NEUROPIXELS NXT

Neuropixels NXT is a new project (Starting Q3 2020), funded by the NIH BRAIN initiative (1U01NS115587-01), located at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Tim Harris is Principal Investigator with Dan O’Connor of the Department of Neuroscience as the Co-Investigator. As for prior Neuropixels projects, imec is our design and manufacturing partner. The proposal summary is available. Our aim is to reduce the base area of the probe so that the limit of recording capacity is the tissue damage imposed by inserted shank count. This includes eliminating the head stage. We anticipate probes with ~650 channels with base area <6 mm2. Arrays of shanks arranged as a “comb” or a bed of nails, with shanks 6-10 mm should allow 10,000+ channels in freely moving, tethered mice. Data rates exceeding 1 Gb/s will be generated, so at this capacity, a head stage like “data hub” will be needed.   

The first generation of these very small devices will not be available for test by the PI’s until Q3 2023, with commercial deployment likely in 2025. A variety of translational applications for chronic geometries and acute surgical devices (an 800 channel recording stylet) are enabled by the very small base. We will work with NIH BRAIN program staff and other research groups to optimize the final geometries.