Blood Bank Analyzer

Defense Health Agency (DHA)

Component Acquisition Executive (J-4)

Northeastern Healthcare Operations Contracting Division (NEHO-CD)

Subject: Source Sought Announcement

This is a Sources Sought Notification issued by the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Northeastern Healthcare Operations Contracting Division (NEHO-CD) as part of its market research, on behalf of the A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC), 9300 DeWitt Loop, Oaks Pavilion, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060. The Government intends to award a Firm-Fixed Price for commercial items for the procurement of a Blood Bank Analyzer.

The purpose of this notification a Request for Information only to be used for preliminary market research information and acquire knowledge of potential qualified sources. This notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals. There will be no Request for Quote or Solicitation available for competitive proposals at the present time. Phone calls will not be accepted.

The Defense Health Agency is currently conducting a market survey to assess the availability of the following:

The analyzer systems shall perform the full range of immunohematology testing, including crossmatches, (selected and full) cell panels, antigen testing and serial dilutions for titration studies. The analyzer must automate blood bank test processes including liquid pipetting, reagent handling, incubation, centrifugation, reaction grading and interpretation. The analyzer must automate blood bank test processes including liquid pipetting, reagent handling, incubation, centrifugation, reaction grading and interpretation.

The performance specifications for this requirement are as follows:

1.            System must use agglutination technology.

2.            Instrument must be capable of fully automated serial dilutions.

3.            Testing system must not require the utilization of proprietary system liquids.

4.            Instrument must offer up to 24 hours walkaway time. 

5.            When operational, the instrument must always be in a ready mode and at no time go into hibernation or “sleep” state.

6.            Testing system must have capability for a minimum of three pre-diluted antibody identification panels. 

7.            Instrument must be able to run selected cell antibody identification panels.

8.            Supplier’s pre-diluted reagent red blood cells must utilize United States based donors. Reagent red blood cells and column agglutination technology cards must use United States based manufacturing.

9.            Vendor must supply an analyzer capable of bench top installation. 

10.         Instrument system must have a pipette conditioning (e.g. dead) volume <20 µl.

11.         Vendor must have a demonstrated ability to supply automated and non-automated FDA licensed reagents for blood bank or transfusion service testing under their own brand. 

12.         Fully loaded waste containers shall each not weigh more than 11 lbs. and be accessible at waste height.

13.         Optical resolution of the on-board camera must be at least 5-megapixel resolutions down to 32 x 32 microns and store a digital image of both the front and back of each gel card to record test results.

14.         System must have capability to interface to the laboratory information system (LIS) MHS Genesis.

15.          Must have current approval of the device by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), under the DHA Assess and Incorporate (A&I) process or have the ability of obtain ATO. Approved authorization is the responsibility of the vendor.

16.          The system should be capable of running a minimum of ten tests simultaneously. This can be a variation of tests.

Full range of immunohematology testing must include the following test menu: 

• ABO/Rh Group 

• Antibody Screen 
• Antigen Typing

• Antibody Identification

• (Selected and Full) Cell Panels 

• DAT (IgG and Polyspecific) 

• Serial Dilutions for Titration Studies. 

NAICS Code: 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

Prospective participants are required to be registered and certified in the System for Award Management (SAM). Registration can be accessed via http://www.sam.gov.

Interested parties, may express their interest, and provide a capabilities statement products list NLT Monday, 31st 2025 at 0900 EST.  A determination by the government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received as a result of this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Please submit non-proprietary information “Only”.  The Government will not be responsible for proprietary, or competition sensitive information contained in responses received. Ensure that all replies to this notification incorporate the following information: company name, address, point of contact, Unique Entity ID, size of business pursuant to North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS).

Responses to this announcement will not be returned.  Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this announcement.  Government will not be financially responsible for information received in response to this announcement.

The points of contact for this action are:

Contract Specialist: Ms. Pamela Renteria, pamela.i.renteria.civ@health.mil.

Contracting Officer: Mr. Edgar R. DuChemin, edgar.r.duchemin.civ@health.mil.