Koken Breathing Simulator

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE A PURCHASE ORDER. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) hereby announces its intent to issue a purchase order to Koken LTD, 7 Yonbancho, Chiyoda - ku, Tokyo, 102-8459 Japan to procure the Koken breathing pattern simulator. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE: The Koken breathing pattern simulator will be used for the BARDA funded advanced headform validation project. NPPTL has already purchased a Koken "Breathing Recording System" (BRS) which is used to record a human subject's breathing pattern while the subject wears an elastomeric half-mask respirator with a mounted pressure sensor. Data from the BRS is readily downloaded into the breathng pattern simulator here it is converted into a waveform. The breathing pattern simulator will operate using this waveform to cause the advanced headform to respire. The recording and simulator are an integrated system, but only the recording component was previously purchased because of the limited budget. The Koken breathing pattern simulator has two breathing cylinders which gives the unit large capacity (over 2.5 L per cylinder; over 40 cycles per min). The high breathing rates are needed to develop fit test methods using the headforms for ISO standards for some RPDs for high flow applications where human test subjects may not be appropriate to use. Responsible sources that believe they possess the expertise and capabilities identified above are encouraged to submit to the Contracting Officer within 15 days from the posting date of this notice, their written item description/item characteristics and pricing information in the format they choose, not to exceed 10 pages. Please forward the item description and pricing information to Margaret L. Mooney, CDC NIOSH, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, Reference 2012-Q-14600. All vendors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) prior to an award of a federal contract. The website is: www.ccr.gov. The Government will review any/all item descriptions and pricing information submitted and determine if other qualified sources do exist that could provide this requirement. Information received in response will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. If no affirmative responses are received within 15 days, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), negotiations will be conducted with Koken LTD, International Trade Division, 7, Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Ku TOKYO, 102-8-450 as the only source and a purchase order will be issued without any additional notices being posted.