UNSPSC 41116172: Cardiac marker quality controls or calibrators or standards

Quality control reagents used in hospital laboratory cardiac marker testing.

UNSPSC 41116172 Cardiac marker quality controls or calibrators or standards (Commodity) shows minimal alignment between its nominal scope and actual state and local procurement activity. The code's technical definition targets laboratory-grade cardiac biomarker reference materials—calibrators and quality-control reagents for clinical chemistry analyzers and point-of-care testing—yet the recent solicitations posted under this code document purchases of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), defibrillator accessories (batteries, pads, blood-pressure cuff components), and cardiac monitors for emergency medical services and public safety use. This mismatch suggests either systematic miscoding by issuing jurisdictions or a data-taxonomy discrepancy; the code does not reflect genuine procurement of quality-control standards or calibrators for cardiac marker assays. Across the fourteen opportunities posted between April and October 2026, school districts, counties, and municipal fire/EMS departments are the primary buyers, seeking to equip emergency response operations with defibrillation and patient-monitoring capability rather than to procure laboratory standards or controls.

Recent activity spans multiple states and jurisdictions. Cobb County School District (Georgia) issued two separate RFQs in June and July 2026, each estimating approximately $50,000 in AED and accessory expenditures; Sarasota County (Florida) requested Cardiac Science G5 AED battery replacements in August; Bryan County (Georgia) solicited EMS cardiac monitors in August; the State of Georgia issued an RFQ for AEDs in July; Utica Community Schools (Michigan) advertised AED bids in October 2026 due October 28; the City of Dallas conducted an informal solicitation for defibrillators in May; Harris County (Texas) posted an AED RFP due May 18, 2026; Marion County (Florida) re-solicited blood-pressure cuff components for LIFEPAK defibrillators in April; and the State of Colorado proceeded with a sole-source procurement of LIFEPAK monitor/defibrillators from Stryker. Broader cooperative purchasing vehicles also appear: NASPO ValuePoint medical-supplies RFPs (administered by South Dakota and sponsored by Idaho state agencies) and Sourcewell's law-enforcement equipment RFP (issued on behalf of participating counties in Washington and beyond) close November 9, 2026 and June 16, 2026 respectively, though neither specifies cardiac marker standards. The concentration of actual solicitation activity—AEDs, monitors, and EMS equipment—suggests this code should not be the primary research target for vendors supplying laboratory-grade cardiac marker controls or calibrators to state and local clinical laboratories.