LS_Counter_Final_SOW.docx

Statement of Work

I. Introduction/Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Radioactivity Group maintains the national standard for radioactivity. Liquid scintillation (LS) counting is used in the Group as a primary technique for the standardization of alpha and beta emitting radionuclides and because of this, high-accuracy LS counters having known properties are a critical component of the Group’s laboratory. The Group has a requirement to replace one of the existing LS counters. The Radioactivity Group seeks to acquire a new LS counter to complement the existing suite of instruments currently in use in its laboratories.

II. Purpose The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, and services to fabricate, install and test a PerkinElmer 4910TR Liquid Scintillation Counter at NIST.

III. Minimum Requirements The system shall meet or exceed the salient characteristics identified below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of “gray market” components not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the contractor is not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable.

BRAND NAME ONLY JUSTIFICATION

NIST utilizes LS counters from each of the major manufacturers in the development of National Standards for radioactivity. The results from the measurements made with these instruments are used to establish such standards. The use of different instruments from different manufacturers is done as a matter of standard procedure as defined in the NIST Quality System; and is based on the fact that if measurements taken with multiple instruments, each having different operating characteristics, give the same answer, then a high degree of confidence in the results in achieved. Moreover, making measurements with multiple instruments provides information on the uncertainties in the measurement results. NIST currently owns a LS Counter from each of the manufacturers in the market: 1) Beckman-Coulter LS6500, 2) Hitachi LSC-8000, and 3) a Wallac WinSpectral 1414. The Wallac WinSpectral 1414 is required to be replaced due to failure. In order to provide the national standards for radioactivity, NIST is required to maintain the necessary diversity of instruments which yield the required national standards for radioactivity. The only instrument able to meet or exceed Government’s minimum requirements is the PerkinElmer 4910TR Tricarb Counter.

The Contractor shall provide the following:

CLIN 0001: Quantity of one (1) PerkinElmer 4910TR Liquid Scintillation (LS), which meets or exceeds the salient characteristics identified below:

a. Shall have two (2) phototubes in coincidence, no active background guard. If background guard is installed, it shall be disabled by the installer at time of installation. An installed background guard with user capability of switching off is acceptable.

b. Shall have an automatic sample changer with capacity of at least 400 20 mL standard LS vials. Shall be capable of accepting standard 20 mL vials (glass and polyethylene) as well as 4 mL/7 mL minivials (glass or polyethylene)

c. Shall quench determination using a gamma-ray emitting external source

d. Shall have the ability to set up at least two spectrum counting regions, as well as count in wide-open window mode

e. A complete description of the time sequence for sample counting shall be provided in writing (hardcopy or electronic PDF version is acceptable). The description shall clearly explain what points of the counting process correspond to the time stamps that appear on any output.

f. A complete description of the dead-time correction model that is used by the counter shall be provided in writing (hardcopy or electronic PDF version is acceptable). The dead-time window that is applied (for example, in extending dead-time models) shall be given. Also, the precision of the oscillator used for timing shall be given.

g. A complete description of the coincidence resolving time shall be provided in writing (hardcopy or electronic PDF version is acceptable). The type of amplifier and ADC used (e.g., linear, logarithmic) shall be given. The pulse conversion process shall be described.

h. An explanation of how gains and thresholds are set on the photomultiplier tubes and whether they are changed (without user intervention) as part of any built-in QA/QC protocol shall be provided in writing (hardcopy or electronic PDF version is acceptable).

i. System shall have linear response for counting rates of between and 2500 s-1 and 100 s-1 (150000 CPM to 6000 CPM). Maximum allowable deviation from expected count rate (i.e., deviation from slope of zero in plot of measured relative count rate versus expected relative count rate) is 0.1 % across entire range, as tested by the NIST Radioactivity Group using a set of radioactive sources prepared by them for this purpose.

j. All user manuals shall be provided. At least one hardcopy version of each document shall be provided.

k. Dedicated stand for counter shall be provided.

l. Printer shall be provided.

m. System shall have alpha/beta discrimination capability

n. Internal temperature control kit shall be installed to provide stable counting environment

o. Built-in system performance tests/QC tests using standard samples shall be provided. Tests shall include background monitoring and count rate monitoring of 3H.

p. All necessary standard radioactive sources (such as 3H, 14C, or unquenched background) needed for performance of routine QC testing shall be provided.

q. All information regarding nature of radioactive sources, such as activity level, chemical composition, and container type (including internal quench determination source) being provided by the contractor, shall be provided to complete safety-related paperwork. Approval to ship the item to NIST must be given by the NIST Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) prior to any radioactive sources being shipped to NIST. NOTE: Failure to comply with the shipping requirements to send radioactive sources will delay installation.

CLIN 0002: One (1) Year Extended Warranty in accordance with the commercial standard. Warranty shall commence upon expiration of original one (1) year standard warranty.

A. Extended one (1) year warranty beyond original warranty which includes one (1) preventive maintenance visit. Preventative maintenance tasks are as recommended by the manufacturer.

IV. Site Preparation The contractor shall submit the required laboratory space and system power requirement via email to the NIST TPOC, NLT one (1) week ARO. The Government will provide the necessary laboratory space and system power as required by the manufacturer.

V. Installation The system shall be installed by the contractor and meet contract specifications no later than three (3) weeks after delivery. Installation, at a minimum, shall include uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, rigging, set-up and hook-up of the system, demonstration of all specifications, and removal of trash. Onsite installation and demonstration shall be done at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD- Building 245, Room C109. The specific installation date(s) shall be agreed upon and scheduled by both parties NLT two (2) weeks after delivery of the system, via email, to provide the required time to complete visitor registration for the contractor.

VI. Training

The contractor shall conduct one (1) training session for up to ten (10) users at NIST. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all system/solution functions, maintenance, data administration, and basic troubleshooting. The training shall be completed at NIST immediately after installation/set-up.

VII. Warranty

The contractor shall warrant the entire system in accordance with the commercial standard. Warranty shall commence upon acceptance and transfer of ownership

VIII. Inspection and Acceptance

In addition to the inspection and acceptance terms articulated in 52.212-4, the Government reserves the right to perform such performance tests and evaluations as defined below to verify specified system performance. Such tests and evaluations, if performed, shall be conducted within the environment that the system is to be operated. The Contractor has the right to be present during the tests and evaluations, if performed, at the Contractor’s expense.

1. Count Rate Linearity Test – The linearity test shall be completed by the NIST TPOC within thirty (30) business days, excluding federal holidays, of installation using a series of NIST prepared radioactive sources. The extended inspection and acceptance period is required to allow the system to acclimate, as well as for the NIST personnel to prepare the sources and perform the tests.

A visual inspection of the PerkinElmer 4910TR will be performed by the NIST TPOC to identify surface defects or any form of indication that the PerkinElmer 4910TR was damaged during transport to NIST. The Government shall have sole discretion to require repair or replacement of damaged and/or nonconforming supplies at no cost to the Government. The Government at any time prior to acceptance shall reject the PerkinElmer 4910TR due to defects and/or nonconformance.

The contractor is responsible for latent defects discovered any time after final inspection. However, the extent of its liability shall be prorated over the useful life of the PerkinElmer 4910TR

The place of acceptance shall be:

100 Bureau Drive Building 245 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Ownership (title) of the PerkinElmer 4910TR shall transfer to NIST upon acceptance.

IX. Delivery

Delivery shall be FOB destination and shall occur within the contractor’s standard commercial lead time. FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. The contractor shall deliver all Line Items to:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, Building 245 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640

X. Payment Schedule The Contractor shall be paid, in accordance with Net 30-day payment terms, upon receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice, in accordance with the following schedule:

1. 100% after receipt and acceptance by the TPOC of fully delivered system.

2. The Government anticipates acceptance will occur:

a. After the testing procedures set forth in this document have been completed

b. The system demonstrates full operation to specification,

c. Installation requirements are successfully met,

d. Training requirements are successfully met

NOTE: Partial shipments and partial invoices will not be accepted.