Thyroid Bioassay Counter System

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Radiation Safety Division (RSD) is responsible for radiation protection and regulatory compliance matters for NIST’s radioactive materials license at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD campus.

As part of managing the radiation safety program, RSD is responsible for monitoring radiation exposures for people working with volatile radionuclides.  Monitoring of personnel is performed by using an in-vivo monitoring system typically monitoring exposure to the thyroid gland. RSD’s system has become inoperable and obsolete.

To restore RSD’s capability to quantify personnel exposures, RSD requires a thyroid bioassay system.

SPECIFICATIONS

Minimum System Capabilities:

The thyroid bioassay system shall be capable of monitoring staff for I-123, I-125 and I-131 exposure.  The system and well counter shall consist of a mobile platform allowing easy mobility.  The platform shall be equipped with a positioning LED, a multi-axis and articulating arm for accurate and reproducible positioning of uptake measurements, an all in one flat panel PC with high capacity hard drive, a 1024-channel multi-channel analyzer (MCA), a 2” x 2” NaI detector with collimated shield, and a 2” diameter NaI(Tl) well detector with a lead shield.  The system shall have automatic calibration and QA functionality with a QA source holder for reproducible geometry.

Detector characteristics:  The detector must be a 2” diameter NaI(Tl) scintillation detector with collimator capable of measuring I-123, I-125 and I-131.

MCA characteristics: The multichannel analyzer must have 1024 channels with two detector inputs (probe and well counter); full-width half max spectral resolution of at least 10%; maximum count rate of 200,000 at 5%; count rate linearity within 2% up to 150,000 cps; presets live time, real time, total counts; automatic peak finding; automatic high voltage adjustment for probe and well counter.

Well Counter characteristics:  2” diameter NaI(Tl) well detector with 1.55” deep and 0.66” diameter well; at least 1” lead well shield.

Computer characteristics:  Windows 11 software platform; flat panel all-in-one computer with at least 1GB RAM and 64GB SSD; printer

Software characteristics:  Fully automated daily QA and calibration capability including automatic high voltage adjustment, energy calibration, zero adjust, gain adjust, detector efficiency calculations, detector resolution, chi-square, constancy and MDA.  Administration summary QA report capability including sample output reports and isotope spectrum.

Physical characteristics:  Portable with heavy duty locking casters; 120 VAC, 60 Hz, 2.6 AMP line voltage.  Weight with 2” in. shield well not to exceed 550 lb.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORRMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to Robert Singman at robert.singman@nist.gov notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

• Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

• For NAICS code: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing:

• Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

• If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. 

• If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the services described in Background section.

• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

• Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the services described in the Background section. 

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. 

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. 

Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice. 

The NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

The NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!