pennington clamp pennington clamp a pennington clamp, also known as a duval clamp, is a surgical clamp with a triangular eyelet. used for grasping tissue, particularly during intestinal and rectal operations. also used in some ob/gyn procedures, particularly caesarian section. under the name 'duval clamp' they are occasionally used much like a foerster clamp to atraumatically grasp lung tissue. the clamp is named after david geoffrey pennington, an australian surgeon who is a pioneer of microsurgeries. slotted pennington forceps non-medical uses it is commonly used in body piercing to hold the skin in place, and guide the needle through it.