NIH-NINDS - 22-012123 - Notice of Intent

Submitted by patelsnv on
Post Date/ Solicitation Issue Date
Closing Response Date
Proposed Award Date
Project Title
Leica VT1200S Fully Automated Vibrating Blade Microtome
Contracting Office
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Contact Points

Primary Contract Specialist

Valerie
Gregorio
valerie.gregorio@nih.gov
NAICS Code Number
334516
Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
Small Business Size Standard
1,000 employees
FPDS Classification Code
N/A
Estimated Period of Performance
N/A
Delivery of Goods
BLDG 35A RM 3F121
Set-Aside Status
Not Set Aside
Competition Status
Brand Name or Equal
Brand Name
VWR International
Rationale/ Salient Characteristics
- The blade holder can be rotated through 90 degrees to permit safe and accurate insertion of a whole doubled edged razor, sapphire or injection blade.
- Clearance angle is adjustable between 15, 18 and 21 degree.
- Removable ice bath and buffer tray allow working under physiological conditions and away from the instrument.
- The maximum Vertical Specimen Feed is 20mm and the horizontal stroke 45mm.
- Optimized blade holder designed for minimum buffer spillage.
- The motorized Blade Holder travel speed is adjustable between 0.01 and 1.5mm/s, allowing soft tissues to be sectioned very slowly and the return travel speed is accelerated to 2.5mm/s.
- The Amplitude of the blade is adjustable between 0 and 3mm in 0.05mm steps.
- The Frequency is fixed to 85Hz +/- 5Hz.
- A Section thickness totalizer can be re-set to zero at any position to facilitate target preparations in certain depths of the tissue.
Single-Sole Source Determination
To produce usable brain slices, a vibratome with adjustable frequency and amplitude (up to 100 Hz and 1 mm) and capability for automated sectioning is needed.
Background/Description of Requirement

We are studying how the neurological disease AHC (alternating hemiplegia of childhood) affects electrical signaling by neurons. It is not known whether inhibitory neurons in AHC fail to respond to electrical signals, respond too quickly or slowly to signals, or send excessive signals. Therefore, we plan to perform patch-clamp electrophysiology to measure voltage and electrical current in individual neurons from mice with a mutation causing AHC. In order to access individual neurons for patch clamp, we need to produce thin (0.25 mm) slices of fresh brain tissue from specific brain regions such as the cerebellum, while the brain is submerged in cold electrolyte solution. This vibratome is standard equipment used to produce such slices.

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.