Evaluation-Upgrade7T-TMSM.pdf

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS (INFORMATION):

Offerors must provide descriptive literature, warranties, and/or other materials that demonstrate that their offer meets the specified characteristics. In addition to any of the technical/descriptive information, the quoter/offeror shall provide the following information for use in the technical evaluation process:

If the proposal involves replacing the current 7T magnet and/or RF system, the proposal must include:

1. Magnetic field homogeneity specifications (ppm for a 45, 25 and 12 cm DSV) and magnet specifications to evaluate the capability, including but not limited to overall dimensions, weight, superconductor type and current, shims etc.

2. Details of the new magnetic/RF shielding specifications for the system and proposed layout with magnet in place including distance to 1.5 mT and 0.5 mT fringe field contour lines.

3. Details of the transmit array coil along with the maximum RF power levels that can be used on human studies in the parallel transmit mode.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Government will award a contract or purchase order to meet the requirements of this acquisition on the basis of best value, past performance, technical factors/specification and price . Technical factors/specifications and past performance together shall be considered significantly more important than price. Technical evaluation criteria that will be used in reviewing proposals are listed below in order of descending importance..

1. Past Performance (45%). Offerors should include documentation of (a) successful turn-key upgrades of high-field human MRI systems (i.e. 7T or higher) and ongoing operation and support of the upgraded high-field MRI and/or documentation of experience in successful design, manufacture and turn-key installation, operation and support of high-field human MRI systems (i.e. 7T or higher) similar to the one specified in this solicitation. Offerors are required to corroborate this track-record by providing at least 3 customer references familiar with human MRI projects or contracts awarded over the past 4 years that can confirm this experience, preferably projects with field strength of 7T or higher. The projects can be either completed or in progress.

2. Proposed System Specifications Exceeding Minimum Salient Characteristics.

(35%). The extent to which the specifications of the proposed system (e.g.

gradient, shim/gradient coils, RF electronics, RF coils and image reconstruction) exceed the minimum specification requirements included in the salient characteristics; This includes the feasibility and technical soundness of any proposed novel technologies or capabilities (e.g. a proposal would be evaluated higher if vendor proposes a (technically sound) novel prospective motion correction method or an integrated removable local gradient head coil,).

3. Compatibility and Interoperability. (20%). The extent of compatibility and interoperability of the proposed system with existing MRI scanners in the NIH NMR Center which are listed in the narrative. (e.g. if a researcher unexpectedly needs to move an experiment from one 7T scanner to another, it is preferable if the data acquired (i.e. available pulse sequences, image contrast controllability and acquisition and reconstruction characteristics) are as close to being interchangeable as feasible. Thus, having a scanner that is interoperable with existing equipment is preferred.).