SOLICITATION NOTICE
J -- Multi-Channel, Multi-Nuclear, RF Coil Assembly
- Notice Date
- 9/9/2014
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 611710
— Educational Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Station Support/Simplified Acquisitions, 31 Center Drive, Room 1B59, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA(SSSA)-NOI-14-475
- Archive Date
- 9/30/2014
- Point of Contact
- Farrin Stanton,
- E-Mail Address
-
farrin.stanton@nih.gov
(farrin.stanton@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a pre-solicitation non-competitive (notice of intent) synopsis to award a contract without providing for full or open competition (including brand-name). THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED AND PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE REQUESTED. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Consolidated Station Support and Simplified Acquisitions (CSS/SA) Branch intends to negotiate and award a purchase order to Rapid MR International, LLC for 8 channel phased array coil without providing for full and open competition (including brand-name). NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 611710 with a Size Standard of 15.0 million. REGULATORY AUTHORITY The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 05-72 dated January 30,2014. This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13—Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This acquisition is NOT expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. STATUTORY AUTHORITY This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106-1. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT Purpose and Objectives Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) Core Facility at NIMH has been working on 13C MRS on human brain for many years and has developed unconventional approaches to measure 13C metabolites in human brain on high field (3T and 7T) MRI scanners. However, all existing 13C MRS human studies were performed with a single radio frequency (RF) coil. Signal-to-noise (SNR) and special localization of detected 13C signal are greatly limited. Recently, NIMH has developed a new method which utilizes multiple receive coils to spatially localize the regional signal and to enhance spectral SNR. This approach has been validated with in vivo proton spectroscopy at 7T. To implement the new method on 13C MRS at 7T, NIMH has to develop a whole hardware setup for multi-channel 13C transmit and receive coils because the manufacture of MRI scanners does not provide hardware support for this kind of research application. The objective is to design and build an RF coil assembly which consists of (1) a proton volume transmit and receive coil, (2) a 13C volume transmit coil, (3) an array of 13C surface receive coils, and (4) an interface box to connect the coil assembly to Siemens 7T scanner. The contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the tasks and deliverables described in this Statement of Work (SOW). The contractor shall provide the hardware devices outlined in the previous paragraph Period of Performance Delivery is required within 7 months after receipt of award. A firm fixed price purchase order is contemplated. Project Description NIMH requires the contractor to independently perform the following tasks. • Perform accurate numerical simulation on coil design with anatomical human models to obtain optimum design which provides more homogenous magnetic field distribution and higher signal-to-noise ratio; • Perform RF safety evaluation using the numerical simulation results following FDA MRI safety guidelines. • Design and build a Siemens coil interface box to connect the coil assembly to the Siemens 7T scanner; • Design and fabrication of electrical circuits for a multi-channel, multi-nuclear phased array coil assembly for the Siemens 7T scanner. It should contain (1) a volume proton transmit and receive coil, (2) a volume 13C transmit coil, (3) a multi-channel 13C receive array coil, and (4) an interface box to control transmit and receive coils. • Perform system tests on the hardware devices. The tests may include: • System compatibility tests to make sure the electronic interface functions properly. • Imaging and spectroscopy tests to evaluate image quality and signal-to-noise ratio • RF safety tests to make sure that the actual experiments performed using the coil assembly complies with FDA MRI safety guidelines. Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: • Provide a result on numerical simulation for optimum coil design • Provide a result on numerical simulation for RF safety evaluation of the coil design • Build an interface box to connect the coil assembly to the 7T scanner • Design and fabrication of electrical circuits for a multi-channel, multi-nuclear phased array coil assembly for the Siemens 7T scanner. It should contain (1) a volume proton transmit and receive coil, (2) a volume 13C transmit coil, and (3) a multi-channel 13C receive array coil • Perform system tests (as described in Item B) on the hardware devices to make sure they work as designs CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION (INCLUDING BRAND-NAME) DETERMINATION The determination by the Government to award a contract without providing for full and open competition is based upon the market research conducted. Specifically, Auburn University is capable of meeting the needs of this requirement considering the use of multi-coil for 13C MRS on human brain at 7T has not been performed to date. The National Institute of Mental health(NIMH) had to develop their own hardware and software for this application. A research group at Auburn University is the only one active team who has designed and prototyped a few multi-channel array coils utilized with Siemens 7T multi-nuclear channel. They have demonstrated the feasibility of their coils on human applications. Design and construction of such a complex coil assembly on Siemens 7T requires following special knowledge and experience: • Accurate numerical simulation on coil design and safety evaluation with anatomical human models • Understand Siemens coil interface and know how to design and build transmit and receive switch box to interface with the scanner • Optimum design of multi-channel phased array coils and double resonance coils • Fabricating coils to meet FDA safety guidelines NIMH intends to perform computer simulations to explore various coil design layouts and optimize designs. The electromagnetic behavior at high magnetic field (7 Tesla) is noticeably different from that at lower field (3 Tesla or below). Numerical simulation of the electromagnetic field is an essential step to understand coil and field behavior before actual construction. A research group at Auburn University has extensive knowledge and experience for numerical simulations. Siemens does not provide transmit and receive (T/R) switch device nor RF coils for non-proton spectroscopy, particularly for Siemens 7 Tesla scanner. In previous research projects, a research group at Auburn University has designed and built few T/R switches for Siemens 7 Tesla magnet and has accumulated working experience for Siemens coil and T/R switch interface. This project is to develop a multi-coil array for carbon-13 MRS which belongs a category of heteronuclear (non-proton) MRS. To date, no one has designed and built a multi-coil array for heteronuclear MRS applications on Siemens 7 Tesla scanner, except for a research group at Aubrun University. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeringbuilt has built a prototype of a multi-coil array for cardiac MRS application on Siemens 7 Tesla magnet. The intended source is: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Auburn University, AL 36830 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 notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. 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 the closing date and time of this announcement and must reference the solicitation number. Responses may be submitted electronically to Farrin Stanton, Contract Specialist, at Farrin.Stanton@nih.gov. US Mail and Fax responses will not be accepted.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/NIDA-2/HHS-NIH-NIDA(SSSA)-NOI-14-475/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: NIMH, Bldg 10, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, United States
- Zip Code: 20814
- Zip Code: 20814
- Record
- SN03501932-W 20140911/140909235516-efa8b7466d4805cef5a169138932b4c4 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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