Pinch valves, the simplest valve design, include any valve with a flexible elastomer body that can be pinched close to cut off flow, using a mechanism or fluid pressure. They are linear motion valves that can be used to start, stop and throttle media through a system. Pinch valves are low maintenance, low weight, and can be used in systems requiring explosion-proof line closure. While the design of pinch valves provides extensive advantages for use in sterile lines and in situations where product purity is a high priority, these same design features do create some disadvantages. Due to their elastomeric bodies, pinch valves are not viable in situations where the transport media is at a high temperature. They are also not recommended for services that require high-pressure flow, and for use with gases.