Sole Source Request J.P.pdf

2011 Mottman Road SW | Olympia, WA 98512 p 360-596-5200 spscc.edu

September 27th, 2024

TO: RIchard Ruiz, Purchasing & Contracts

FROM: Jesse Pestana, Natural & Applied Sciences

RE: Science Division Sole Source Procurement Request.

The South Puget Sound Community College Natural & Applied Sciences Division seeks a sole source contract with JH Technologies, for the purchase of 24 Leica DM500 Field Microscopes.

The SPSCC NAS Division’s mission of preparing students for further study and for entry to their chosen career fields requires staying current in all fields, including laboratory equipment. It is crucial to consider microscopes that are well-suited to the demands of the program and for use in an instructional setting.

Because these microscopes are used by multiple programs and potentially hundreds of students over the course of a given year, SPSCC staff have made a point to consider products with the ruggedness to withstand being handled by such a volume of untrained users. The Leica DM500 meets this need with its oversized carrying handle to help students move it more safely and its compact design.

The Leica DM500 also has preset eyepiece tubes, which prevent the diopter from being incorrectly calibrated, another important feature for students who are untrained in operating a microscope. The microscope head pivots on a captive thumbscrew. This method of pivoting is much more secure and durable than other models, reducing the need for microscope servicing and maintenance. This scope also uses LED lights to illuminate samples, which will eliminate the need for annual light bulb replacements, as these LEDs are rated to operate for over 20 years. In addition to the large carrying handle, the scope also has integrated cable storage, which is helpful both for staging labs and for longer-term storage. The eye piece and knobs are also treated with a substance that inhibits the spread of bacteria, which makes this model especially useful in a classroom setting. The stage and condenser are simplified; the condenser is a single interface point rather than multiple knobs, and the stage is in one dimension that does not change when adjusted, which is both easier to use and safer to store in cabinets without damaging a stage mechanism.

The Leica DM500 is compatible with streaming and video capture modules, and will offer the SPSCC Sciences division the opportunity to expand its use of microscope observations in more interactive ways than previously possible, and would open exciting avenues with online learning that would not be available with another model of microscope.

JH Technologies is the only licensed distributor of Leica microscope for academic use on the west coast. In the absence of other sources, the SPSCC Science division proposes to award a sole source contract to JH technologies, via purchase order, for the purchase of 24 Leica DM500 model microscopes. The cost of this purchase, after associated fees and taxes, is approximately $39,186.

Regards, Jesse Pestana, Division Assistant III, SPSCC Natural & Applied Sciences