A new multi-electrode array design for chronic neural recording, with independent and automatic hydraulic positioning

We report on a new microdrive design, which enables the construction of multi-electrode arrays capable of chronically recording the multi-unit neural activity of waking animals. Our principal motivation for inventing this device was to simplify the task of positioning electrodes, which consumes a considerable amount of time and requires a high level of skill. With the new microdrives, each electrode is independently and automatically driven into place. A hydraulic drive system is adopted to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the structure. The hydraulic fluid is also used as a part of the electrical circuit, and facilitates the wiring of the electrodes. A routing system has been attached to reduce the number of tube connections. The microdrive is cylindrical, has a diameter of 23.5 mm, a height of 37 mm, and a weight of 15 g. It allows for up to 22 electrodes, which are arranged on a 0.35 mm grid. Each electrode can be positioned at any depth up to approximately 4mm. The microdrive was evaluated under acute and chronic recording experiments, and is shown to be capable of automatically positioning each electrode and successfully recording the neural signals of waking rats.