Electrode Site
Individual conductive area on a neural probe that detects bioelectrical signals from the surrounding extracellular space.
An electrode site (also called a recording site or contact) is a small conductive pad on a neural probe that makes direct contact with the brain's extracellular space to record bioelectrical signals at that location.
Why it matters: Each electrode site is the fundamental sensing element of a neural probe. The number, size, spacing, material, and impedance of sites determine recording quality, spatial resolution, and the types of signals that can be captured.
Key parameters: Site area (typically 100–1000 µm²), impedance at 1 kHz (typically 0.1–3 MΩ), and material (iridium, gold, platinum, PEDOT) affect signal amplitude and noise characteristics.
Relationship to channels: Each electrode site connects to one recording channel through the probe's integrated traces, headstage, and data acquisition system.