3 min read
Updated September 13, 2026
Thirty minutes, done in this order. Most first-session failures are set up before the probe reaches the animal.
Research use only. NeuroNexus products and the procedures described here are for non-clinical research use, and must not be used in human or veterinary medical procedures.
What you need#
- The silicon probe, in its case
- The matching headstage, and any adapter the package requires
- Cables, and the acquisition system powered and running
- A dissecting microscope with a cold light source
- Saline, and an impedance meter or acquisition-software impedance check
1 — Inspect and clean#
Take the probe out by its package, never by the shank or the cable.
Under magnification, check the shank is straight, the sites are clear, and the ground and reference wire joints are intact. A bent shank or a damaged site found now costs a few minutes; found during surgery it costs the session.
If the probe has been used, confirm it was cleaned by the standard protocol — enzyme before alcohol, never ultrasonic, never autoclave. See NeuroNexus Probe Usage Tips.
2 — Measure impedance#
Measure in saline, before mounting. Compare against the probe's own baseline rather than a nominal figure.
A channel well outside its baseline is a failed channel. Knowing which one before you record is the difference between excluding a channel and mistrusting a result.
3 — Mount#
Mount the probe on the manipulator or holder by its package. The shank must hang free, with no lateral load on it.
Check the manipulator's trajectory through its full travel, before the probe is anywhere near tissue.
4 — Connect the headstage#
Attach the headstage to the probe connector. Support the probe while connecting; the insertion force on a connector is more than a shank tolerates through a lever arm.
If an adapter is in the path, get its channel map now and fold it into the site map. Site 1 is rarely channel 1 through an adapter.
Route the cable so nothing pulls on the probe as the manipulator moves, and strain-relieve it at a fixed point.
5 — Verify before the animal#
Connect to the acquisition system and confirm four things: every channel present, impedance as measured in step 2, noise floor at baseline, no mains peak.
Do this with the probe in saline, not in air. A probe in air looks quiet because nothing is connected to anything.