1. SOW Siemens MRI Upgrades CERC FY24.docx

Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences Procurement of MR Packages to Align Siemens Scanners MR3, MR5, and MR6

Statement of Work

BACKGROUND

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging Section within the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences (RADIS) provides imaging services to patients enrolled in protocols across the NIH institutes.

PURPOSE/JUSTIFICATION

The MRI Section has three existing Siemens 1.5T Sola/SolaFit MRI scanners. The purpose of this acquisition is to bring all three scanners to the same level of application/protocol MR sequence capability. Currently, the applications to be procured are not installed on all three scanners. This complicates scheduling of patients, especially those on long-term protocols who need to have repeated scans and followed over time.

In addition, MR imaging studies are frequently long exams requiring patients to lie still for up to an hour at a time. This can be very difficult for many Clinical Center patients who are often very ill and in pain at the time of the MRI procedure. Rapid high-quality imaging is essential for patient comfort, accurate image interpretation and diagnostic assessment.

Acquiring high quality images in a short time frame can be very challenging. CS SPACE, CS SEMAC, CS TOF and SMSP allow for accelerated image acquisition and shortened scan times, while providing high-resolution images. Benefits include 1 mm isotropic 3D brain images in 3 minutes, 3D sub-millimeter resolution for musculoskeletal MRI, advanced metal artifact reduction techniques in a shorter time and high resolution TOF imaging in 2 minutes. Using CS-SPACE with MRCP in the abdomen, it is possible to acquire high resolution 3D datasets of the pancreatic and biliary duct system in a single short breath-hold or with free breathing in 1-2 minutes. Clinical Center patients would benefit greatly from shortened MR scan times.

Many patients with arterial vascular disease who need angiographic assessment have kidney disease and compromised renal function. MR angiographic assessment is routinely performed with intravenous gadolinium, however patients with compromised renal function are at an increased risk of complications from gadolinium contrast administration. Syngo NATIVE is a contrast-free MR angiography technique for visualizing the arterial vasculature of the body.

This is a CERC approved and funded FY24 procurement.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

1. Contractor will furnish and install the following MRI application packages on existing Siemens Sola 1.5T MRI scanner (MR6) located in RADIS. Main features include:

a) Simultaneous Multi-Slice Package

(1) Multi-slice EPI

(2) Multi-slice TSE

(3) Multi-slice RESOLVE enabling accelerated imaging for diffusion weighted and BOLD functional imaging

b) Compressed Sensing TOF with incoherent subsampling

(1) Accelerated TOF angiography up to 50 % with no image quality degradation

(2) Imaging of the intracranial arterial vasculature

c) Compressed Sensing SPACE

(1) Accelerated 3D imaging based on the SPACE pulse sequence

(2) Iterative reconstruction

(3) Improved special and/or temporal resolution

(4) Reduced scan time

(5) Optimized protocols for musculoskeletal imaging supporting (T1, T2, and PD imaging)

2. Contractor will furnish and install the following MRI application packages on 2 existing Siemens SolaFit 1.5T MRI scanners (MR3 and MR5) located in RADIS. Main features include:

a) Native syngo

(1) Integrated software packages with sequences and protocols for non-contrast enhanced 3D MRA

(2) High spatial resolution

(3) Enables abdominal and peripheral vessel imaging

(4) Alternative to MR Angiography techniques involved contrast media

(5) Particularly important for patients with renal insufficiency

b) QISS

(1) Sequences and protocols for non-contrast enhanced peripheral MRA

(2) Enables higher reproducibility

(3) Alternative to MR angiography techniques with contrast medium

(4) Particularly important for patient with severe renal insufficiency

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

N/A

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

Vendor shall provide the packages described above and coordinate installation with the MRI Supervisor to ensure minimal impact to patient schedule.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL REQUIREMENTS

N/A

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS

Receipt of and proper installation shall be acknowledged and verified by the senior medical physicist or her designee. Verification of equipment functionality will be performed by the senior medical physicist or designee and MRI staff including radiologists/technologists upon delivery and installation.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

To be installed within 6 months of the award.