APPARATUS FOR CLOSING AND OPENING A FLOW PATH HAVING A FLEXIBLE FLOW PATH WALL

An apparatus for closing and opening a flow path (9) having a flexible flow path wall, comprises a fluid reservoir (10), an inflatable closing device (12) arrangeable at least partially around the flow path (9) and having an interior space, a pump (14) fluidically coupled between a fluid reservoir (10) and the interior space of the inflatable closing device (12), and a passive flow restriction (16) fluidically coupled between the fluid reservoir (10) and the interior space of the inflatable closing device (12) in parallel to the pump (14). The pump (14) is actuatable to increase the pressure within the interior space of the inflatable closing device (12) to close the flow path (9), and the flow restriction (16) is configured to permit a reduction of the pressure within the interior space to open the flow path (9) when the pump (14) is not actuated or the pump rate of the pump is set to be smaller than a flow rate through the flow restriction.