An Algorithm for Autonomous Isolation of Neurons in Extracellular Recordings

This paper describes novel multi-electrode systems that can autonomously position recording electrodes inside cortical tissue so as to isolate and then maintain optimal extracellular signal recording quality without human intervention. Autonomous microdrives can be used to improve the quality and efficiency of acute recordings that are needed for basic research in neurophysiology. They also offer the potential to increase the longevity and quality of chronic recordings and will serve as the front end of neuroprosthetic systems that aid the handicapped. We first describe the autonomous positioning algorithm, and its implementation as a finite state machine. We have deployed the algorithm on both conventional acute recording micro-drives and a novel miniature robot microdrive. Experimental results in monkey cortex are presented.