Breathing tube

A breathing tube is a device or tool that can serve as a conduit for breathing. Various types of breathing tubes are available for different specific applications.

Breathing tube may also refer to, or be part of:

Anatomy

• Vertebrate trachea, also known as the "windpipe", a tube present in tetrapods that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of breathing gas (most commonly air)
• Invertebrate trachea, the open respiratory system employed by most terrestrial arthropods to transport metabolic gases to and from tissues
• Siphon (mollusc), a tube-like structure through which water or air may flow for one or more purposes such as locomotion, feeding, respiration, and reproduction
• Siphon (insect), a tubular organ of the respiratory system of some insects that spend a significant amount of their time underwater, that serves as a breathing tube

Medical applications

• Anesthesia breathing circuit, a system of breathing hoses which may be connected to a mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube to support the administration of anaesthesia
• Anesthetic machine, a machine which may be connected to a mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube to support the administration of anaesthesia
• Bag valve mask, a device which may be connected to a mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube to mechanically move breatheable air into and out of the lungs
• Laryngeal mask airway, a supraglottic airway device used in anesthesia and in emergency medicine for airway management
• Medical ventilator, a machine which may be connected to a mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube to mechanically move breatheable air into and out of the lungs
• Nasal cannula, a lightweight tube which on one end splits into two prongs which are placed in the nostrils to deliver supplemental oxygen or airflow
• Tracheal tube, a device that is inserted into the trachea to establish and maintain an airway

Underwater applications

• Snorkel, a J-shaped rubber or plastic tube fitted with a mouthpiece at the lower end, used for breathing air from above the water surface when the wearer's mouth and nose are submerged
• Breathing tube (breathing apparatus), a flexible tube in a scuba set or other breathing set
• Surface-supplied diving, a device used to connect a surface-supplied diver to a supply of breathing gas remotely maintained on a diving support vessel or diving chamber, referred to as a "Umbilical cord"
• Snuba, an underwater breathing system in which breathing gas is supplied through a long hose from tanks on pontoon rafts on the surface of the water

Aviation and space applications

• Primary Life Support System (PLSS), a machine that provides breathing gas, removes exhaled carbon dioxide and water, regulates atmospheric pressure, and monitors certain physiologic parameters within a space suit

Military and industrial applications

• Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), a device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to provide breathable air in an IDLH (Immediate Danger to Life and Health) atmosphere
• Gas mask, a device designed to be applied over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases
• Respirator, a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts, fumes, vapors, and/or gases