6640--Intent to Sole Source Mice & Rat ERG System

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The Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta VA, intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, with Celeris for Diagnosys Celeris High Throughput Testing System.

Investigators at the Atlanta VA Health Care System s Rehabilitation Research & Development Center for Neurocognitive Rehabilitation (CVNR) are conducting research aimed to assess retinal function in a number of rat and mouse models, including animal models of diabetic retinopathy, retinal degeneration, glaucoma, blast and concussive traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer s disease. Measuring the retina s electrophysiological response to light allows us to study the progression of retinal deficits with disease, which could lead to the identification of new diagnostic biomarkers or treatment windows. Additionally, tracking retinal function with treatment allows us to gauge the effectiveness of interventions and therapeutics, such as exercise, dopamine agonists, steroid hormones, bile acids, antioxidant diet, and TrkB pathway activators. We require specialized equipment to measure retinal function using the electroretinogram (ERG). The required devices must be scaled to detect retinal function in rats and mice. The Celeris ERG system is the only all-in-one, self-contained, portable system that is capable of performing full-field, flicker, and pattern ERG in both rats and mice, providing an individual light source for each eye. This is a notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement may submit a capability statement to the contracting office no later than Friday, December 5th, 12:00, EST. Interest/capability statements may be sent to Lynn Portman at lynn.portman@va.gov. No telephone responses will be accepted. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.