discomfort to the person being sampled when sampling sensitive parts of the human body (such as the nasal cavity, throat, oral mucosa, etc.). Compared with ordinary cotton swabs, it will not cause obvious pain or a foreign body sensation. Especially when sampling infants and toddlers or people with sensitive gag reflexes, the advantage of this softness is more prominent.
• Ordinary Swabs:
  The softness of cotton swabs varies depending on the quality of cotton and the processing technology. Generally speaking, it is also relatively soft, but some cotton swabs may be slightly rough due to uneven thickness of cotton fibers or improper processing during production, which may cause a certain degree of discomfort when sampling sensitive parts.

III. Sterility Aspect

1. Sterile Polyester Fiber Swabs
   During the production process, sterile polyester fiber swabs undergo strict sterilization treatment. Advanced sterilization technologies, such as ethylene oxide sterilization, are usually adopted to ensure that the swabs do not contain any bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms. This sterile characteristic is crucial in the medical and testing fields because it can avoid contamination of samples by external microorganisms, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of test results. Especially in operations with extremely high requirements for sterility, such as microorganism detection and cell culture, it can well meet the needs.
2. Ordinary Swabs
   Ordinary swabs may carry some microorganisms if they have not undergone special sterile treatment. Even in a relatively clean production environment, cotton itself may have some naturally attached microorganisms. This may affect the accuracy of results in some high-precision detection and experimental scenarios. For example, in gene testing or cell collection experiments with strict sterility requirements, it may cause interference.