SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Incapacitation Prediction for Readiness in Expeditionary Domains: an Integrated Computational Tool (I-PREDICT) Force Health Protection Future Naval Capability (FNC) project
- Notice Date
- 7/27/2017
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Attn: MCMR-AAA, 820 Chandler Street, Frederick, MD 21702-5014, Maryland, 21702-5014, United States
- ZIP Code
- 21702-5014
- Solicitation Number
- Pre-MTEC-17-10
- Archive Date
- 8/19/2017
- Point of Contact
- Lisa A. Fisher, Phone: 843-760-3356
- E-Mail Address
-
lisa.fisher@ati.org
(lisa.fisher@ati.org)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is excited to post this pre-announcement for a Request for Project Proposals (RPP) focused on the development of an in silico "skin-in" integrated finite element computational model of the Warfighter's body that will predict immediate injury and near term functional incapacitation (summarized as the ability to move, shoot, and communicate) resulting from exposure to specific military hazards. The MTEC mission is to assist the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) by providing cutting-edge technologies and effective materiel life cycle management to transition medical solutions to industry that protect, treat, and optimize Warfighters' health and performance across the full spectrum of military operations. MTEC is a biomedical technology consortium collaborating with multiple government agencies under a 10-year renewable Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), Agreement No. W81XWH-15-9-0001, with the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). MTEC is currently recruiting a broad and diverse membership that includes representatives from large businesses, small businesses, "nontraditional" government contractors, academic research institutions and not-for-profit organizations. Injury and incapacitation estimates for combat scenarios are currently educated guesses at best. Estimates may be based on simplified injury risk thresholds such as pressure, stress, strain, or force applied to an organ or tissue. Increasingly, such knowledge is incorporated into computational simulations that can be run repeatedly to explore variations in hazards and physiologic response in order to assign statistical confidence to predictions of injury risk. Current modeling and simulation methods for predicting injury can be inaccurate, regional rather than whole-body, not validated appropriately, and may not be based upon physiologically or operationally relevant loading conditions. Injury prevention standards are needed to protect Warfighters from injuries based on a scientific understanding of hazardous conditions typical of military service, and of the vulnerability of tissues, organs, and bodily functions to those hazards. Such standards will inform the development of personal protective equipment (PPE), safer vehicles, and safe weapons systems; as well as tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to protect against injury. The development of a high quality finite element whole human body model is needed to inform such standards and to act as a pivotal part of operational mission planning and health risk assessment. The purpose of the Incapacitation Prediction for Readiness in Expeditionary Domains: an Integrated Computational Tool (I-PREDICT) Force Health Protection Future Naval Capability (FNC) project is to provide a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 in silico integrated finite element computational model of the Warfighter's body to be used for injury prevention and treatment, medical response planning, and equipment design, including tradeoff analysis among design parameters, validation, and testing. The I-PREDICT FNC will provide an integrated biomechanical response model of the Warfighter using more biofidelic constitutive tissue properties, and associated pre- and post-processing tools that will predict injury and near term functional incapacitation (summarized as the ability to move, shoot, and communicate) in response to specific military hazards, in priority order of: 1) blunt impact/accelerative loading, 2) blast pressure effects, and, if resources allow, 3) vibration. The model will be based on experimentally derived material properties of human tissues at strain rates equivalent to those experienced during military hazards, and will be validated with data on regional and whole-body mechanics. I-PREDICT will include variable anthropometry (e.g., differences in size, weight, somatotype, and age), variable posture, variable biofidelity, and gender differences in modeling to be incorporated in preliminary design and testing of equipment, resulting in cost savings and more thoroughly vetted products that have made considerations for engineering tradeoffs (e.g., weight of body armor vs. mobility). Many experimental studies used in the parameterized human body computational models have employed cadaveric tissue, which may not adequately represent the biomechanical responses of live human tissue. More biofidelic constitutive properties that better represent living human tissue are needed to support model parameterization in support of improved predictions of injury and functional incapacitation. New characterization standards and advanced experimental methods are needed to account for material anisotropy, rate dependence, multiphase composition, specimen variability, multiphysics and multiscalar behavior. Expertise will also be needed in the development of finite element models of specific regions of the human body, integration of multiple finite element regional models into a complete whole-body model, in verification and validation of the human body finite element models, in the development of pre-processing tools used to position, morph human, and vary fidelity of the body models, and in the development of post-processing tools used to predict risk of injury and functional incapacitation. The program also seeks to acquire a computer aided design (CAD) anatomy. A total of approximately $15 million over a three year period will be available to support the objectives of this RPP. The MTEC will use a streamlined, interactive approach for this acquisition. This approach will consist of the following steps: Step 1: MTEC members who wish to offer a solution to the RPP must submit a Solutions Brief. The Solutions Brief will contain the MTEC Offeror's technical concept and approach along with their viability toward the specific effort. To meet the statutory requirement of the Other Transaction Authority, Offeror Solutions Briefs will also have to address the significant participation of a Nontraditional Defense Contractor on the team or the willingness to provide 1/3 cost share to the project. Step 2: After Government review, MTEC members who have submitted a favorable Solutions Brief will be invited to provide an in-person presentation. During this presentation, the Offeror will be provided an opportunity to discuss and present its technology and potential solution in more detail. The Offeror will also be expected to present and discuss rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule. Step 3: After Step 2 the government will reevaluate Offerors' based on the RPP criteria. If the Government evaluation team recommends moving forward, the specific MTEC Offeror will be notified and invited to submit a full project SOW and Cost Proposal in accordance with the MTEC Proposal Preparation Guide (PPG). Because of the nature of the requirements set forth in this RPP, this streamlined, interactive approach is anticipated to be a better means to highlight company methodologies and skills and allow the government to gain a fuller appreciation of the work required to be completed. It provides more freedom and initiative to the Offeror to describe how they would approach and solve such an action. The full description of this contracting approach will be included in the RPP. The RPP will be posted to the MTEC website (www.mtec-sc.org). MTEC membership is required for the submission of a solution brief in response to this upcoming MTEC RPP. To join MTEC, please visit http://mtec-sc.org/how-to-join/ For inquiries regarding this pre-announcement, please direct your correspondence to the following contacts: •Technical questions - Dr. Lauren Palestrini, MTEC Director of Research, <lauren.palestrini@officer.mtec-sc.org> •Administrative questions - Ms. Polly Graham, MTEC Program Manager, <polly.graham@ati.org> •Membership questions - Ms. Stacey Lindbergh, MTEC Executive Director, <execdirect@mtec-sc.org>
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- Record
- SN04601368-W 20170729/170727232922-1893e831372315e4505d80f8a79d43da (fbodaily.com)
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