Breathing Circuits Market: Growth, Size, Share, and Trends

Market Growth Outlook Summary

The global breathing circuits market growth forecasted to transform from USD 1.57 billion in 2024 to USD 2.16 billion by 2029, driven by a CAGR of 6.5%. Key factors driving the growth of this market include rising numbers of surgeries, increasing aging population, rise in the need for respiratory support during medical procedures, and improvement of technology. With the increased rate of the aging population, chronic diseases on the rise, and many surgical care operations are being conducted across the globe. This has created an increased demand for effective respiratory care during and after the operation. Additionally, innovations in breathing circuits design that ensure improved management of air flows and other associated safety features to improve outcomes increase their adoption rate across all settings.

Many clinical settings also prefer disposable breathing circuits due to the infection control benefits of these breathing circuits along with reduced risk of cross-contamination. Government policies and regulations that support the use of disposables for improving patient safety and hygiene have further accelerated the growth. Such policies include guidelines on infection control and mandates for single-use devices in certain clinical settings. Overall, market growth is driven by technological advances and regulatory support, coupled with a rising need for respiratory care. These factors will further contribute to the robust growth of the breathing circuits market.

Promising Opportunities in the Breathing Circuits Market

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Breathing Circuits Market Dynamics

DRIVER: Increasing number of surgical procedures worldwide

With the rise in surgical procedures, demand increases for respiratory support systems that are reliable and efficient. This includes breathing circuits. Breathing circuits are critical to the safety maintenance of the patient during surgeries by making sure anesthesia gases and oxygen are appropriately delivered to the patient, and carbon dioxide is removed. Moreover, with increasing age, there is a tendency to develop numerous medical disorders and systemic diseases, most of which require surgical treatment to maintain or improve quality of life. Hence, breathing circuits are often required by elderly patients for postoperative recovery and management of complications. Thus, a demographically aging population and a consequent rise in surgical interventions majorly increase the demand for breathing circuits that are both reliable and advanced in nature for use both in surgical and post-operative care settings, thus fuelling high market growth.

RESTRAINT: High infection risk associated with reusable breathing circuits

One of the restraining factors for the breathing circuits market could be the concerns related to patient safety and healthcare-associated infections. Improper handling or a lack of proper cleaning will result in infections such as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which will further diminish the outcome of patients and increase the spending on healthcare. Therefore, with invasive mechanical ventilation conducted under general anesthesia mainly indicated in patients with various medical conditions, there are chances of breathing circuits getting contaminated, increasing the risk of cross-infection within the intraoperative period. Hence, the risk of infection can become a major restraint to the breathing circuits market by impacting patient safety and cost increase.

OPPORTUNITY: Opportunities for growth in developing economies

The emerging economies, such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, are developing as fast-growing markets for respiratory care devices, including breathing circuits. The large target patient population, improved healthcare infrastructure, rising awareness about healthcare, and medical tourism under improved conditions are some of the major factors supporting market growth during the forecast period in these regions. Other key drivers from emerging markets that can attract investments from the market players during the forecast period consist of infrastructural development of healthcare facilities, rise in healthcare expenditure, and low cost of manufacturing.

CHALLENGE: Environmental concerns related to non-biodegradable breathing circuits

One of the main factors that can hamper the growth of this market includes environmental concerns related to the disposal of single-use and non-biodegradable breathing circuits. Due to the stringent concerns to ensure patient safety and infection control, single-use breathing circuits are significant generators of medical wastes. Since these are designed for single use to prevent cross-contamination, their disposal adds to the increasing volumes of medical waste. Management of such waste must be conducted with proper handling and disposal procedures, which, in most cases, are very resource-intensive and environmentally taxing. The growing concern across the globe for the issue of environmental sustainability presses on manufacturers to make eco-friendly alternatives, which is one of the major challenges for the growth of this market.

Breathing Circuits Ecosystem Map

Disposable breathing circuits segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2023, by usage.

Based on usage, the breathing circuits market can be segmented into disposable breathing circuits and reusable breathing circuits. In 2023, the disposable breathing circuits segment held the largest share of the breathing circuits market. Disposable breathing circuits significantly reduce the risk associated with cross-contamination and infection and hence provide safety to their end users. As disposable breathing circuits are intended for use on a single patient, they also avoid the problem of cross-contamination and related expenses. Furthermore, regulations from various regulatory bodies also mandate that breathing circuits should be used only once for the safety of patients. Sterile, disposable breathing circuits, therefore, significantly decrease the chances of pathogens being transferred from one patient to another, and thus the possibilities of infections are reduced, thus accelerating their widespread adoption.

The largest share in the breathing circuits market in 2023 was held by the anesthesia segment, by application.

Based on its various applications, the breathing circuits market is divided into anesthesia, respiratory dysfunction, and others. The anesthesia segment dominated the market in 2023. The breathing circuits used for anesthesia applications form an integral part of the delivery of anesthetic gases and in airway management associated with surgical operations. Some of the major factors acting as drivers for breathing circuits used in anesthesia include the increasing number of surgeries across various specialties that is demanding reliable and effective anesthesia management and thereby breathing circuits. Further, the growth of healthcare facilities—hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers—many of which remain oriented toward least minimally invasive procedures that need efficient anesthesia management, supports the growth in the anesthesia application segment of the breathing circuits market.

Hospitals segment dominated the breathing circuits market in 2023, based on end user.

On the basis of end user, the breathing circuits market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, and other end users. In 2023, the largest market share was held by hospitals in the breathing circuits market, and it comprises the greatest end-user segment. Factors driving the largest share of this segment include the increasing number of hospitals across the world, large volumes of patients who need mechanical ventilation or anaesthesia, and increasing adoption of infection control practices driving demand for sterile breathing circuits in hospitals. In addition, investments by government to strengthen the infrastructure of hospitals is another key factor that makes them the largest end user of advanced medical devices like breathing circuits.

North America accounted for the largest share of the breathing circuits market in 2023.

The breathing circuits market has been segmented into six main geographical regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East & Africa, and GCC countries. The region that took the forefront in 2023 is North America, mainly due to developed healthcare infrastructure in the US and Canada, with a high concentration of hospitals and surgical centers acting as the major driver for demand of sophisticated breathing circuits across the region. The volumes of surgeries, both standard and complex procedures, will also increase the demand for breathing circuit systems. Other market growth factors for this region include high prevalence of chronic respiratory disorders, an aging population, along with the easy access to technologically advanced medical devices, breathing circuits.

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The major players in this market are Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Medtronic (Ireland), Cardinal Health (US), Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited (New Zealand), and ResMed (US). These players lead the market because of their extensive product portfolios and wide geographic presence.

Breathing Circuits Market Report Scope

This report categorizes the breathing circuits market based on usage, patient type, circuit type, application, end user, and region:

By Usage

• Disposable Breathing Circuits
• Reusable Breathing Circuits

By Patient Type

• Adult Patients
• Pediatric and Neonatal Patients

By Circuit Type

• Single-limb Breathing Circuits
• Dual-limb Breathing Circuits

By Application

• Anesthesia
• Respiratory Dysfunction
• Other Applications

By End User

• Hospitals
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers
• Clinics
• Other End Users

By Region

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • UK
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • Japan
  • China
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of LATAM
• Middle East & Africa
  • GCC Countries

Recent Developments

• In September 2023, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited (New Zealand) opened its third manufacturing facility in Mexico, representing a significant investment, allowing the company to enhance the production of its leading healthcare solutions closer to key markets.
• In April 2023, Cardinal Health (US) announced the opening of two new distribution centers in Central Ohio to support the company's Medical Segment, focusing on its US Medical Products and Distribution (USMPD) and Cardinal Health-at-home Solutions businesses.
• In November 2022, ResMed (US) opened its new advanced manufacturing center in Tuas, Singapore. The opening of this facility supports the continued growth of ResMed’s product portfolio to meet the needs of millions across Singapore (Asia Pacific) and the world.
• In August 2022, Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany) launched the Dräger BG ProAir to enhance performance during longer mining and tunneling rescue operations. The BG ProAir’s positive pressure breathing closed circuit prevents toxic substances from entering the breathing systems.
• In April 2022, Medtronic (Ireland) and GE Healthcare (US) collaborated to focus on the specific needs and the growing demand for care at ambulatory surgery centers and office-based labs (OBLs). This collaboration allows customers to benefit from extensive product portfolios, financial solutions, and exceptional service.

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