21-295 - SS Zeiss.docx

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation, and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation number is NICHD-21-295 and is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation/contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-06. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) Code is 334516 and the business size standard is 1,000 employees. This acquisition is being conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13. This solicitation is Not set aside for small business.

It is the intent of The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to procure a Modular Laser Scanning Microscope – LSM 900, 3 detectors including Airyscan from Carl Zeiss 1 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601. This is pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) – Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Carl Zeiss is the only vendor who has the Ariyascan technology of this LSM900 and the Ariyscan technology is a proprietary item of Carl Zeiss.

The instrument shall have the following features:

Microscope Features:

· Axio Observer.7

· Unique Features

· ACR – Automatic Component Recognition for objectives and filter Sets

· Fully integrated environmental control units into microscope stand control via TFT

· Thermally isolated Objectives for Live Cell Imaging

· Software controlled multiple LED light source module for fluorescence imaging

· Patented A.I. Sample Finder hardware and software module for automated sample calibration and focus

· Colibri 7 LED Fluorescence light source 7 lines covering the visible spectrum, directly mounted. Colibri 7 is a self-calibrating system that automeasures and maintains LED output intensity to factory levels through the ~20000 hour lifetime of the light source. 730nm far red LED line included for Cy7

· Camera for Widefield imaging:

· Axiocam 705 CMOS monochrome camera (5MP): The combination of a small pixel size of 3.45 µm and a large number of pixels (2464 (H) × 2056 (W)) provides high resolution and a large field of view. High speed imaging up to 62 fps at full frame combined with a high dynamic range of 1: 25000 and 72% Quantum Efficiency guarantees brilliant, lossless images with the finest signal to noise and resolution of even the smallest details.

· General Features

· Inverted microscope stand with fully motorized 6 position compatible objective nosepiece and 6 position push and click motorized fluorescence filter turret

· Motorized integrated Z focus with a step size of 10nm and travel range of 25mm

· Motorized X,Y stage with high accuracy and reproducibility. Stage can be controlled via software and joystick control.

· TFT touch panel independent of microscope stand with focus control and access to all microscope motorized functions.

· Computer controlled metal halide fluorescence illuminator with variable intensity output.

· High efficiency hard coated shift free filters for GFP, CY3, DAPI for standard visual fluorescence Imaging.

· High resolution scanning stage with joystick and integrated computer control including universal specimen holder suitable for variety of slide and round dishes up to 60mm with 5µ reproducibility over the full travel range.

· Integrated contrast manager to preset all light and microscope conditions

· LSM 900 3 Channel System: 2 MA PMT and 1 Airyscan Detector

· Unique Features

· The separation of light between detectors is achieved by the utilization of the Variable Secondary Dichroic (VSD) which allows the splitting of emission light from 420 to 620 nm in 1 nm steps within a detection range of 400 to 700 nm. The implementation of the VSD allows two distinct modes of spectral image acquisition;

· Flexible multi-channel configuration in which the user can specify the emission light to be separated between channels at a precision of 1nm with an overall range of 420 to 620nm

· Sequential high resolution spectral scanning using the movement of the VSD across the spectrum with user defined spectral resolution. The utilization of the VSD ensures that all emission light is incident on either detector 1 or detector 2.

· General Features

· The LSM 900 is a confocal laser scanning microscope with 2 calibrated and linearized MA PMT (Multi Alkali Photomultiplier tube) detectors and one 32 channel GaAsP PMT called the Airyscan. It is designed for biomedical (fluorescence), material (reflection) or combined biomedical and material applications.

· The primary dichroics provide a laser suppression of 6-7 OD through the utilization of low angle (~15°) dichroics – as opposed to the conventional 45° orientation.

· Multitrack imaging, for the prevention of cross-talk, by linewise or framewise switching of the laser excitation line, essential for multi-fluorescence applications and co-localization studies.

· Digital quantitative gain: noise-free contrast enhancement before bit depth conversion.

· Digital, quantitative Offset; units of offset control slider always correspond to the image grey level values.

· The pinhole opening diameter is freely variable and adjustable through ZEN software.

· Freely rotatable scan field (0-360 degree in 0.1° steps) and free xy offset (crop functionality).

· Use up to 4 laser lines simultaneously.

· 13 different scan speed levels (26 levels when including bi-directional scans).

· Scan Speeds:

· 512 x 512 pixels at max. 8 frames/sec

· 256 x 256 pixels at max. 13 frames/sec

· 512 x 16 pixels at max. 160 frames/sec

· Spotscan 0.4 µs/pixel

· Absolute linear scanner movement to ensure equal pixel dwell-times as a prerequisite for any quantitative study.

· Variable scan field size (hardware-zoom) from 0.5 to 40 in 0.1 steps for magnifications up to and beyond the optical limits of resolution, with a scan field of 18 mm diagonally in the intermediate image plane.

· Image format from 4x1 to 6k x 6k pixels with up to 16 bit depth (65536 gray values) in all PMT channels.

· Multidimensional image acquisition with easy combinations of Z-Stack, Time Series, Multi-positions (including software based autofocus options), and Tile Scan experiments.

· Time Series with automatic bleach control to design the entire experimental protocol. All scan strategies can be applied (line, spline, frame, z-line, z-spline, Z-Stack, ROIs, z-ROIs) in the Time Series.

· Multiple (up to 99) freely definable regions of interest (ROIs). Pixel precise control of the laser intensity and signal detection. Prevention of photo damage outside the ROIs boundaries necessary when work on living cells, FRET, FRAP, uncaging, photoactivation and photoconversion experiments.

· Possible to select different scan speeds and laser attenuation for bleach ROIs and image frames.

· The acquisition and analysis of spectral data is fully integrated in the basic software (ZEN).

· Gain calibration and linearization of the two PMT detectors is foundation for reliable spectral acquisition and analysis.

· The acquisition of spectral data by homogeneously or heterogeneously defined steps, down to 1 nm, is easily and flexibly done by moving the VSD in the emission beampath, therefore creating a series of images (lambda stacks) on both detectors.

· High efficient spectral imaging is achieved by using both detectors, capturing all emission light of the sample at every scan.

· Spectral data can be stored in the spectral database and later used for reference-based linear unmixing.

· Emission Fingerprinting: Reliable separation of different fluorescent dyes even with highly overlapping emission spectra (e.g. simultaneous detection and separation of FITC, GFP, YFP and autofluorescence) based on known, previously recorded reference spectra. Display of the unmixed dyes (crosstalk free) into separate dye-channel images and overlay images.

· Reference spectra can be stored in a database and later recalled. Spectral information is stored automatically with each unmixed image for traceable and reproducible workflow and unmixing experiments.

· Lasers with wavelengths from 405nm to 639nm can be combined. All lasers are solid state laser which are directly modulated and controlled by the standard software.

· Available Lasers (all power specifications reference out of fiber measurements) :

· 405 nm, solid state laser, 5 mW

· 488 nm, solid state laser, 10 mW

· 561 nm, solid state laser, 10 mW

· 640 nm, solid state laser, 5 mW

· Airyscan 2 Universal detection Module proprietary to Carl Zeiss microscopy. Hardware based superresolution. 120nm in XY and 350 nm in Z PLUS 4-8 fold higher sensitivity as compared to standard confocal detection

· 32 channel GaAsP detection array

· Isotropic(X,Y,Z) enhancement of resolution to 2 fold

· Improved S/N in superresolution mode for more outstanding image quality

· Compatible with all dyes and standard Confocal Preparations(Dyes incl all fluorescent proteins)

· Compatible with all visible laser lines incl 405

· Multiple modes of operation for Airyscan Module

· Superresolution – Provides 2 fold increase in resolution for the lens used

· Confocal Mode –Operates as a standard Ultra sensitive Confocal Channel

· Integrated seamlessly into ZEN 3.0 software module

· Behaves like another detector on system

· Supports line wise multitracking for fast live cell crosstalk free imaging

· Software Features

· Unique Features

· System Self-Maintenance Tool, an easy-to-use software along with a calibration objective for maintaining optimal system performance by automated calibration routines.

· Smart Setup: Easy hardware control - adapts system configuration according to chosen dyes from a large database of fluorochromes. Different acquisition modes are suggested (e.g. Fastest or Best Signal).

· General Features

· 64-Bit operating system for efficient data handling and memory management of large datasets.

· Software programmability and automation with control over all image acquisition functions via high level computer language (VBA 6.4).

· Innovative concept for reproducing experiments in multi-user environments via the REUSE function which allows reactivation of all acquisition parameters necessary to reproduce an experiment, stored within each image.

· User-specific Workspace setups can be stored within the ZEN software according to the user’s needs and applications.

· Lambda Scanning Mode and Linear Unmixing are fully integrated into ZEN standard software.

· The Windows user login defines the user-specific LSM environment. Each user can have individual settings and will not disturb the other users. Easy administration via Windows.

· Available Modules

· Quantitative Physiology module for acquisition of ion indicator dyes and display and analysis of ion concentrations including online and offline ratio for ratiometric dyes, online and offline F/F0 and DF/F for single wavelength dyes, calibration for single-wavelength and ratiometric dyes in-situ and in-vitro including background correction (after titration and with various curve fits or after Grynkiewicz). Includes “mean of ROI” measurement, displaying intensity changes over time.

· Quantitative FRET plus module for acquisition and analysis of sensitized emission, acceptor photobleaching, and Emission Fingerprinting based FRET using Youvan, Gordon, and Xia analysis methods. Includes “mean of ROI” measurement, displaying intensity changes over time.

· FRAP Efficiency Analysis module for analysis of original FRAP curve and fitted curve according to the parameters provided by the original curve. With tabulated output of fitting parameters (rate constant for recovery). Includes “mean of ROI” measurement, displaying intensity changes over time.

· The 3D VisArt module permits innovative 3D and 4D renderings of the data. Up to three clipping planes allow different rendering modes within the same sample (e.g. transparent combined with surface renderings). In 3D, measurements of distances, lines, and angles are possible. Furthermore, a fly-through mode (using the PC mouse) is implemented. All view modes can easily be used to create innovative movies in 3D.

· ROI-HDR. High dynamic range imaging module with intelligent local improvement of signal dynamics, free choice for gain or laser power modulation, the latter resulting in quantifiable images.

· The 3D Analysis module allows evaluation and display of 3D image data with various measurement tools.

· The Experiment Designer (MTS Experiments Macro) module permits heterogeneous complex, combined Time Series with changing acquisition configurations, autofocus, and bleach functions in any order.

· The Visual Macro Editor (VME) module allows for symbol driven design of automated complex imaging strategies by using the full functionality of the ZEN software, which is represented as action blocks in a graphical interface. It includes autofocus functionality as well as a variety of feedback imaging tasks.

· The module Visual Basic Macro, VBA, allows dedicated visual basic programming to create macros and includes a macro recorder function.

· Deconvolution module for improvement of 3D image stacks with 4 different deconvolution algorithms possible. Advanced correction methods possible for bleaching, background, and spherical aberration. An interactively definable region is possible for a quick check of various set deconvolution parameters.

· The Topo module is a dedicated tool to analyze surfaces (not only) in material microscopy. E.g., measurements of multiple roughness parameters, volumes, and surface profiles can be easily performed.

· With Tiles & Positions module advanced tile scan options are available and neighboring, overlapping image stacks in reflection and fluorescent mode can be acquired and stitched together. Imaging up to 100x100 tiles is possible. Processing of single images, Z-Stacks, Time Series, and Tiled images with the Shading Correction tool is available.

Microscope:

Stage and Inserts:

Widefield:

TPMT:

Objectives:

LSM:

Airyscan 2:

Workstation and software:

Air Table:

Table LSM 710/780/880/980 30x36, SP,I325 1 EACH

The offeror must include a completed copy of the provision of FAR Clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items with its offer. The provisions of FAR Clause 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items; FAR Clause 52.212-2, Evaluation – Commercial Items: Evaluation Factors 1) technical capability to provide all items, etc; (2) price; and (3) past performance. Technical capability and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price; FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items; and FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items – Deviation for Simplified Acquisitions applies to this acquisition. FAR Clause 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunication and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment; FAR Clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment; FAR Clause 52.213-4. The offeror must include their Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. The clauses are available in full text at http://www.arnet.gov/far. Quotations will be due ten (10) calendar days from the publication date of this synopsis or September 8,2021 at 11:00 AM. The quotation must reference “Solicitation number” NIH-NICHD-21-295 A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Quotations must be submitted by email to Patricia Haun at Haunp@mail.nih.gov. Faxed copies will not be accepted