Contact Points
Primary Contract Specialist
Secondary Contracting Officer
Leuven,
3001, Belgium
The specified electrodes have been tested and validated in nonhuman primate brain recording. This order is not a continuation or renewal of a previous purchase order. It is to purchase electrodes that are essential for ongoing and planned studies.
The essential characteristics of the Neuropixels electrode array that limit the availability to a sole source are 1) IMEC is the only commercial entity that can supply these specific electrodes, 2) currently, only these electrodes meet all the performance specifications, 3) these electrodes have been tested in non-human primates, 4) we have purchased all the specialized equipment and configured our laboratory to accommodate this specific electrode type. Only the suggested source can furnish the requirements, to the exclusion of other sources, because they are the technological leader in this specialized market, with offerings not matched by other vendors.
Background Information and Objective: The exploration of brain regions known to contribute to reward-related behaviors requires electrodes designed to explore the exact regions under study. Disentangling the contributions of multiple regions requires the ability to recording the electrical activity of many neurons simultaneously. Simultaneous recording is especially important for reward-related circuitry, where computational models are used to guide the research. The specified purchase is for a electrodes able to reach deep structures in nonhuman primate, like the amygdala and ventral striatum. This new generation of electrodes can record from hundreds of neurons simultaneously. The specified electrodes are required for both ongoing experiments and upcoming ones. Understanding the circuitry behind reward-related behavior is an essential component of the NIMH mission to understand and develop treatments for behavioral disorders.
Each electrode has a limited lifetime, so this order is for 5 additional Neuropixels. The order includes a spare head stage and head stage cable because these are the components that tend to fail over time.
Purchase Description: Neuropixels (NP1032), Head stage for recording (HS_1000), Cable for recording (CBL_1010), Shipping.
Salient characteristics
- Active electrodes for deep (45 mm) recordings in nonhuman primates
- 2000 to 4000 contacts for recording
- Over 380 channels recorded at a time
- Sufficiently robust to tolerate multiple penetrations into the brain
- Validated in nonhuman primates
Quantity: NP1032 (1 bx/5), HS_1000 (1), CBL_1010 (1), Shipping
Interested parties may identify in writing their interest and capability in response to this requirement. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement and include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, the delivery period after contract award, the prompt payment discount terms, the F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.
All responses must be received by closing date and must reference the announcement. Responses may be submitted electronically to the attention of the contract specialist. Fax responses will not be accepted.
All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency.