SOLICITATION NOTICE
59 -- Integrated Shielded Gradient & Shim System
- Notice Date
- 8/2/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 334510
— Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Br., 6120 Executive Blvd. EPS Suite 600, Rockville, MD, 20852
- ZIP Code
- 20852
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-NCI-40117-NQ
- Response Due
- 8/9/2004
- Archive Date
- 8/24/2004
- Point of Contact
- Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, Phone (301) 496-8608, Fax (301) 402-4513, - Renita Smith, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-496-8612, Fax 301-480-0241,
- E-Mail Address
-
cb106x@nih.gov, rs442i@nih.gov
- Description
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) on behalf of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging (LFMI), intends to procure, on a sole-source basis with Resonance Research, Inc., 10 Cook Street, Billerica, MA 01821, three (3) Small Bore MRI Gradient Sets and one (1) Shim Power Supply for LFMI?s 7T/31 cm and 11.7T/31cm MRI systems. The requirement will be procured in accordance with FAR Part 12. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 334510 and the business size standard is 500 employees. LFMI has a state-of-the-art, 11.7T horizontal MRI spectrometer for performing brain imaging of rodents at very-high spatial and temporal resolution and has recently acquired a 7T horizontal MRI for performing MRI on brain in rodents and other animal models. LFMI seeks to acquire three MRI gradient/shim units, two (2) for the new 7T animal MRI and one (1) for the 11.7T MRI and one shim power supply with radiofrequency filters for the 7T MRI. The contractor shall be capable of providing the following items: Two (2) 9 cm ID gradients with an OD less than 15 cm, one (1) for the 11.7T MRI and one (1) for the 7T MRI. The desired specifications for these gradients are a minimum of 600 mT/m gradient strength and a rise time not to exceed 100 microseconds to full gradient strength. Both the 11.7T and 7T MRI have existing gradient amplifiers capable of 300V/200A that can be used to achieve the required gradient strengths and rise times. The gradients should be actively shielded with as large a linear volume as possible. There should be a set of shims with this gradient that are capable of at least 250 Hz/cmn/A on each shim channel. The following shim coils should be available: Z0, Z2, ZX, ZY,C2 and S2. LFMI also requires one (1) gradient/shim set with a minimum ID of 15 cm, and a maximum OD of 26 cm for its 7T MRI. The gradient strength should be greater than or equal to 450 mT/m and the rise time not to exceed 100 microseconds to full gradient strength. The 7T MRI will have gradient amplifiers capable of 500V/300A that can be used to achieve the required gradient strengths and rise times. The gradients should be actively shielded with as large a linear volume as possible. There should be a set of shims with this gradient that are capable of at least 100 Hz/cmn/A on each shim channel. The following shim coils should be available: Z0, Z2, ZX, ZY,C2 and S2. Finally, LFMI requires one (1) shim power supply capable of supplying 10 Amps to each of the shim coils and one (1) set of radiofrequency filters for the shim power supply. A key factor in LFMI?s research projects is to increase the spatial resolution of the acquired images. The spatial resolution achievable in MRI depends mainly on four factors: the magnetic field strength, the ability to vary the magnetic field strength in a tightly controlled manner, the magnetic field homogeneity, and detector sensitivity. The magnetic field strength and detector sensitivity dictates the available signal-to-noise ration (SNR) of MR images. Pushing for higher spatial resolution strongly depends on the available SNR. Spatial resolution also depends on the ability to vary the magnitude of the magnetic field strength spatially in a well-controlled manner as well as adjusting and maintaining a very homogeneous main magnetic field. To vary the magnitude of the magnetic field a specialized set of three (3) axial gradient coils is inserted in the bore of the magnet. These gradient coils are surrounded by another set of shim coils for adjusting magnetic field homogeneity. Gradient coils have two major technical specifications that need to be considered to evaluate its performance: maximum gradient intensity, given in units of mT/m, and rise time given in microseconds. The maximum gradient strength determines how strong the gradient fields are, and therefore determine how well separated spin locations are, therefore being the major determinant of spatial resolution. Typical gradient strengths in human-sized magnets range from 20-45 mT/m. In animal-sized magnets, gradients strengths can reach 300-400 mT/m in 9 -12 cm internal diameter (ID) gradients, or up to 1000 mT/m in 6 cm ID. The gradient ID should be large enough to allow animals to be accommodated inside their space, and thus for the rodents used in LFMI the minimum ID required is 9 cm, while imaging of larger animal models requires a minimum ID of 15 cm. The goal of this procurement is to approach small ID (6 cm gradient performance) on a 9 cm ID gradient and 9 cm ID gradient performance on a 15 cm ID gradient. This will enable higher resolution in faster imaging times on larger samples. Shim coils have one major technical specification and that is the field gradient that can be produced per ampere of current. The current standard for most commercial shim sets for animal scanners is to produce approximately 100 Hz/cmn/A. Recent experiments within the 11.7T MRI in LFMI have demonstrated that shim values of at least 250 Hz/cmn/A with a shim power supply capable of producing 10 Amps are necessary to adequately adjust the homogeneity of the magnetic field around the rodent head. Resonance Research is the only source known to the Government that can provide the above requirements with these unique features. This is not a solicitation for competitive quotations. However, if any interested party believes it can meet the above requirement, they may submit a statement of capabilities. All information furnished shall be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the NINDS researcher to determine if it can meet the above minimum specifications described herein. Capability statements must be received in the Contracting Office by 1:00 PM EDT (local Washington D.C. time) on August 9, 2004. If you have any questions, please contact Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent on (301) 402-4509 or by email at cb106x@nih.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. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No collect calls will be accepted. Reference RFQ-NCI-40117-NQ on all correspondance.
- Record
- SN00634725-W 20040804/040802211804 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |