Leak control system for an insufflation system, and a method for minimising leakage from an insufflation system

An insufflation system for supplying an insufflating gas to a vessel of a subject for insufflating thereof, the insufflation system comprising:

• an insufflator for insufflating the vessel of the subject with the insufflating gas and for controlling a flow rate of the insufflating gas to the vessel, and
• an evacuation system for evacuating insufflating gas from the vessel, the evacuation system comprising:
• a vacuum creating means,
• a flow path communicating the vacuum creating means with the vessel for accommodating insufflating gas from the vessel, and
• a leak control system adapted for minimising leakage of insufflating gas from the vessel through the flow path of the evacuation system when the evacuation system is deactivated, the leak control system comprising:
• a pressure relief valve located in the flow path of the evacuation system upstream of the vacuum creating means, the pressure relief valve being operable
• from a closed state preventing gas flow to the vacuum creating means through the flow path,
• to an open state permitting gas flow to the vacuum creating means through the flow path,
• in response to a pressure drop across the pressure relief valve in the direction of flow to the vacuum creating means exceeding a predefined pressure drop value.

An evacuation system for an insufflation system, the evacuation system comprising:

• a vacuum creating means,
• a flow path communicating the vacuum creating means with a vessel being insufflated by the insufflation system for accommodating insufflating gas from the vessel, and
• a leak control system adapted for minimising leakage of insufflating gas from the vessel through the flow path, the leak control system comprising:
• a pressure relief valve located in the flow path upstream of the vacuum creating means, the
• pressure relief valve being operable
• from a closed state preventing gas flow to the vacuum creating means through the flow path,
• to an open state permitting gas flow to the vacuum creating means through the flow path,
• in response to a pressure drop across the pressure relief valve in the direction of flow to the vacuum creating means exceeding a predefined pressure drop value, the pressure relief valve comprising:
• a valve seat defining a valve orifice therethrough for accommodating gas therethrough to the vacuum creating means,
• a valving element operable between a closed state sealably engaging the valve seat to close the valve orifice with the valve in the closed state, and an open state spaced apart from the valve seat to open the valve orifice with the valve in the open state,
• an urging means configured to urge the valving element into the closed state with a force sufficient to maintain the valving element in the closed state until the pressure drop across the valving element in the direction of flow to the vacuum creating means exceeds the predefined pressure drop value, and
• an anchoring means engageable with the urging means with the urging means acting between the anchoring means and the valving element to urge the valving element into the closed state, the anchoring means being moveable relative to the valving element for varying the force with which the urging means urges the valving element into the closed state, to in turn selectively adjust the predefined pressure drop value to which the pressure relief valve is responsive.