Page 2 of 3 SOURCES SOUGHT: The Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 6 Network Contracting Office (NCO) is conducting Market Research on behalf of the Richmond, VA VAMC through this sources sought to help determine the availability of qualified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), and Small Businesses (SB) to provide a CO2 Incubator and accompanying 2-Stage Regulator. Must be brand name or equal to the HERA 150I CO2 SST TC 120V. The following outlines the characteristics and features that the medical center requires: The incubator must provide a reliable, clean and easy-to-use in vitro environment, featuring proven contamination control, in which samples are secured, protected and thriving, for optimized growth and security The incubator features a 5.3 cuft. useable capacity chamber with interior components constructed of corrosion resistant, electro-polished stainless steel with rounded corners, minimizing potential for unwanted contamination. Unit shall incorporate iCAN touch screen user interface. The incubator must feature on-board graphics capability, via the iCAN controller, enabling users to obtain historical performance by parameter upon request, for user specified time periods, to allow greater research results. User interface shall also log and display all user interactions with the incubator (eg. Door openings, parameter changes), facilitating the identification of important changes in the culture environment. Internal chamber surfaces should be reduced through the elimination of unnecessary shelf or ceiling panels, bolts, air ducts or screws which provide an opportunity for difficult to clean, hidden contamination. Plastic components shall not be incorporated within the culture chamber. The incubator must incorporate exclusive ContraCon high temperature decontamination routine, which subjects the culture chamber interior and its components to a 90°C moist heat disinfection cycle which has been proven effective in contamination control against bacteria, molds, fungal spores and mycoplasma. Decontamination routine must avoid the limitations and potential hazards associated with UV germicidal lamps, and be capable of running without the need to disassemble and remove any sensors, hardware or other components within the chamber, as their subsequent re-installation offers the potential for the introduction of contamination, thus neutralizing the intended benefit in simplifying cleaning routines and eliminating variability in decontamination procedures. The incubator shall feature a 26 width, 35 height and 31 depth and reversible door swing, to conserve valuable laboratory space and maximize flexibility of placement within a variety of laboratory environments. Units should be readily stackable without the need for tools, additional hardware or thermal barriers To provide superior temperature uniformity and recovery times with reduced servicing and maintenance concerns, the unit must incorporate a direct air jacketed heating design featuring high quality thermal jacket insulation and fan assisted circulation allowing recovery under 10 minutes following a typical 30 second door opening, The incubator must incorporate a direct humidification design, in which internal water reservoir is in direct contact with a heated surface to maximize humidification efficiency, as opposed to water pans or trays which impede heat transfer and optimal humidity characteristics. Unit must feature a water level sensor and alarm to alert user when humidification water refill is required. Direct humidification allows for the fastest recovery possible of up to 95% humidity conditions within incubator following door openings, which is required for optimal cell growth and elimination of dehydration caused by evaporation Unit shall be available with a choice of either thermal conductivity or IR CO2 gas sensor technology. Sensor must be mounted directly within the culture chamber, and have recovery rates of under 5 minutes following routine 30 second door opening, as opposed to sensors located outside the culture environment requiring complicated and inefficient by-pass systems, and those relying upon gravity convection for circulation of environmental conditions. A fully automatic Auto Start routine shall be incorporated to reliably calibrate and verify proper operation of all electronic measuring systems, within a few hours, simplifying incubator set-up and speeding availability for culturing use. The incubator must include an independent over-temperature protection function with independent temperature sensor, to protect valuable cultures from potential damage in the event of an unexpected failure in the primary temperature control system. The incubator must offer a direct access port on the interior incubator door to enable comparative CO2 measurement by an external device. This allows for improved accuracy in the collection and measurement of CO2 to validate primary system readings, and simplification of the process. Incubator must have FDA 510K certification, representing its suitability for use with human patient samples. If the contractor is capable of providing the above items, the contractor shall provide a letter from the manufacturer stating they are an authorized distributor for their products. Failure to submit an authorized distributor letter shall result in the product(s) potentially offered to be considered grey market and shall not be considered technically acceptable. The capability statements received from this market research are for planning purposes only and will assist the Government in planning its acquisition strategy. This is strictly market research and the Government will not entertain questions concerning this market research. The Government will not assume any costs incurred by the contractor in the preparation of responses. All responses shall be submitted in writing no later than May 17, 11:00 AM, EST to the attention of: Cole J. Culley, VA Medical Center, 27 Averill Avenue, Hampton, VA 23667. E-mail address:
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