A proportional pinch valve for controlling the pressure in a continuous flow system, the proportional pinch valve comprising a tubing , an anvil for pinching a length of the tubing in the continuous flow system, and a drive mechanism including a displacement element, characterised in that the anvil is indirectly coupled to the displacement element via an elastic spring element , the drive mechanism includes an automated drive in the form of a stepper motor for displacing the displacement element between the following defined positions: a home position, in which the anvil is in a position not interfering with the tubing , an intermediate position, in which the anvil is pressed into the tubing to an extent that an effective flow cross section of the tubing is reduced, but a flow through the tubing is not completely blocked, the elastic spring element providing a defined play for the anvil at least as long as the tubing is not fully pinched so that displacement of the anvil is force-controlled by the elastic spring element in that the force applied to the anvil by the spring element is balanced by an average pressure inside the tubing plus a force to deform the tubing , and an end position, in which the tubing is fully pinched, and the flow is interrupted, the displacement element being in contact with the anvil in the end position. a tubing , an anvil for pinching a length of the tubing in the continuous flow system, and a drive mechanism including a displacement element, characterised in that the anvil is indirectly coupled to the displacement element via an elastic spring element , the drive mechanism includes an automated drive in the form of a stepper motor for displacing the displacement element between the following defined positions: a home position, in which the anvil is in a position not interfering with the tubing , an intermediate position, in which the anvil is pressed into the tubing to an extent that an effective flow cross section of the tubing is reduced, but a flow through the tubing is not completely blocked, the elastic spring element providing a defined play for the anvil at least as long as the tubing is not fully pinched so that displacement of the anvil is force-controlled by the elastic spring element in that the force applied to the anvil by the spring element is balanced by an average pressure inside the tubing plus a force to deform the tubing , and an end position, in which the tubing is fully pinched, and the flow is interrupted, the displacement element being in contact with the anvil in the end position. a home position, in which the anvil is in a position not interfering with the tubing , an intermediate position, in which the anvil is pressed into the tubing to an extent that an effective flow cross section of the tubing is reduced, but a flow through the tubing is not completely blocked, the elastic spring element providing a defined play for the anvil at least as long as the tubing is not fully pinched so that displacement of the anvil is force-controlled by the elastic spring element in that the force applied to the anvil by the spring element is balanced by an average pressure inside the tubing plus a force to deform the tubing , and an end position, in which the tubing is fully pinched, and the flow is interrupted, the displacement element being in contact with the anvil in the end position. <EOS>