Contracts Management Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Federal Building, Room 901, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, MSC 9190, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9190

A -- SAFE AND EFFECTIVE STIMULATION OF NEURAL TISSUE SOL NIH-NINDS-97-09 DUE 082597 POC Contact Point, Laurie Leonard (LL44S@NIH.GOV), 301/496-1813, Contracting Officer, Kirkland L. Davis, 301/496-9203 WEB: Description of CMB mission, description of services, http://ninds.nih.gov/cmb. E-MAIL: Laurie A. Leonard, LL44S@NIH.GOV. The Neural Prosthesis Program of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, is seeking a contract to develop cortical stimulating microelectrodes and to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation on neural and surrounding tissue in non-human animals. Studies on intracortical stimulation with single penetrating microelectrodes have established safe levels of stimulation under certain stimulating conditions, but more information is needed abou t the safe limits for multiple, closely spaced, penetrating microelectrodes such as would be used in advanced visual prostheses. Progress has been made on understanding the causes of tissue damage that can occur at high levels of stimulation. In order to minimize tissue damage, more information is needed on methods of preventing damage, the safety of new biomaterials, as well as better methods of physically stabilizing microelectrodes in neural tissue. The possibility of using multicontact, silicon micro electrodes with long shanks to access buried cortical tissue also needs to be investigated. Histopathological, neurochemical and neurophysiological techniques must be applied to determine the effects of both acute and chronic activation of cortical tissue. Personnel with established expertise in microelectrode design and fabrication, neurochemistry, and neural histopathology are needed. It is anticipated that one award will be made for a period of three years in February 1998. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). THE SOLICITATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY ONLY. It will be available on the following website: http://ninds.nih.gov/cmb/rfp.htm. It will be available at this website 15 or more calendar days after the issuance of this synopsis. OFFERORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROUTINELY CHECKING THIS WEBSITE FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOLICITATION AMENDMENTS THAT MAY BE ISSUED. NO INDIVIDUAL NOTIFICATION OF ANY AMENDMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be conside red by the agency. Refer to numbered Note 26. (0157)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0007 19970610\A-0007.SOL)