Automated Multiplex Media Exchange System for tissue printing constructs in 12, 24 and 96-well density plates
INTRODUCTION
This is a Small Business Sources Sought (SBSS) notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they 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) their 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 notice is issued to help determine the availability and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this potential government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.
The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government's potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice.
NORTH AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE
The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 334516 Analytical Instrument Laboratory Manufacturing with size standard 1000 employees.
Background
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is one of 27 Institute Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NCATS was established in 2011 as a translational science center whose mission is to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions. Experts in NCATS' Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation (DPI) develop system approaches that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the translation process. Examples include advancing new technologies to make pre-clinical research more predictive and efficient or de-risking potential drug targets or research projects to make them more attractive for commercial investment.
The 3-D Tissue Bioprinting Group in NCATS DPI is invested in developing therapeutically relevant three-dimensional tissues for basic research and drug screening. NCATS researchers are using the techniques of 3-D bioprinting to combine living cells with scaffolding materials, to create testing platforms of laboratory-grown human tissues that closely mimic natural tissues in human organs. These innovative tissue models could help scientists better predict the way patients will respond to potential new therapies. The incorporation of a modular fluidic system that is capable of long term, fully automated media exchange for tissue constructs in 12, 24 and 96-well density plates is positioned to enable research on many such vascular environments.
Purpose and Objectives
This Small Business Sources Sought notice seeks to determine eligible sources capable of achieving the essential features of this potential requirement described in this notice. Specifically, the purpose of this potential requirement is to obtain an Automated Multiplex Media Exchange System to automate media changes for tissue printing constructs in 12, 24 and 96-well density plates used at NCATS.
Results at NCATS in generating these complex tissues has led to a demand to automate the media exchange process which is both laborious and a potential source of contamination and variability when done manually. The ability for this device to be fed by plate handling robotics which utilize existing scheduling software will also be a key requirement allowing well established high throughput screening (HTS) techniques to be leveraged to make the engagement successful. More labs at NCATS are adopting these complex tissue constructs making this a critical piece of instrumentation to support a variety of research areas.
Another important aspect of the device is to have the ability to take the extracted supernatant from the plate undergoing the media exchange to perform a variety of biological measurements. This could include a variety of biomarkers such as lipids, metabolites, proteins and essentially anything that will be present in the extracted media that can be measured through standard biological assays. Having the ability to both perform the media exchange to keep the tissues healthy and to perform measurements of the samples from the supernatant over time, especially with the constructs have been treated with a small molecule, make this a powerful research tool to allow NCATS to use these complex models as a means for biological screening.
Project Requirements
The Government is seeking acquire a modular fluidic system that is capable of long term, fully automated media exchange for tissue constructs in 12, 24 and 96-well density plates. The following performance requirements are deemed essential to this proposed acquisition:
• Automated replacement of media in each well of a 12-, 24-, or 96-well plate with fresh media drawn from one or more reservoirs, and the delivery of the conditioned media to a second well plate for off-line analysis.
• Readily integrated into robotic fluid- and plate-handling systems for high throughput screening.
• Fully compatible with standard well plates and lids.
• Separate needles for delivery and removal of fluid from each well.
• Separate robot-compatible plate-access for each of the two well plates.
• Automated integral delidding of each plate upon insertion into the AMMES, and relidding upon removal.
• Operation either inside or outside of an incubator.
• Simultaneous fluid delivery to, removal from, or transfer between any two wells in two well plates.
• Distribution of fluid from multiple large-volume reservoirs to individual wells, with the choice of reservoir(s) and volumes of fluid delivered selectable for each individual well.
• Transfer of fluid from a particular well in one plate to one or more other wells in a second well plate.
• Transfer of fluid from a multiple wells in one plate to a single well in a second well plate.
• Three separate units: one each for: 1) a pair of 12-well plates, 2) a pair of 24-well plates, and 3) a pair of 96-well plates.
• Capable of using separate plates with detergent and rinse to clean and rinse tubing and delivery needles.
• Modular NEMA-17 or smaller stepper motor cartridges with on-board wireless microcontrollers with absolute angle encoders, instruction memory, current sensing and control circuitry, and data logging.
• Rotary planar peristaltic micropump and rotary planar valve fluidics chips with integral tubing ports that are readily replaceable, self-aligning, and do not require bonding to another surface.
• Pumps whose range of operational flow-rates can be controlled by selection of fluidic chips that are inserted into a motor cartridge.
• Valves whose number of active channels and connectivity can be controlled by selection of fluidic chips that are inserted into a motor cartridge.
• Well-plate, pump, and valve connectivity selectable by choice of the fluidic circuit that interconnects the reservoirs and the modular motor cartridges.
• Automated, in-line, gravimetric calibration of fluid delivery and removal from all wells.
• Compatible with direct injection into mass spectrometers.
• Compatible with in-line electrochemical detection using microclinical analyzers.
• Instrument footprint without reservoirs to have lateral dimensions with the well plates inserted designed to be compatible in government laboratory workspace with a single incubator shelf.
• Control software with automated and manual control and sensing capability compatible with modular motor cartridges and predefined sets of motor cartridges to support rapid reconfiguration of the system for different operational modes.
Delivery/Warranty
Offerors shall provide an outline for estimated build time with estimated delivery time in full after receipt of an order and any other training or warranty or software license considerations applicable. Offerors shall indicate if warranty or service agreements are included with purchase of the equipment or offered as a separate acquisition. Inspection and acceptance will be performed at NCATS located at 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20852.
CAPABILITY STATEMENTS SOUGHT
Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk.
Respondents must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in this announcement; (d) quantity; (e) shipping, handling, and/or installation instructions, and/or any special delivery conditions after receipt of an order.
Respondents that believe that they are manufacturers or authorized re-sellers of the equipment specified in this announcement must provide, as part of their response: (a) product, catalog, model, and/or part number(s); (b) product description; (c) all relevant information and documentation that the item(s) offered meets the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics as specified in the purchase description; (d) quantity; (e) estimated price or cost; (f) shipping, handling, and/or installation charges; and delivery date after receipt of order.
The respondent must also provide their 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 and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.
The information submitted must be in outline format that addresses each of the elements of this requirement. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required.
The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested.
The response must include the respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses.
Respondents must reference the announcement number on all correspondence related to this Small Business Sources Sought notice. The response must be submitted to Hunter Tjugum electronically, at hunter.tjugum@nih.gov, and be received prior to the closing date specified in this announcement.
CONCLUDING STATEMENTS
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, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
Hunter A Tjugum, Contract Specialist, Phone 3018275304, Email hunter.tjugum@nih.gov
