SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Shim Power Supply and RF Coil Upgrade to 7T MRI Scanner
- Notice Date
- 9/18/2017
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 4211, MSC 9559, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-9559, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892-9559
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-623
- Archive Date
- 10/10/2017
- Point of Contact
- Danielle R. Brown, Phone: 301 480 2385
- E-Mail Address
-
danielle.brown2@nih.gov
(danielle.brown2@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF INTENT NON-COMPETITIVE Solicitation: HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-623 Title: Shim Power Supply and RF Coil Upgrade to 7T MRI Scanner INTRODUCTION PURSUANT TO FAR Subpart 5.2-Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE OF A PROPOSED CONTRACT TO ACTION. THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Station Support Contracts and Simplified Acquisitions Branch (SS/SA) on behalf of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) intends to negotiate and award a contract for the Shim Power Supply and RF Coil Upgrade to 7T MRI Scanner with Bruker Biospin Corporation, 15 Fortune Drive, Billerica, MA, 01821-3923. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a Size Standard of 1,000 Employees. REGULATORY AUTHORITY The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses of the Federal acquisition Requlation (FAR) in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 05-95, January 19, 2017. STATUTORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted as non-competitive under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) under provisions of the statutory authority of FAR Subpart 6.302-1 - Only one response source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT Project Description This acquisition consists of two parts: an upgrade to the shim power supply of the 7 Tesla MRI scanner and the purchase of a new radio frequency (RF) volume coil optimized for mouse brain scanning. Shim power supply: Achieving a uniform static magnetic field distribution across the mouse brain is essential in all MRI studies and especially in gradient echo and spectroscopy scans. In practice, magnetic field homogeneity is optimized by "shimming", the process of adjusting currents in a set of electromagnetic shim coils placed around the animal. The shim coils generate magnetic field gradients with various geometries ("channels") which are intended to cancel out spatial variations in the static magnetic field arising from magnet imperfections and variations in magnetic susceptibility within and around the subject. In the mouse head, structures with different susceptibility, e.g. brain parenchyma, fluid-filled ventricles, skull and air-filled sinuses, are in close proximity, resulting in very large magnetic field gradients which are difficult to shim out. To address this problem, animal MRI scanners are typically equipped with small-diameter shim coil sets and high-current shim power supplies. Although our scanner has a shim set capable of operating with up to 10 amps per channel, our existing power supplies are limited to 5 amps. With this configuration, we often have insufficient current in one or more shim coils to adequately shim the mouse brain. This results in artifacts and low signal-to-noise ratio in images and poor water suppression and inadequate chemical shift resolution in spectra. For this reason, we propose to upgrade to a 10 amp shim power supply, which should double the available shim strength in each channel. We expect that this upgrade will improve the quality of images and spectra of the mouse brain, particularly in regions such as the prefrontal cortex, where proximity to the skull and sinuses leads to large field inhomogeneities, making shimming particularly challenging. Mouse head RF coil: In our current mouse brain MRI studies, we use a surface coil array placed on the back of the mouse's head to receive the MRI signal from the brain and a large body coil to transmit the radio frequency pulses needed to excite this signal. While this setup gives good sensitivity for regions of the brain on the posterior (dorsal) side of the mouse's head, this sensitivity falls off rapidly with distance from the surface coil, so that deeper regions of the brain are shaded and difficult to visualize. The proposed volume coil would provide uniform coverage of the entire mouse head in the anterior-posterior direction, enabling accurate anatomical measurements and spectroscopic studies of the deep brain. As a side benefit, this same coil could be used to excite the nuclear spins more efficiently than is possible with the existing body coil. This would allow shorter pulse lengths, shorter echo times and thus faster scan times than can be achieved at present. The improved sensitivity and excitation efficiency of the proposed mouse head coil would benefit all mouse neuroimaging studies. Purpose and Objectives The purpose of this acquisition is to procure High Power Shim Amplifier and Mouse Head Volume Coil with an accompanied Mouse Tip for Head Volume Coil to perform brain MRI measurements in mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease for our new project: "Neurodegenerative Processes in Cognitive Impairment and AD." The brain and cerebral vasculature from the animals with the above dysfunctions may have structural and metabolic changes, which accompany the neurodegenerative diseases. These changes can be studied longitudinally in live animals by MRI. The measured MRI parameters will also be compared before and after treatments aimed at the neurodegenerative diseases associated with the vascular disorders. The requested parts are necessary to perform the brain MRI tests in the mice with Alzheimer's Disease. Delivery Schedule Within 30 days after receipt of order. CLOSING STATEMENT This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this notice. Responses to this solicitation must include clear and convincing evidence of the offeror's capability of fulfilling the requirement as it relates to the technical evaluation criteria. The price proposal must include the labor categories, an estimate of the number of hours required for each labor category, fully loaded fixed hourly rate or each labor category, breakdown and rationale for other direct costs or materials, and the total amount. Purchase Description: (1) MRI shim power supply; (2) High Power Shim amplifier (6 channels, max current 10 A); (1) MRI mouse head volume coil; (2) Mouse Head Volume Coil - 23 mm; (1) MRI mouse head holder; (2) Mouse Tip for Head Volume Coil Applications; Salient characteristics Shim amplifier: Since the purpose of this upgrade is to provide maximum current to the high-order shim channels of our existing Bruker BGA12S-HP shim/gradient set, a suitable amplifier must provide 10 amps of current in a minimum of 6 channels. This amplifier must be electrically and mechanically compatible with the GRASI-2 shim/gradient controller and console cabling in our existing Bruker AV3HD MRI console. Mouse head coil: A suitable head coil must be mechanically compatible with our existing Bruker mouse bed and possess a radio-frequency (RF) and electrical interface compatible with the CCM unit on our existing Bruker AV3HD MRI console. Specifically, this interface must include firmware that specifies the appropriate RF power limit for the coil to protect the coil from overloading. The inner diameter of the coil must be at least 23 mm to accommodate adult mice and the distance from the front of the coil to its field center must be sufficiently short to permit the mouse's shoulders to lie outside the coil. Quantity: Shim Amplifier: One (1) Mouse Head Coil: One (1) See attached Purchase Description (PD) for further information. In addition the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov." A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement. All responses must be received by Monday, September 25, 2017 at 10AM, Eastern Standard Time, and reference number HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-623. Responses may be submitted electronically to Danielle R. Brown, Contract Specialist, at Danielle.brown2@nih.gov. Fax responses will not be accepted. Please contact Danielle R. Brown, Contract Specialist, at Danielle.brown2@nih.gov or (301) 594-1928 with any questions. PURCHASE DESCRIPTION 1.Statement of Need and Purpose: The purpose of this acquisition is to procure High Power Shim Amplifier and Mouse Head Volume Coil with an accompanied Mouse Tip for Head Volume Coil to perform brain MRI measurements in mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease for our new project: "Neurodegenerative Processes in Cognitive Impairment and AD." The brain and cerebral vasculature from the animals with the above dysfunctions may have structural and metabolic changes, which accompany the neurodegenerative diseases. These changes can be studied longitudinally in live animals by MRI. The measured MRI parameters will also be compared before and after treatments aimed at the neurodegenerative diseases associated with the vascular disorders. The requested parts are necessary to perform the brain MRI tests in the mice with Alzheimer's Disease. 2.Background Information and Objective: This acquisition consists of two parts: an upgrade to the shim power supply of the 7 Tesla MRI scanner and the purchase of a new radio frequency (RF) volume coil optimized for mouse brain scanning. Shim power supply: Achieving a uniform static magnetic field distribution across the mouse brain is essential in all MRI studies and especially in gradient echo and spectroscopy scans. In practice, magnetic field homogeneity is optimized by "shimming", the process of adjusting currents in a set of electromagnetic shim coils placed around the animal. The shim coils generate magnetic field gradients with various geometries ("channels") which are intended to cancel out spatial variations in the static magnetic field arising from magnet imperfections and variations in magnetic susceptibility within and around the subject. In the mouse head, structures with different susceptibility, e.g. brain parenchyma, fluid-filled ventricles, skull and air-filled sinuses, are in close proximity, resulting in very large magnetic field gradients which are difficult to shim out. To address this problem, animal MRI scanners are typically equipped with small-diameter shim coil sets and high-current shim power supplies. Although our scanner has a shim set capable of operating with up to 10 amps per channel, our existing power supplies are limited to 5 amps. With this configuration, we often have insufficient current in one or more shim coils to adequately shim the mouse brain. This results in artifacts and low signal-to-noise ratio in images and poor water suppression and inadequate chemical shift resolution in spectra. For this reason, we propose to upgrade to a 10 amp shim power supply, which should double the available shim strength in each channel. We expect that this upgrade will improve the quality of images and spectra of the mouse brain, particularly in regions such as the prefrontal cortex, where proximity to the skull and sinuses leads to large field inhomogeneities, making shimming particularly challenging. Mouse head RF coil: In our current mouse brain MRI studies, we use a surface coil array placed on the back of the mouse's head to receive the MRI signal from the brain and a large body coil to transmit the radio frequency pulses needed to excite this signal. While this setup gives good sensitivity for regions of the brain on the posterior (dorsal) side of the mouse's head, this sensitivity falls off rapidly with distance from the surface coil, so that deeper regions of the brain are shaded and difficult to visualize. The proposed volume coil would provide uniform coverage of the entire mouse head in the anterior-posterior direction, enabling accurate anatomical measurements and spectroscopic studies of the deep brain. As a side benefit, this same coil could be used to excite the nuclear spins more efficiently than is possible with the existing body coil. This would allow shorter pulse lengths, shorter echo times and thus faster scan times than can be achieved at present. The improved sensitivity and excitation efficiency of the proposed mouse head coil would benefit all mouse neuroimaging studies. 3.Generic Name of Product: Pre-clinical MRI console hardware and mouse head coil 4.Purchase Description: 1.(1) MRI shim power supply; (2) High Power Shim amplifier (6 channels, max current 10 A); 2.(1) MRI mouse head volume coil; (2) Mouse Head Volume Coil - 23 mm; 3.(1) MRI mouse head holder; (2) Mouse Tip for Head Volume Coil Applications; 5.Salient characteristics Shim amplifier: Since the purpose of this upgrade is to provide maximum current to the high-order shim channels of our existing Bruker BGA12S-HP shim/gradient set, a suitable amplifier must provide 10 amps of current in a minimum of 6 channels. This amplifier must be electrically and mechanically compatible with the GRASI-2 shim/gradient controller and console cabling in our existing Bruker AV3HD MRI console. Mouse head coil: A suitable head coil must be mechanically compatible with our existing Bruker mouse bed and possess a radio-frequency (RF) and electrical interface compatible with the CCM unit on our existing Bruker AV3HD MRI console. Specifically, this interface must include firmware that specifies the appropriate RF power limit for the coil to protect the coil from overloading. The inner diameter of the coil must be at least 23 mm to accommodate adult mice and the distance from the front of the coil to its field center must be sufficiently short to permit the mouse's shoulders to lie outside the coil. 6.Quantity: Shim Amplifier: One (1) Mouse Head Coil: One (1) 7.Delivery Date: Within 6 months after receipt of order. Other Considerations: The period of warranty is one year following demonstration of specifications. Warranty covers both parts and labor.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-01/HHS-NIH-NIDA-SSSA-NOI-17-623/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States
- Zip Code: 21224
- Zip Code: 21224
- Record
- SN04683270-W 20170920/170918232429-4970bf8a3918912203f858857bee12b6 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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