H265--TSE Inc. , PhenoMaster Intent to Sole Source

The Veteran s Administration (VA) Office of Research and Development, Regional Procurement Office East in Pittsburgh, PA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with TSE Systems, Inc. based in Chesterfield, MO on behalf of the VA New Jersey Health Care System (VANJHCS) in East Orange, NJ. The requirement is to provide a PhenoMaster Control System (or an equal/better) for planned VA studies.

The planned studies focus on research focusing on the etiology of disease and/or novel intervention approaches to those diseases. These studies are focused upon high priority areas involving long term illness and disability: Gulf War Illness, Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinson s Disease, Anxiety Disorders/Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Liver Disease, and Cancer.

The system shall meet or exceed the following specifications:

Control System for up to 16 rat and 16 mouse cages, potentially extendable, that can control/monitor the following:

Drinking / Feeding / Body Weight Monitoring System

Access Control Device for PAIRED / YOKED feeding or other purposes

Activity Monitoring System (X, XY, XZ, XYZ or Total Activity)

Wheel Activity Monitoring System with Access Control (enabled/disabled), Workload Control and Motor Skill Testing

Integration Platform for third party telemetry systems (e.g. for monitoring of body core temperature)

Integration of Operant behavioral tasks (learning & memory) with various kinds of rewards

Master Software Platform for WINDOWS

Master Interfacing System

Master Control System

Industrial Computer System with Flat Screen

2. Autoclavable polycarbonate cages (16 mouse & 16 rat)

3. 32-bit resolution high precision measuring unit for food (16), liquid (16), and body weight (16) in rats (48 total) and mice (48 total)

4. 16 mouse and 16 rat autoclavable liquid bottles

5. 16 mouse and 16 rat autoclavable non-spill feed container

6. 16 mouse and 16 rat autoclavable housing body weight measurement devices

7. 16 mouse and 16 rat motility measurement frames and extension units to detect horizontal (XY) and vertical (Z) activity

8. 16 mouse and 16 rat homecage-hung autoclavable running wheels that can be automatically enabled/disabled

9. 32 mouse and 32 rat implantable biopotential 2-lead electrode transmitters with core-body temperature and activity measurement

10. 2 mouse and 2 rat implantable dummy transmitters

11. 2 mouse and 2 rat telemetry 8-fold and antenna signal receivers

12. 2 NotoCord software licenses for mice (1 for metabolic cage monitoring/1 for standard homecage monitoring) and 2 NotoCord software licenses for rats (1 for metabolic cage monitoring/1 for standard homecage monitoring)

13. 2 separate shelving systems for the mouse chambers and the rat chambers

14. 16 homecage operant conditioning walls with base units and the following accessories:

Houselights (red)

Reinforcement elements for: food pellets and liquid

Pellet dispenser

Nose poke modules with infrared sensors (2)

White/green color stimulus cue lamps (2) and yellow nose-poke response lamp (1)

15. Control unit and software package for controlling and recording operant wall interactions.

The requirement will take place at a VANJHCS facility in East Orange, NJ. The sole source is pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. This 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 and supporting documentation to the contracting office no later than Wednesday, March 11, 2020, (10:00 AM, EST). Interest/capability statements may be sent to Michael Haydo at Michael.haydo@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.