ONIX: A Neural Acquisition System for Unencumbered, Closed-Loop Recordings in Small, Freely Moving Animals

项目总结 在过去的一个世纪里，细胞外记录技术已经从手工制作的针状电极发展起来 和真空管放大器到包含数百个记录点和芯片上的微型制造设备 数字化电路。这一技术弧线促进了诺贝尔奖获得者的发现，如Unitary 动作电位的本质、哺乳动物视觉的计算和空间的神经基础 学习，以及其他许多值得注意的发现。为了研究大脑功能日益复杂的方面， 技术发展受到两个相互竞争的目标的推动：(1)允许与 尽可能多的神经元和(2)将录音对正常动物行为的影响降至最低。而当 在第一个目标方面取得了很大进展，人们越来越认识到必须加大努力 分配用于减轻神经植入的行为负担，特别是在小鼠身上。 为此，Open Ephys Inc.提议创建Onix，一个高性能的神经记录生态系统 这允许在大型、复杂的记录会话中不受限制地进行任意长时间的记录会话 环境。Onix的一个关键组件将是头盔设备，它可以测量自己的位置和 定位。这些信息被发送到一个低成本、易于安装的有线电视机器人，使Onix保持超轻 系绳始终保持接近垂直，同时补偿系绳引起的头部扭矩。这将启用、 第一次，记录了老鼠无拘无束的自然主义行为。此外，使用先进的数字 电路，ONIX将与探头无关，并能够与所有现代记录设备一起工作，包括Intan 芯片、神经像素和用于钙成像的微型内窥镜。Onix将无缝集成到 现有的广泛使用的软件，如Open Ephys图形用户界面、Bonsai和DeepLabCut Live for Maximum 无需实验室学习新工具或修改收购工作流程即可实现市场渗透。总而言之，Onix 将在房间规模的3D环境中提供高带宽、闭环性能，而不会给鼠标带来负担。 与其他用于丰富、定量测量动物行为的创新工具相结合，Onix将 加速该领域迈向定量神经行为学的黄金时代。

PROJECT SUMMARY Over the last century, extracellular recording technologies have progressed from handmade needle electrodes and vacuum tube amplifiers to microfabricated devices containing hundreds of recording sites and on-chip digitization circuits. This technological arc has facilitated Nobel-prize winning discoveries such as the unitary nature of action potentials, the computations underlying mammalian vision, and the neural basis of spatial learning, among many other notable findings. To study increasingly sophisticated aspects of brain function, technical development has been driven by two competing goals: (1) permitting high-fidelity communication with as many neurons as possible and (2) minimizing the impact of recordings on normal animal behavior. While great progress has been made on the first goal, there is growing recognition that increased effort must be allotted to reduce the behavioral burden of neural implants, especially in mice. Toward this end, Open Ephys Inc. proposes to create ONIX, a high-performance neural recording ecosystem that permits unencumbered mouse behavior for arbitrarily long recording sessions in large, complex environments. A key component of ONIX will be head-mounted devices that measure their own position and orientation. This information is sent to a low-cost, easy-to-install cable robot that keeps the ONIX ultra-light tether approximately vertical at all times while compensating for tether induced head torque. This enables, for the first time, recordings during unencumbered naturalistic mouse behavior. Further, using advanced digital circuitry, ONIX will be probe-agnostic and capable of working with all modern recording devices, including Intan chips, Neuropixels, and miniature endoscopes for calcium imaging. ONIX will seamlessly integrate into existing, widely used software such as the Open Ephys GUI, Bonsai, and DeepLabCut Live for maximum market penetration without requiring labs to learn new tools or modify acquisition workflows. In summary, ONIX will provide high-bandwidth, closed-loop performance without burdening mice in room-scale 3D environments. In combination with other innovative tools for rich, quantitative measurement of animal behavior, ONIX will accelerate the field towards a golden age of quantitative neuroethology.