Redesign Energy Landscapes of A Bistable Magnetoelastic Origami Towards Tissue Puncture

Bistable mechanisms have been extensively investigated and applied in various fields, including robotics, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices, and mechanical computing. The energy landscape has emerged as a powerful analytical tool for understanding these mechanisms. Consequently, designing energy landscapes has become a critical challenge in developing bistable mechanisms. Inspired from cnidocyte cell, this study presents a novel approach utilizing a hybrid system comprising two subsystems to modify the energy landscape. The proposed system integrates elastic potential energy and magnetic field potential energy by affixing a rigid origami mechanism to an elastic substrate and strategically positioning magnets. The two subsystems exhibit varying coupling relationships at different stages, resulting in an overall energy landscape characterized by a reduced forward energy barrier and an enhanced backward energy barrier. Applying this principle, we designed a prototype for tissue puncture applications featuring a lower activation force and a higher puncture force compared to pure pneumatic design. The efficacy of this design was validated through experimental trials. The prototype demonstrated promising puncture capabilities, achieving a relatively high puncture velocity (63.2 mm/s) and substantial puncture force (6.14 N). These characteristics enabled the successful penetration of porcine gastrointestinal tissue.