Neuroscientists plan electrophysiology experiments interactively with Pinpoint, a free open-source utility. Select target brain areas in 3D views, then explore probe trajectories using keyboard controls or click-and-drag motions. The tool computes stereotaxic coordinates for surgery and flags collisions with rig hardware.
Advanced users access an API to link with OpenEphys, SpikeGLX, Sensapex, and New Scale hardware. It works with the Allen CCF atlas on Windows, Linux via Steam, and web browsers. This education-focused tool targets researchers who value precise trajectory planning and community feedback through GitHub issues.
Pinpoint is a free and open source tool for neuroscientists that supports interactive planning of electrophysiology experiments. Pinpoint supports the entire planning process: selecting target brain areas in 3D, exploring possible probe trajectories through intuitive keyboard or click+drag interactions, automatic calculation of stereotaxic coordinates for surgery, and detection of possible collisions with rig hardware. For advanced users, Pinpoint also includes an API For communicating with OpenEphys and SpikeGLX as well as with Sensapex and New Scale hardware, please see the documentation for details.
Pinpoint currently supports the Allen CCF atlas and runs on Windows and Linux (through Steam) as well as in your web browser.
As a community-driven project we hope you will report back about what you find useful and frustrating so that we can make changes in the future. Please use the issues page on Github for this purpose.
Please note that your citations are critical for making it possible to get grant funding for Pinpoint in the future. You can cite Pinpoint as as "Birman, D., Yang, K. J., Steinmetz, N. A. (2023). Pinpoint: multi-probe trajectory planning for electrophysiology using an interactive web-based 3D environment. Zenodo"
