NIST_Sources_Sought_5.20.16.pdf

TITLE: Inverted Fluorescence Microscope

OPDIV: NIST, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST)

INTRODUCTION

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of potential businesses in accordance with FAR 7.104(d). The potential business will need to demonstrate the capability to perform all facets of the work described below.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses.

Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 334516, as those domestic sources having 1,000 employees or less. Please include your company’s size classification and socio-economic status in any response to this notice.

After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive or non-competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. If at least two qualified small business sources are identified during this market research stage, and they are proposing equipment which complies with the Non-Manufacturer Rule standards/exceptions, this acquisition may be solicited as a small business set aside. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses (SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB and VOSB).

The sole intent of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain capabilities for set-aside and procurement planning purposes. This is not an invitation for bid, request for proposal, or other solicitation, and in no way obligates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to award a contract.

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) enables science and industry by providing essential measurement methods, instrumentation, and standards to support all phases of nanotechnology development, from discovery to production. The Energy Research Group within the CNST plans to conduct several sensitive ultrafast pump-probe microscopy and spectroscopy measurements that require the use of an inverted fluorescence microscope system. The microscope will be used for inspection and imaging of nanophotonic devices and energy materials as well as perform ultrafast microscopy and spectroscopy on such devices and materials when coupled to a camera and a spectrometer. This procurement will also enable the energy research group to perform fluorescence microscopy, optical and optomechanical characterization and spectroscopy with state-of-the-art experimental design and control, optical sensitivity, and thermal and mechanical stability. The acquisition will also support research in the CNST user facility and will be used as a shared resource accessible to researchers from industry, academia, NIST, and other government agencies through collaboration.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

To meet the purpose and objective of this requirement, the Contractor shall provide documentation demonstrating the capability to provide one (1) inverted fluorescence microscope system. In addition, the offered system shall be capable of meeting or exceeding the salient characteristics below (all equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered):

2.1 Inverted Stand and Integrated Components

An inverted microscope stand with integrated components is required to provide an appropriate interface between the microscope and the sample, as well as the requisite degree of control over automated experiments.

a) The stand shall support multiple imaging tiers along the principle optical axis to allow multiple laser-source coupling and collection between the different tiers.

b) The stand shall feature infinity-corrected optics.

c) The stand shall motorize the beam path selector, reflected and transmitted light shutters, fluorescence reflector turret, objectives and focal position.

d) All motorized functions of the chassis shall be fully integrated with microscope control and data acquisition software to enable the design and control of experimental automation.

e) The stand shall support the motorized stage and optical hardware as described below.

f) The stand shall include a port for the camera specified below, as well as another identical port for the future addition of another optical detector or spectrometers.

g) The stand shall support a bottom port along the principle optical axis of the microscope for coupling laser illumination into the microscope and/or directing the light collected by the objective to come out through this port.

2.2 Imaging and illumination tiers

The microscope must have no fewer than two (2) tiers of illumination for imaging/spectroscopy in reflection using broadband and laser light. Including:

a) A motorized filter turret in at least one of the tiers with a minimum of six positions.

b) A minimum of two positions in the second tier for coupling additional laser lines/broadband illumination source with a movable beam-splitter/dichroic mirror in the “infinity” space

c) Imaging tiers must have the capability to be removed and swapped quickly, in under 10 min, without significant disassembly of microscope system.

d) Imaging tier must also include breadboard module for attaching custom optics in one of the tiers.

e) A swappable motorized imaging-tier module to allow directing the captured light to a right side port for coupling to a camera or a spectrometer.

2.2 Stage and Inserts

A motorized stage is required to precisely control the position of the sample to be imaged with the microscope.

a) The stage shall hold the sample at a specified position with a resolution of ≤ 0.1 μm, a repeatability of ≤ 1 μm, an orthogonality between the stage x-axis and y-axis of ≤ 10 arcsec, and a range of ≥ 110 mm (x-axis) by ≥ 75 mm (y-axis) or larger.

b) The stage shall include x-y-z piezo stage insert with >300 μm of travel along each axis with <1.0nm resolution in each axis. The piezo stage must be completely compatible to be mounted with the scanning stage and controlled via the integrated software.

c) The stage shall have appropriate inserts to support samples with a diameter of ≥ 10 mm and a cover wafer of standard #1 thickness (170 μm) facing down towards the objective.

d) The stage shall be fully integrated with microscope control and data acquisition software in order to precisely control and monitor the lateral position and motion of the stage.

e) The stage position shall also be controlled with an independent hardware controller.

2.3 Scientific CCD Cameras

One state-of-the-art color scientific CCD cameras are required to record images and videos of fluorescent samples with high sensitivity, low background noise, and fast frame rates.

a) The camera shall have minimum array of ≥ 2650 pixels × 2200 pixels (6 megapixel) with a pixel size of ≤ 4.54 µm × 4.54 μm.

b) The camera must exhibit a dark current rate of less than 0.0002 e/p/s at -20°C.

c) All essential camera functions including exposure time, frame rate, and binning shall be fully interfaced with the microscope system control and data acquisition software to enable the design of automated experiments.

2.4 Illumination Sources

Two (2) illumination sources are required for different microscopy applications.

a) A transmitted light halogen lamp shall be provided for inspecting, illuminating and imaging samples in conjunction with a condenser and associated hardware.

b) A reflected light halogen lamp shall be provided for inspecting, illuminating, and imaging samples in conjunction the associated hardware.

c) The microscope must include high-speed automated shutters in the both the transmitted and the reflected light paths.

d) The microscope must include long-working distance condenser for the transmitted light illumination.

2.5 Objective Lenses

Various objective lenses are required for illumination, imaging (bright field and transmission dark-field or collection of light from the various optical sample devices to be used in the experiments.

The following technical specifications should be met or exceeded:

a) The microscope objectives shall be compatible with Software interface that will be used to control and calibrate the inverted microscope and its components.

b) The microscope objectives shall have working distances greater than or equal to: 15mm for 5x, 10.0mm for 10x, 9.0mm for 20x, 8.0mm for 50x and 3.0mm for 100x.

c) The microscope objectives shall support bright field, transmitted dark-field, and circularly polarized differential interference contrast (C-DIC) imaging modes.

2.6 System Control and Data Acquisition

A high level of integration of the microscope system is required. A microscope control computer with data acquisition software shall be provided to integrate the microscope system for the implementation of controlled and automated experiments.

a) The software shall control the configuration of motorized components integrated into the microscope stand (beam path selector, reflected and transmitted light shutters, fluorescence reflector turret, and focal position). The system shall display the configuration of these components through the software interface and control computer, as well as through a dedicated hardware display.

b) The software shall control the lateral position and motion of the microscope scanning as well as piezo stage.

c) The software shall control all optical parameters of the camera relevant to data acquisition such as exposure time and pixel binning.

d) The software shall control all aspects of data acquisition including recording images and videos.

e) The software shall enable the design of automated experiments in which all of the above parameters can be controlled.

2.7 System Design, Assembly, and Service

The microscope system, including all hardware and microscope control and data acquisition software, shall be designed, assembled, and serviced by technicians who are trained and authorized by the microscope manufacturer.

Trade and Service

1. Vendors should include information regarding warranty availability, duration and coverage.

Capability statements must demonstrate the minimum requirements outlined above. Please address each in the order listed above.

Please provide the follow Business information:

1. DUNS Number

2. Company Name

3. Company Address.

4. Company Point of Contact, phone number and email address

5. Type of company under NAICS, as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM).

Additional information on NAICS codes can be found at www.sba.gov. Any potential government contract must be registered on the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/index.asp.

6. Corporate structure (corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, professional corporation, etc.);

http://www.sam.gov/index.asp

7. Current GSA Schedules appropriate to this Sources Sought

8. Current Government Wide Agency Contracts (GWACs)

9. Point of Contact, phone number and email address of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses.

Interested parties having the capabilities necessary to provide the stated requirements may submit capability statements via email or regular mail to the point of contact listed below.

Responses shall be limited to 10 pages. Responses must be received not later than 3:00PM Eastern Time, May 31, 2016. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date.

Documentation should be emailed to: Ching.Hung@nist.gov