Allegro Plus Automated Fluorescent Mode Scanner with 8 slide Tray Hardware and Software

Notice Number: SS-N02RC44426-79 Issued By: National Cancer Institute (NCI), Office of Acquisitions (OA) http://www.nci.nih.gov Key Dates: Capability Statement Due Date: June 27, 2014 by 2:00 PM ET This Small Business Sources Sought Notice (SBSS) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether sources are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) sources' size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned NAICS code 334516 with a size standard of 500 employees. A. BACKGROUND The NCI requires a platform or device that enables rapid automated imaging and enumerating of FISH signals in cells derived from different sources (cell lines, Thinprep slides, cytospins of disintegrated formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) material, sections of FFPE material and routine diagnostic cytological preparations). The NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR) laboratory has developed a novel technique to multiplex 15 FISH probes within the same cell which involves subsequent hybridization and relocation of cells in between hybridizations (FISH-after-FISH application). This approach allows the analysis of tumor heterogeneity and cell clonality. Automated evaluation for this technique requires specific software. Another major project in the lab is the evaluation of Thinprep samples of cervical dysplasias with a FISH probe for the gene of the human telomerase RNA component TERC on chromosome 3q to determine whether women with dysplasia would require additional, expensive and invasive (surgical) follow up. The automated system has to have the capability to scan a complete Thinprep slide (up to 100,000 cells) for a three-color probe set within less than five hours, store and save these images. The NCI CCR anticipates award of a firm fixed price, non-competitive order to BioView (USA) Inc. to provide the equipment and accessories described in Section B. Only BioView has the equipment and software to perform the tasks describe above. B. PURPOSE AND SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS The purpose of this acquisition is to purchase an: - Allegro Plus Automated Scanner with 8-Slide Tray - Cervical Scanning Applications - FISH after FISH Scanning Application - Tissue FISH Application - Target FISH Application - Research Mode - Solo Offline Workstation - Solo Offline Workstation Software - Long Life Fluorescent Lamp The salient characteristics of this instrument are as follows: 1. A fully automated microscope with fluorescent and bright field capabilities with an eight-filter turret and an eight-slide stage. The microscope must be equipped with the following objectives:, 10x dry, 20x oil, 40x oil, 60x oil, and the following Chroma Technology filters: DAPI, Aqua, Green, Gold, Orange, Red, Cy5. It has to have a long life fluorescent lamp and must be connected to a fast CCD camera. 2. Software to operate the instrument for automated image acquisition and signal enumeration, specifically: a. Whole slide scanning of Thinprep cervical slides with a three-color FISH probe panel for up to 100,000 cells per slide with a scan and enumerating time of less than five hours. b. FISH-after-FISH application. This software automatically relocates to the same cell within different hybridizations, the software can image five different probes plus DAPI counterstain per hybridization and four different probe panels in subsequent hybridizations. It displays the images in a specific gallery showing all probes per cell as an overlay image per probe panel and as single probe images and incorrect counts can be easily corrected by the user. It records all probes per cell in an Excel spread sheet that can be manipulated and interrogated within the program and can be exported. c. Automated image acquisition and signal enumeration for FISH on tissue sections d. Automated image acquisition and signal enumeration for regular FISH applications like, e.g., gene probes on cell lines and on cytospins of single cell suspensions of patient material, as a flexible platform for different FISH probes and specimens 3. Offline workstation with touch screen (for tissue FISH) 4. Offline workstation - software only (to be installed on existing computer) C. HOW TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE If any responsible source believes it can provide equipment and software that meets the requirements they may submit their capability statements via email (PDF format; 15 Page Limit, these pages exclude resumes) for consideration by NCI to Howard Cyrus, Contracting Officer, at hc163b@nih.gov by the 2 pm ET, June 27, 2014. No collect calls or facsimile transmissions will be accepted. Respondents must include DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZONE, etc) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, an RFQ may be published on FedBizOpps. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s). Point of Contact: Inquiries concerning this Notice may be directed to: Howard Cyrus Contracting Officer 301-624-8747 hc163b@nih.gov