Patent ID: 7418965

Claim:
A unilimb respiratory conduit for providing inspiratory gases to a patient and receiving expiratory gases therefrom, comprising a unilimb respiratory conduit for use with a proximal terminal that has lumens defining inspiratory and expiratory flow paths that are independent of each other and converge at a distal end of the proximal terminal and diverge from each other proximally of the distal end of the proximal terminal so that the lumen defining the inspiratory flow path of the proximal terminal is independently operatively connectable to an inlet for a source of inspiratory gas while the lumen defining the expiratory flow path of the proximal terminal is independently operatively connectable to an expiratory outlet, said respiratory conduit comprising: flexible tubing forming a first lumen and a second lumen, wherein said flexible tubing forming at least one of said lumens comprises at least one tube formed of accordion-like pleated tubing, said first and second lumens forming independent flow paths, said respiratory conduit having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein said distal end of said respiratory conduit is operatively connectable to and detachable from a patient by a user at a site of use, and said proximal end of said conduit is operatively connectable to and detachable from a proximal terminal by a user at a site of use, wherein when said conduit is operatively connected to a proximal terminal, said first lumen is in fluid communication with the inspiratory flow path and said second lumen is in fluid communication with the expiratory flow path, wherein said first lumen is operatively connectable to an inlet for a source of inspiratory gas via the proximal terminal while said second lumen is operatively connectable to an expiratory outlet via the proximal terminal, wherein said respiratory conduit is operatively attachable to and detachable from a proximal terminal after use therewith for independent disposal or sterilization by a user at the site of use.