Confocal Microscope

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with FAR 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, and FAR 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation on an SF1449 will not be issued. The solicitation number is N6264519Q0027. The solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). Provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2019-003 are incorporated. It is the contractor's responsibility to be familiar with the applicable clauses and provisions. The clauses may be accessed in full text at these addresses: http://acquisition.gov/far and http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/sitemap.html.

The NAICS code is 333314, with a small business size of 500 employees. This is not a small business set-aside and all qualified vendors are encouraged to submit a quote.

The Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) requests responses from qualified sources capable of providing a Confocal Microscope meeting the following essential characteristics:

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
The Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) has a requirement for one (1) Microscope, Confocal [37-449] for Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio (NAMRU-SA) utilized in Craniofacial Health and Regenerative Medicine Department. The unit shall be utilized in studies for laser therapy in treating multi-drug resistant infections and analyzing various materials to improve wound healing. The confocal multi-photon microscope shall be capable of capturing multiple two-dimensional (2D) images at different depths in a sample, and enabling the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) or four-dimensional (4D) structures.

The confocal microscope shall be utilized by researchers to observe real time interactions between live/dead cells, bacterial responses to nanoparticles and various polymers (collagen, fibrinogen, polylactide, etc.). The various polymers shall be imaged with fluorescent tags to verify various stages of manipulation. The unit shall be an inverted microscope with a fully motorized stage and objective nosepiece with a minimal of four (4) high resolution objectives ranging from at least 10X objective to 50X objective. The microscope shall have multi-photon capabilities for samples that are thicker than 1 mm. The microscope shall be capable of multicolor imaging that allows for a wide range of florescent markers to be used simultaneously including but not limited to: diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), fluorescein (FITC), cyanine (CY5), Green fluorescent protein (GFP), supplemental rhodamines, and their associated Alexa Fluor dyes. The unit shall have at least the following filtering capabilities with the following wavelength ranges: (352-477 nm), (457-538 nm), and (513-613). The unit shall be able to able to differentiate between a wider array of color, collect multiple color parameters simultaneously, and distinguish between colors that have spectral overlap. The microscopes shall be compatible with the currently installed lasers for real-time stimulation experiments. The microscope shall have a high resolution without utilizing an immersion objective coupled with rapid reading speed. The required tasks shall be able to be accomplished without bleaching measureable fluorophores. The microscope shall have the additional capabilities listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Description Capabilities
Inverted confocal microscope system shall include the following capabilities and accessories Motorized optical turret and Z-drive operations
Multi-camera interfaces
Motorized condenser including shutter
Halogen lamp and lamphousing
Basic fluorescent filter set
Scanning, motorized, automatically scanning stage
Motorized XY stage
Piezoelectric Z-drive

The solution shall include incubation unit for live cell imaging. The incubation unit shall allow for live cell imaging over a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours. The incubation unit shall have environmental control capabilities, including heating and carbon dioxide (CO2) manipulation. The incubation unit shall be compatible with the confocal microscope and allow live cell imaging over time. The incubation unit shall be easily removable for applications that do not require the incubation unit. The incubation unit shall have a laser port for customized exposure experimentation.

The solution shall include one (1) optic package capable of analyzing samples thicker than 1mm. The solution shall include one (1) software package with 3D and 4D capabilities for image processing and analysis. The solution shall include a workstation with a computer and a minimum of one (1) monitor. The solution shall include all software and hardware for full system functionality.

The microscope solution shall have the maximum dimensions of 76x120x74 inches (HxWxD). The vendor shall provide on-site operator training for four (4) personnel. The vendor shall provide biomedical technician (BMET) training for two (2) personnel. The vendor shall provide a minimum one (1) year warranty for the microscope. The vendor shall provide two (2) operator manuals and two (2) service manuals. The power requirements are 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz.

Vendor shall be an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) authorized dealer, authorized distributor, or authorized reseller for the proposed equipment/system, such that OEM warranty and service are provided and maintained by the OEM. All software licensing, warranty, and service associated with the equipment/system shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions. The vendor shall provide on-site local maintenance and support for calibration, preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance subsequently the warranty period.

Upon delivery, the vendor shall be responsible for uncrating the unit/system, transporting it through the facility to the location of intended use for installation, and removing of all trash created in this process. The vendor shall be responsible of de-installation and removal of current equipment. If interim storage is required, the vendor shall make arrangements for the storage. The vendor is also responsible for the initial instrument operational and performance validations and calibrations. The vendor shall be able to provide on-site maintenance to the unit/system subsequently after the warranty period.
See attached document for Instructions to Offers and further information.

.