Breathing Circuit Market

Market Overview

The global breathing circuit market size was valued at USD 456.32 million in 2023. It is estimated to reach USD 532.46 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period (2024–2032).

A breathing circuit is a medical device designed to deliver a controlled mixture of gases, including oxygen and anaesthetic agents, to a patient's lungs while removing exhaled gasses. Primarily used in anaesthesia and respiratory care, the circuit creates a path of gas exchange, either the inflow or outflow of gas between the patient and the external environment, to ensure that the patient is adequately ventilated while maintaining appropriate levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Breathing circuits are used in various medical settings, such as operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency departments, to provide life-supporting ventilation and anaesthetic gases to be used for patients undergoing surgical procedures. The effectiveness of a breathing circuit plays a vital role in patient safety and comfort, one in which there is a demand for precise design and reliability. The effectiveness of a breathing circuit is vital for patient safety and comfort, requiring precise design and reliable performance to adapt to the respiratory needs of diverse patient populations, including adults, children, and neonates.

The robust growth in the global breathing circuit market is driven by the increasing prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COPD, asthma, and ARDS, and a rising aging population more prone to these conditions. The market is dramatically enhancing in its prospects as technological advancements and innovations in breathing circuit designs and materials have been developed, such as the development of products that are more efficient and user-friendly. Market demand is further driven by the growing number of surgical procedures that require anaesthesia and a growing shift towards homecare settings for chronic respiratory patients.

Market Dynamics

Global Breathing Circuit Market Drivers:

Increasing Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases

Growth in the incidence of respiratory diseases, such as COPD, asthma, and ARDS, is fueling the overall breathing circuit market. According to a report by the World Health Organization, by 2030, COPD is expected to be the third leading cause of mortality across the globe, and this is going to affect millions of people. The increasing disease burden of these conditions requires advanced respiratory care, thereby propelling the demand for an efficient breathing circuit.

Rise in Surgical Procedures

Growing surgical procedures across the globe is one of the important factors that propels the growth of the breathing circuit market. Anaesthesia and controlled ventilation are quite common in most surgeries, and both functions require reliable breathing circuits. According to Global Surgery 2030, it is estimated that the number of surgical procedures performed worldwide in one year will increase to about 313 million by 2030 from 234 million in 2015. More surgical procedures mean the need for advanced breathing circuits, which is fuelling market demand.

Global Breathing Circuit Market Restraint:

High Cost of Advanced Breathing Circuits

Major restraining factor to the global breathing circuit market is the high cost of advanced technologies relating to breathing circuits. Advanced features such as inbuilt heat and moisture exchangers (HME), viral and bacterial filtration systems, and disposable parts enhance manufacturing costs. This can be a obstacle, especially for health systems that operate on a tight budget or in countries or regions with low healthcare spending. For example, a study on the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that the cost of devices used in the provision of respiratory care can be quite prohibitive with far-reaching implications on resource allocation for health care provision especially in developing countries that have fewer resources, therefore reduced access to advanced medical technologies.

Global Breathing Circuit Market Opportunities:

Integration of Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring

The integration of telemedicine and remote monitoring features within breathing circuits offers the avenue to further improve patient care and clinical outcomes. Telemedicine enables remote monitoring of the patient's respiratory parameters, such as oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, or tidal volume, in order to identify a need for action and timely intervention in the proactive treatment of acute or acute on chronic respiratory conditions. This set-up also provides avenues for remote consultations, patient education, and monitoring of adherence, which leads to better patient engagement and improved adherence. For instance, a Journal of Medical Internet Research review has outlined that telemedicine programs have the capacity to improve respiratory outcomes and possibly decrease healthcare utilization among patients with chronic respiratory diseases. It thus emphasizes the benefits of integrating telemedicine functions into breathing circuit systems for optimal patient care and clinical workflow.

Customization and Personalization of Breathing Circuits

Customizing and personalizing breathing circuits offers a promising route toward market differentiation and value creation. Every patient is unique in their respiratory needs and anatomical characteristics, and the adaptation of breathing circuit designs to individual requirements can improve patient comfort, enhance treatment effectiveness, and reduce complications. New digital health technologies, including 3D printing and computer-aided design (CAD), can facilitate customization of breathing circuits to patient-specific data, preferences, and clinical indications. For example, the following is a publication in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, where the possibility of using 3D printing to create personalized medical devices was considered, including breathing aids, and the possibility of personalized breathing circuit solutions will improve different patient needs and clinical outcomes.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global breathing circuit market share is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global breathing circuit market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. The region have well-established healthcare infrastructure and high healthcare spending, which creates an enabling environment for the penetration of medical technologies such as breathing circuits. Furthermore, the presence of key players and high R&D activities in this region, with positive government initiatives for supporting healthcare development, further lead to its dominance.

The United States breathing circuit market is leading in terms of market share. In the U.S., the market is driven by factors such as the high incidence of chronic respiratory conditions like COPD and asthma, increasing surgical procedures requiring anesthesia, and the presence of major market players. For instance, the American Lung Association states that around 16 million U.S. citizens are affected by COPD, pointing to the huge patient population requiring respiratory support. Additionally, the U.S. is experiencing the tendency of shifting toward homecare settings for respiratory therapy.

The Canadian breathing circuit market is poised to grow due to the growing popularity of breathing circuit in the country, The healthcare infrastructure of Canada is well developed, regulatory standards are very high, and there is a high level of patient-centric care in healthcare facilities—all factors that drive the breathing circuits market. Furthermore, the Canadian market may incorporate more sustainable and ecologically friendly products, thus having a demand for eco-friendly solutions of breathing circuits and disposable/recyclable components.

These factors are estimated to drive the North American breathing circuit market growth.

Asia-Pacific region is a pivotal market for the breathing circuit industry, witnessing robust growth driven by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and economic development. Moreover, the region is undergoing a massive epidemiological transition characterized by a rising burden of chronic respiratory diseases, including but not limited to COPD, asthma, and respiratory infections. Air pollution, a high rate of smoking prevalence, and changing lifestyle factors are some of the attributing factors to the rising incidence of respiratory conditions, leading to a high demand for respiratory care devices such as breathing circuits.

China's breathing circuit market has a major role in shaping the dynamics of the Asia-Pacific breathing circuit market. The increasing and aging population makes China prone to respiratory diseases like COPD and asthma. Therefore, the increasing prevalence, rising healthcare infrastructure, and healthcare expenditure in the country will drive the respiratory care devices market, especially the breathing circuits market.

Indian breathing circuits and are seeing increased use due to the government's efforts. India's healthcare landscape is diverse, with a mix of public and private healthcare providers serving a large and geographically dispersed population. While the prevalence of respiratory diseases in India is significant, the market for respiratory care devices like breathing circuits is still evolving. Moreover, the Indian government's initiatives to expand access to healthcare services, such as the Ayushman Bharat program, which aims to provide health insurance coverage to over 500 million people, are expected to drive the adoption of respiratory care devices, including breathing circuits, in the country.  

Thus, the factors above are estimated to boost the Asia-Pacific breathing circuit market growth.

Segmental Analysis

The global breathing circuit market is segmented by product type, application and end user.

Based on product type, the global breathing circuit market is divided into open breathing circuits, closed breathing circuits and semi-open breathing circuits. 

Closed breathing circuit segment dominates the global breathing circuit market by product type as it is associated with advantages in reducing the risk of contamination and consumption of anaesthetic gases. Closed breathing circuits offer a more controlled environment for the delivery of the patient's gases since exhaled gases are passed through the circuit after a CO2 absorber. This type of closed-loop system is particularly important in surgical settings where the maintenance of a sterile field and control of the gas concentrations of anaesthetic agents are paramount. Furthermore, closed breathing circuits, in the long run, save a lot of money compared to open circuits since they use less flow of fresh gas as well as fewer anaesthetic agents. For this reason, healthcare providers prefer the closed circuit, which has raised its share in the market.

Based on application, the global breathing circuit market is bifurcated into anaesthesia, respiratory dysfunction and others. 

The respiratory dysfunction segment dominates the application segment in the global breathing circuit market as a result of the increasing prevalence of respiratory diseases worldwide and the rising demand for respiratory therapy and support. Respiratory dysfunction is a broad term representing various conditions, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and respiratory failure, among others. Breathing circuits are essential in delivering oxygen, enabling ventilation, and administering therapeutic gases to those patients who are in respiratory distress either acutely, such as in ICUs, or in homecare settings during long-term respiratory therapies. With the growing burden of respiratory diseases and the expanding application of breathing circuits in respiratory care, the respiratory dysfunction segment is expected to maintain its dominance in the global breathing circuit market.

Based on end user, the global breathing circuit market is segmented into passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. 

The hospitals segment represents the largest share for the global breathing circuit market due to the high demand for respiratory care services in hospital settings, including general hospitals and specialty hospitals. Hospitals are the primary healthcare settings for managing a wide array of medical conditions, including respiratory diseases, surgical procedures necessitating anaesthesia, and critical care for patients having respiratory dysfunction. In order to make sure that they offer quality care and that the safety of their patients is assured, hospitals are increasingly dependent on advanced medical devices, such as breathing circuits, to provide support for respiratory functions and attain optimal ventilation for their patients.

Recent Developments

• In January 2023, Armstrong Medical introduced the 'AquaVENT VT', a cutting-edge heated breathing technology, to the Middle East market. The purpose of the heated breathing circuit known as AquaVENT VT is to give patients a more pleasant and humid breathing environment. Furthermore, it is reported to be useful in lowering the risk of pneumonia linked to ventilator use.
• In July 2022, the Dräger BG ProAir, a closed-circuit breathing apparatus with cutting-edge features, was introduced by Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA to protect firefighters engaged in extended deployments, particularly those in complicated structures, high-rise buildings, tunnels, and basements.

Analyst’s Perspective:

As per our research analysts, the global breathing circuit market provides an attractive landscape with strong growth prospects and dynamic market dynamics. The growth in incidences of respiratory disorders, higher geriatric populations, and a rise in the number of surgical procedures globally have led to increased demand for breathing circuits. Availability of advanced filtration systems, along with certain technological features in the digital health domain in the design of breathing circuits, surges the market prospects for such products. As the market continues to mature, strategic partnerships, investments in research and development, and focusing on the unmet need in respiratory care are crucial for long-term growth and maintaining competitiveness within the global breathing circuit market.