National Institutes of Health, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS/815 Rockville, Maryland 20892

66 -- PURCHASE OF AN AUTOMATIC PETRI DISH STREAKING MACHINE FOR THE BACTERIOLOGY LABORATORY AT NIH SOL 263-95-Q-1556 POC Christine Albin, Purchasing Agent, 301-402-3355. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, under Statutory Authority: 41 USC 253(c)(1) FAR 6.302-1 ''Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements'', intends to procure a Isoplater 80 - Automatic Petri Dish Streaking Machine from Vista Laboratories, 8432-45 St Edmonton, Alberta, CAN T6B2N6. This item includes the following technical specs: (1) shall load the petri dish, remove the lid, orient the dish, streak in four successive quadrants for isolation, replace the lid and stack the completed dishes; (2) the nichrome spreading loops shall be sterilized by electrical heating to incandescence between successive samples; (3) the instrument shall contain the streaking process to provide personnel protection from bloodbourne pathogens through the elimination of direct contract; (4) the instrument shall provide further protection from splashing, spraying, splattering and droplets from blood and other potentially infectious materials; (5) this instrument shall filter the air used in these processes, before it is recycled back into the laboratory air; (6) the filter process shall meet OSHA standards for occupational exposure to bloodbourne pathogens; (7) the instrument shall eliminate plate to plate and tech to tech variations and provide standardized streaking. Concerns that respond to this notice must furnish concise responses directed specifically to the requirements mentioned above. Please respond in writing with the following pertinent information: enough technical material to perform a proper evaluation in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to perform, terms and conditions, shipping information, pricing and availability. Responses are to be received 15 days from the date of issuance in the CBD. (0222)

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