The Cerebus system is a highly-configurable, easy-to-use multichannel data acquisition system for animal neurophysiology experiments. The Cerebus Front-End Amplifier and Neural Signal Processor captures, processes, and analyzes action potentials (spikes), field potentials, and other physiological signals in relation to experiment state events – in real time.

Neural Signal Processor – Real time processing for up to 128 electrodes, 16 auxiliary analog channels, and individual TTL or strobed word experiment events (multiple systems can be synchronized for higher channel counts)

128-Channel Front-End Amplifier – Amplifies, filters, digitizes neural signals before converting to a single, multiplexed optical output.

The Cerebus system is configurable for in vivo (bird, rodent, feline, monkey) and in vitro (cell culture, brain slice) preparations to assist in the study of:

• Sensory perception
• Motor control
• Attention, cognition, and decision making
• Learning and memory
• Drug and toxin effects
• Epilepsy
• Parkinson’s
• Neuroprosthetics
• Brain-machine interfaces
• Neurostimulation therapies

• Ultra-compact design
• Fiber-optic link for reduced system noise
• 8-, 16-, 32-, 64-, 96-, 128- and 256-channel recording (16 bit)
• Continuous recording of spikes and field potentials (30 kHz)
• Compatible with low and high-impedance electrodes (individual metal microelectrodes, microelectrode and microwire arrays, planar silicon probe, ECoG grids, and surface EEG/EMG/EKG electrodes)
• Flexible I/O options for synchronizing with behavior, stimulus, and video systems

• Per-channel selection of digital filter/sampling rate
• Adaptive spike detection, 3D spike sorting
• Electrode impedance/crosstalk measurements
• Digital noise (line, magnetic) cancellation
• Interface to NeuroExplorer, Spike2, MATLAB, C/C++, and other 3rd-party software
• Parallel, multi-PC control and operation
• Remote control of data acquisition and storage

Quickly isolate units in 3D PCA space

See individual action potentials (units) on every channel

Online feature vs. feature plots for tetrode sorting

Scrolling view of spikes, filed potentials and event data

Geometric display of spike firing rates across channels