U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268

66 -- TOPCOUNT VARIPLATE BENCHTOP MICROPLATE SCINTILLATION AND LUMINESCENCE COUNTER SOL ORD #15 DUE 031499 POC Hans Schellhas (513) 487-2055 or Marie Nichols (513) 487-2054 WEB: na, na. E-MAIL: Cincinnati Contracts Management Division, schellhas.hans@epamail.epa.gov. The U.S. EPA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.302, with Packard Instrument Company, for the Acquisition of a TopCount Variplate Benchtop Microplate Scintillation and Luminescence Counter. The basis for the sole source negotiation is addressed below. The configuration of this system allows isotope and luminescence counting in a single system. The system contains an easily accessible front loading automatic plate stacker, which allows for plates to be loaded and unloaded from the stacker without interrupting sample counting, which will accept up to 40, 96-well plates or 30, 24 well plates. This system utilizes triple mode, single photomultiplier tube technology which provides optimum sensitivity for liquid or solid scintillation counting, employs single photon counting for luminescence detection, and allows for the counting of samples directly from microplates. It includes twelve (12) detectors (i.e., 6 detectors dedicated for counting 6 samples simultaneously in the 14mm size well of the 24-well plate, and 6 detectors dedicated for counting six samples simultaneously in the 7mm size well of the 96-well plate). In addition, the system includes six detectors in the 96-well microplate formate for luminescence counting. The system includes a transformed spectral index of the sample (tSIS) quench indicating parameter for monitoring sample quench for automatic single label DPM. This system has an adjustable (i.e., 19-35oC) isothermal counting chamber, an automatic bar code reader, and the ability to program up to 99 individual assays. This instrument will allow the users to recall data by assay I.D., user I.D., date, plate number or bar code number. It also has multi-filter capability, it is supplied with a 340 nm filter and four additional interference filters. This system is able to read in single or dual wavelength read modes, and also uses single beam classical lens optics to minimize variability between wells. All of the capabilities identified above are achieved by asingle system. This acquisition will be accomplished under FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items. Only Sources capable of fully meeting the unique technical capabilities of the instrument outlined above, without exception, will be considered. Technical documentation must be submitted within 15 days of the publication of this notice to the office identified above. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition is solely the discretion of the Government. The points of contact are Hans Schellhas at (513) 487-2055 or Marie Nichols at (513) 487-2054. The subject facsimile number is (513) 487-2109. Posted 03/30/99 (W-SN314461). (0089)

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