36C25724Q0685.docx

Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Network Contracting Office 17

5441 Babcock Road Ste. 302 San Antonio TX 78240

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Shannon Robinson shannon.robinsn3@va.gov 931-542-7887

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Central Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care

1901 Veterans Memorial Drive

Research Building 205

Temple Texas

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice

Sources Sought

1. This market research notice is being conducted by Network Contracting Office (NCO) 17 VHA Regional Procurement Office-West (RPOW) Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), VA Research Core Lab 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Building 205, Temple, Texas 76504.

2. The requirement is for Leica Thunder Imaging System. See the attached Statement of Work for additional details.

3. If this is a service your business can provide, please respond to this Sources Sought Notice by 4 PM Central Time on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

4. The intent of this notice is to establish sources to define the procurement strategy (e.g., set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation that VA intends to post soon. Interested contractors are requested to respond in accordance with the following:

a. If you have an existing GSA or VA, Federal Supply Schedule contract, include the contract details in your response.

b. Please note that VA is particularly interested in determining the availability of Small Business that can provide this service.

c. Vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing with their responses. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the future solicitation. (e.g., if CO determines that capable small businesses cannot provide fair and reasonable pricing, then the solicitation will not be set-aside).

5. Responses should include:

(1) Business Name

(2) Business Address

(3) Point of Contact

- Name

- Phone Number

- E-mail Address

(4) SAM UID Number

(5) NAICS code

(6) Business Size: SMALL or LARGE

(7) Type of Business: SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN OWNED (SDVOSB), VETERAN OWNED(VOSB), 8A, HUBZone, WOMAN-OWNED (WOSB), etc.

(8) Letter stating OEM authorized dealer, authorized distributor, or authorized reseller for the proposed equipment and/or services if applicable

(9) GSA/FSS Contract Number if applicable

All businesses eligible to provide this service are encouraged to reply as this information may be used to determine potential set-asides for the above-noted requirement.

6. Send responses to Shannon Robinson at shannon.robinson3@va.gov.

DISCLAIMER: This notice is issued solely for informational and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to form a binding contract. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this notice.

See attached document: Statement of Work (SOW).

End of Document

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: Leica Thunder Imaging System (UID: VA-24-00035288)

2. Scope of Work: The Research Department located at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), VA Research Core Lab at 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive (Research Building 205), Temple, Texas is requesting the purchase of one Leica Thunder Imager for research purposes.

Background: Being able to understand the underlying mechanisms of disease often requires the non-invasive visualization and tracking of cellular dynamics of thick living tissues (organoids) or research animal models (e.g. zebrafish). This has been an ongoing challenge since standard microscope systems, which due to a limited focal length, are unable to visualize thick specimens in 3-D without blurring (i.e. optical distortion) of the image. One of the ways in which optical distortion has been reversed in other scientific fields (e.g. astronomy, forensic science) has been to perform real-time deconvolution using blind deconvolution algorithms that improve the clarity, resolution and contrast of the image with each successive round of computation. In this requirement, we want to obtain an imaging system that is able rapidly capture and deblur images of organoids and zebrafish without causing harm to the tissue or organisms. This highly specialized imaging and computational instrumentation will be applied towards our research initiatives for cancer, heart disease, liver disease, and cellular effects infectious agents and toxic environmental agents (e.g. burn pit toxins). All of which contribute to major health problems and diminished quality of life in our Veteran population.

DESCRIPTION of EQUIPMENT: This requirement is for the Leica Thunder Imager. The THUNDER Imaging system provides high-speed, multicolor imaging of thin and thick samples with increased temporal resolution. It contains a computational clearing method that generates high resolution and high contrast images. Computational Clearing efficiently differentiates between signal and background by taking the size of the targeted specimen features into account. This approach makes image details immediately visible which formerly were not accessible.

The imaging system needs to have the following attributes and capabilities:

A. Software Acquisition and Computational Functionality

1) Include Thunder 3D DCV Tera which Must be able to create rapid acquisition of blur-free images that show fine details in thick samples that are up to 500 µm deep within scanned organisms in real time without out-of-focus blur. This procedure must be able to remove out-of-focus blur even from single-plane acquisitions without the need to calibrate or adjust moving hardware components. The software must be able to perform computation clearing of images acquired from a live preview. It also shall include licenses for instant computational clearing (ICC), small volume computational clearing (SVCC), large volume computational clearing (LVCC) and THUNDER live.

2) The acquisition/computational clearing processes need to be able to keep large model organisms, such as zebrafish and C. elegans under excellent physiological conditions during imaging.

3) The clearing process must be able to perform efficient computational clearing based on size of targeted specimen features to differentiate between signal and background.

4) Leica Acquisition Suite (LAS) X Navigator software that includes LAS X Stitching, LAS X Mark and Find and LAS X Assay Editor license as well as the control for the water immersion micro dispenser. The software needs to provide overview images of any shape with a user defined region. Be capable of using spiral scan search in the vicinity of the current location, as well be able to display images in the sample carrier for quick orientation. The software needs to allow images to be added to the overview regardless of which magnification, camera, detector or contrasting method is used. The user should be able use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the sample. The software needs to provide an unlimited number of regions and positions can be defined for high resolution scans or multi-well projects. Software needs to have predefined sample carrier formats such as slides, petri dishes, chambered slides and well plates from different suppliers. The user should able be define sample carriers. The software needs to be equipped with an assay editor that can automatically distribute regions and positions within the sample carrier layout.

B. Hardware

5) The system needs to be equipped with a planapo 0.63x M-series objective with a working distance of 67 mm, connection thread M65 and an 80 mm external diameter for ring light illumination or accessories.

6) Fluorescent filter sets need to include DAPI, Texas-red (or equivalent) and GFP filter sets.

7) Leica LMT260 XY-scanning stage equipped with an integrated controller with direct positioning in 2 axes with 2 linear motors. The stage can be manually moved at any time. Has a position resolution of 5 nm and absolute precision of 1 µm, maximal capacity load of 1.5 kg, interface size of 160 x 110 mm, travel range of 120 x 80 mm and sample weight less than 0.5 kg.

8) Leica K3C color CMOS camera that has 2.4 micron pixel size, 8.92 mm sensor diagonal, 15 frames/per sec acquisition speed with a dynamic range up to 72 db with 3 x 12 bit in color (RGB), and 12 bit in monotone.

9) Desktop HP Z4G4 PC workstation that is equipped with a XEON-W-2223, 3.6 MHz processor with 64 GB main board memory, NVIDIA RTX A4000 16 GB (4) DP or equivalent, 480 GB SATA Enterprise SSD, 4 TN M.2 SSD temp drive, 4 TB M.2 SSD data drive, DVD writer.

10) Leica SmartTouch TM control unit that can control zoom, iris diaphragm, fluorescence filter turrent, shutter, fluorescence intensity, motor focus, focus speed and an IsoPro XYstage. Also needs to have memory functions which can store and recall settings, as well as visualize the current settings of encoded instruments.

11) A Leica TP5000 Ergo Transmitted Light Base equipped with Rottermann contrast TM for showing changes in refractive index, brightfield and two sided darkfield. This system is to be equipped with a long-life LED light source, the shutter, contrasting mode, aperture and light intensity should be controlled via software or an external controller unit. The last used setting for each contract mode are stored in the base. This system needs to include a transparent glass stage plate, anti-shock feet , a 3x CAN bus, and 1 x USB.

12) Revolving nosepiece M165 FC and M205 FA for two objectives, which has an electronic read out of the objective position and M65 objective thread.

13) LED3 light source that is mercury-free which is solid-state lighting in the 390-680 nm range for use in fluorescence microscopy and stereo microscopy applications. The LED light source needs to be capable of being triggered to synchronize illumination with camera exposure to minimize photobleaching.

14) A K5 microscope sCMOS camera system that has a resolution of 2048 x 2048 pixels, pixel size of 6.5 µm x 6.5 µm with a 21,400:1 dynamic range.

15) A Leica K3C 6.3 MP color camera with a color depth of 3x12 bits, pixel size of 2.4µm x 2.4 µm, exposure time of 1 ms to 1 sec, dynamic range > 72 dB, with fast live image with a resolution of 3072 x 2048 up to 15 frames per sec, a gain of 1x-251x. Needs to include C mount adapter, the camera head, USB3 cable with screw-lock connectors, DVD with instructions a quick start guide.

16) An intermediate video tube HDV-100/50 that includes a node connection for video adapter, a switchable documentation port (100% vis or 505/50), a second beam path that is permanently 100% visual and can be combined with all binocular tubes and documentation tubes.

17) A 0.5x Video tube for trinocular or phototubes of Leica stereo scopes and cameras with ½” sensors.

18) Shall include fluorescence filter sets for DAPI, GFP and Texas Red.

Electrical Requirements: Power cables with standard USA plugs.

SHIPPING: Shipping needs to be performed by personnel trained to safely transport sensitive equipment.

Training: Needs to include a training for up to 8 hour of training time with an Leica Application Specialist. Also, shall include follow-up support resources such as to the remote application support team and web materials.

SERVICE and WARRANTY: Standard 12-Month System Warranty on all non-consumable components.

End of Document

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Sources Sought Notice