6525-- ICONEUS ONE- Mobile Animal Imager

April 11, 2016 1 This Sources sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this sources sought. If you can provide the Equipment as described in the below scope of work description please respond by Monday September 20th, at 1:00PM EST to kevin.balser@va.gov with the following information: Company Name Socio Economic Status: I.E. Small Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Veteran owned, Women Owned, etc Email Address Phone Number Physical Address Capability statement pertaining to Scope of Work Statement of Work (SOW) 642-21-4-315-0321 1. Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). Name: Richard Moore Department: Research & Development Address: Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC Attn: R&D bldg. 21 3900 Woodland Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone Number: 215-823-5800 ext. 6020 Email address: Richard.moore7@va.gov 21.. Contract Title. Purchase of Name Brand, Iconeus One Functional Ultrasound System from Iconeus to be used in the CMCVAMC Research Department. J&A for Name brand will accompany solicitation. 23. Background. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) reported nearly 414,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among U.S. service members worldwide between 2000 and late 2019. Successive TBI events and severity have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Parkinson s disease. Additionally, prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across veterans of the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom ranges from 10-30% according to the National Center for PTSD. Conditions stemming from TBI and PTSD often lead to long-term mental and physical health problems that can impair quality of life. Many of the mechanisms surrounding TBI and PTSD are poorly understood, especially in mild cases where changes in brain activity and pathology are subtle. By mapping the brain connectome and visualizing blood-flow paradigms across brain regions at various stressed and resting states or through pharmacological intervention, enhanced diagnostic capabilities and improved clinical outcomes for this vulnerable population can be achieved. As this is new technology at the forefront of advanced ultrasonic imaging, the benefit of this equipment can expand to a broader range of translational research supported by our facility. The technology offered by this equipment is unique and one-of-a-kind. As opposed to conventional ultrasound imaging which emits focused waves into the propagation medium to build an image line-by-line and results in fragmented information across space and time, functional ultrasound emits plane waves into the propagation medium where the backscattered echoes are collected all at once to build image-by-image ultrasonic movies. This ultrasonic emission strategy enables the acquisition of a considerably larger amount of information. It is the only commercially available functional ultrasound system used in research. This system uses patented technology to capture and analyze brain activity and brain structure in real-time in anesthetized or awake subjects in a mobile platform. Focused on the imaging of larger areas of microvasculature and the assessment of subtle changes in blood volume, this equipment will confer substantial added value compared to other brain imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) scanning and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), both of which require trained personnel for operation and maintenance as well as changes to facility infrastructure. Additionally, PET and fMRI do not offer the best spatio-temporal resolution for imaging in small animal models. The equipment s proposed function is not being currently fulfilled at present in our facility. This instrument will provide a major contribution to the VA's long-term research goals, impacting a wide range of translational research by increasing access to a unique pre-clinical neuro-imaging tool and speeding the development of many critical therapies and diagnostics. The requesting scientists investigate a broad range of translational therapies with substantial benefit for veterans, including therapies for neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson s disease, chronic spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, and traumatic brain injury. We expect the system to attract and accommodate a large number of VA researchers beyond the requesting scientists, thus expanding its benefit to an even broader range of translational research. The purchase of this system has been approved by the VISN via the High Cost High Tech (HCHT) Equipment mechanism. 34. Scope. Salient Characteristics Plane Wave Ultrasonic Emissions Instead of using focused beams to build line-by-line images as it is done in conventional ultrasound imaging, plane wave are emitted through the tissues to build image-by-image ultrasonic movies at an ultrafast frame-rate. This ultrasonic emission strategy enables acquisition of a considerably larger amount of information on the propagation medium compared to conventional ultrasound. Mobile system that allows real-time monitoring of functional activity on whole brain, anesthetized or awake Traditional animal MRIs require liquid nitrogen and helium coolants (cryogens) to super-cool the magnet to allow for imaging. Because of this, traditional animal MRIs are very expensive, large, and heavy. The magnetic field of traditional MRIs also extends several feet beyond the casing of the magnet (which can cause a hazard if there are nearby metal objects nearby). These characteristics require extensive special facility modifications to support the instrument, such as shielding installed within the walls, reinforcement of the floors, and a large room space. The Iconeus One eliminates the need for costly facilities renovations, as the unit has a small footprint and can easily be moved wherever it is needed. The contractor must be able to provide the following system and components: Iconeus One Functional Ultrasound System The Iconeus One is a preclinical functional ultrasound system, specifically designed for live animal imaging, either awake or anesthetized. This system is based on patented MultiPlaneWave technology. The system requires all of the following components for functionality: ICONEUS high frequency 2D/3D scanner - ICONEUS-ONE 128 channels Core Software 2D real-time Live fUS software, User Region Of Interest, Activation map, data export Advanced fUS Software Fast multi-slice acquisition, 3D angiography, 3D activation map, activation map video viewer Connectivity Software Multi-slice connectivity matrix, Seed based map, connectivity processing toolbox Neuro-navigation Software Automatic 3D Scan Registration with « GoTo » feature, user functional atlas Full software License for standalone post processing computers High sensitivity 15 MHz single-3D probe for anesthetized & awake head fixed rodents High sensitivity 15 MHz probe for moving rats High sensitivity probe for swine Four axis motorized set-up for anesthetized or head fixed animals Vendor Justification Iconeus Based on the salient characteristics listed above, Iconeus is the only company which can supply the requested equipment. There are no other vendors which currently provide animal fUS systems matching these specifications. Traditional animal MRIs are not acceptable due to their high cost, large size, and the extensive and expensive facilities modifications required to install them. Iconeus is the only company that provides a portable, local-brain and whole-brain imaging device that meets or exceeds the spatial and temporal resolution of traditional fMRI. Start date: July 1, 2021 Length of Service: Work Tasks and Deliverables Training includes: On-site Main Applications Training Three days training relating to the proper use of the product The training is provided at the customer facility. An Iconeus representative delivers detailed system operation, restrictions on the use of the products, in order to avoid any damage to the Products itself and peripherals, conditions of use regarding the security of the operator and laboratory animals and the maintenance tasks to be necessary. Installation: Installation of Iconeus One Preclinical fUS system Includes unpacking and assembly Includes initialization of the products Includes performance testing and tuning