Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurement & Grants Office, Contracts & Purchases Branch, 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, NE, Room 204, Atlanta, GA 30305

66 -- HIGH-SENSITIVITY SPECTRAL BIO-IMAGING SYSTEM SOL 98I121(C) DUE 033198 POC Susan B. Kiddoo, Contract Specialist, (404) 842-6769 THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. Solicitation number 98I121(C) is issued as a request for quote. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-03. This is a total small business set aside. The SIC code is 3571, with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The conventional filter based approach measures only a limited number of intensities while an infinite number is possible with a spectrally based system. The Imaging spectral karyotyping system must be based on an optical head which has a Sagnac interferometer to measure the light spectrum, a high performance cooled CCD camera for imaging and a computer to acquire and analyze spectral images. The software for data analysis must be based on Fourier spectroscopy. Because a spectrally based system does not employ filters, the entire unfiltered spectrum of optical signal is available to the high performance 512 x 512 pixel 12 bit cooled CCD detector at all times during the measurement. This light throughput advantage of Fourier spectroscopy has improved the signal to noise ratio in the measured spectra which translates into an improved classification. The spectral cube based system would allow the detection of an infinite number of flours. This type of imaging system has high optical throughput, high spectral resolution, a broad spectral bandwidth and is independent of polarization. The analysis is not based on absolute intensities and is therefore not sensitive to changes of the intensity of one or a few of the flourophores. The system must therefore be able to distinguish flour-chromes with overlapping emission spectra with small differences in spectra. In summary, using a spectral cube is the best measure of 24 colors and gives an accuracy of near 100% of the chromosomes identified accurately. (1) The system must pass the light emitted from a fluorescent labeled metaphase that is collected with the microscope objective and sent to a triple band pass filter (spectral cube), then sent through an interferometer to measure the spectrum and imaged with a CCD camera. The pattern of the pixels emitted or spectra should be analyzed by Fourier transformation using a personal computer. (2) The system must contain a triple-bandpass filter or spectral cube with customized excitation, dichroic and emission filters that allows an infinite number of dyes to be excited and their emission spectrum measured in a single exposure. (3) The optical dispersion element in the spectral cube based imaging can allow measurement of the full spectrum for each pixel. The system must contain an optical dispersion element or the Sagnac interferometer that can act as an optical dispersion element. The interferometer can split the collectedlight into two coherent beams and thus create a variable optical path difference between the two beams. The beams are then recombined to interfere with each other and the resulting interference intensity is measured by the detector or CCD camera. (4) The system must have a scanner controller that is able to change the optical path difference in the interferometer to allow detection of multiple color spectra. (5) To assure constant conditions for the accurate measurement of the light spectra, the optical path of the system must not vary. An optical path difference scanner controller can assure a constant optical path. The spectral resolution should be better than 5nm FWHM at 400 NM.ISA computer interface broad. (6) To assure accurate identification of color spectra, a set of four narrow band interference filters centered at 450, 550, 650 and 750 nm, with approximate band-widths of 10 nm to 25 mm diameter is necessary. In addition, a set of two neutral density filters should be used when light levels saturate the CCD camera. (7) The software must be capable of Fourier transformation of the collected pixel spectra. Fourier transformation is a process that makes it possible to define the spectrum of light. The Fourier equation is based on the principal that a monochromatic light at wavelength "lambda" can be described in terms of the electric field. The program must be able to automate the classification of the chromosomes according to the spectrum. Spectrum based classification can be achieved by the following measurements. The software must be capable of building a spectral library that holds the spectrum of each chromosome as measured in an independently identified metaphase. All the spectra of the measurement including the reference spectra can be normalized to one. For each pixel, the software must be capable of calculating the Euclidean distance between its measured spectrum and each of the reference spectra of the chromosome standards. A classification color can then be assigned based on the best match. A color image should then be created in which every pixel is displayed in the color that corresponds to the chromosome specific emission spectrum to which the color was assigned (Garini, Yuval et al, Spectral Karyotyping, Bioimaging, 4: 65-72, 1996). The system must have the ability to subtract background autofluorescence. The analysis program must provide user with the ability to view and display in the image being viewed, display images in corrected RGB colors, output images in TIFF/PCX format, readily output spectral data to ASCII files and do wavelength scanning as well as spectral and spatial averaging. The user must be able to create a reference library of spectrally based images of at least 30 spectra that can be chosen from a reference library and/or from within an image of interest. In addition, the user must have the ability to add subtract, divide and multiply spectral image cubes and to view the results immediately. Three-D plotting of the data must be possible. (8) The spectral library for identification of the chromosomes must be based on commercially available spectral karyotyping probes for human as well as mouse prepared from flow sorted, then PCR labeled chromosomes. The program must allow later construction of a custom library for identification of other species. (9) The construction of the spectral apparatus must be stable, variable, with high spectral resolution, high-throughput, common-path, interferometer which is compatible with the C-mount interface of a Zeiss Axiophot 2 microscope. The apparatus must be capable of bypassing the interferometer to allow light to pass directly to the CCD camera. This direct imaging mode will allow the photography of banded metaphase preparations prior to spectral karyotyping. (10) The system must be based on a rugged mechanical support stand which provides additional support for the spectral karyotyping system CCD camera when top mounted on the C-mount port of the Zeiss Axioplan or Axiophot 2 microscope. The spectral response should be from 400 nm to 1000 nm. The CCD camera must be controlled by a Pentium computer. Images shall be rapidly transferred at no less than 1 Mpixel/sec in digital format to the RAM of the computer via direct memory access. The CCD camera pixel size should be such that high spectral resolution is possible and therefore should be better than 5 nm FWHM at 400 nm. (11) The computer shall be at least a 200 MHZ Pentium computer with 128MB RAM, (4x32MB), 3 GB hard disk, 3.25" floppy drive, silent keyboard, 2-button mouse and 21-inch SVGA monitor. A JAZ drive with at least 1GB JAZ cartridge for spectral image archiving shall be provided. A 3-COM 10 BASE-T network card is necessary to allow linkage to the excising network at the Center of Disease Control, NIOSH. An ISA computer interface board is a desired feature to facilitate interfacing between the graphics on the monitor and the computer hardware. This type of computer would have sufficient memory and speed to image large metaphase spreads detected with multicolored probes. The software to capture and karyotype the spectral images must have an extensive library of spectral image algorithms, spectral karyotyping and output data in ASCII and TIFF/PCX formats. The color printer must be a photographic quality printer based on dye diffusion technology. With the ability to produce color prints with 16.7 million simultaneous colors or grey-scale digital prints. The printer must be capable of printing Windows-based software. The system shall be delivered not later than 120 days after issuance of the contract to NIOSH/ALOSH, Health Effects Laboratory Division, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505-2845, FOB Destination. The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses are added to this provision: 52.204-6; 52.214-34; 52.214-35; 52.233-2. The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. The evaluation criteria stated in paragraph (a) of this provision are as follows: (1) technical capability of the proposed system; and (2) price. The system must meet the requirements stated above to be considered for award. Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, with its offer. The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses are added to this provision: 52.203-3, 52.219-6; 52.225-11; 52.232-17; 52.243-1; 52.247-35; 52.211-16; 52.211-16 (0% increase, 0% decrease). The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following clauses listed in paragraph (b) of 52.212-5 apply to this solicitation: (1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), (9), (13), and (15). These clauses can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.arnet.gov/far/. See Note (1). Offers are due not later than 3:30pm, on April 3, 1998 addressed as follows: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Contracts and Purchases Branch, Attn: IRM Section/Susan Kiddoo, 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE, Room 204, Atlanta, GA 30305. Offers shall be valid for a minimum of 30 days. You may contact Susan Kiddoo at (404) 842-6769 for information regarding this solicitation. Facsimile proposals WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. (0075)

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