This paper summarizes an algorithm to autonomously position an extracellular recording electrode so as to first isolate the action potentials of a single neuron in a multi-unit signal, and then re-position the electrode as necessary to optimize and maintain the recording quality of that neuron over an extended recording interval. We first summarize some of the technical advancements of the current algorithm over earlier versions of the “SpikeTrack” recording system in the area of multi-hypothesis cluster tracking method for spike sorting, and a new technique to optimize the signal recording interval. Novel recording experiments in macaque cortex compare the performance of autonomous extracellular recording with that of an experienced neurophysiologist. We found that the algorithm isolates cells better than a human expert.
