Contracting Officer (90C), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4500 South Lancaster Road, Dallas, TX 75216

65 -- MOBILE MRI SOL 549-20-97 DUE 013097 POC Warren L. Ector, Contracting Officer, (214) 302-7523 The North Texas Veterans Health Care System (VA), Dallas Campus, intends to award a contract for the rental of a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine during the period required to complete an upgrade of its permanent MRI machine. The mobile MRI must possess the following minimum requirements -- (a) RF COILS: (1) 55 cm+ Internal Diameter Quadrature Body Coil, (2) 27 cm+ Internal Diameter Quadrature Head Coil, (3) Transmit/Receive Extremity Knee Coil, (4) Receive Neck/Cervical Spine Coil, (5) Receive Shoulder Coil, and (6) Receive Only Surface Coils with positioning pads for thoracic and lumbar spine regions; (b) PULSE SEQUENCES: (1) Standard Spin Echo with minimum echo time of 12-15 msec, (2) Variable Spin Echo, (3) Multiple Spin Echo, (4) 2D Inversion Recovery, (5) Fast Spin Echo, 2D and 3D, (6) 2D and 3D Gradient Echo, (7) 2D and 3D Time of Flight sequences for vascular imaging, and (8) 2D and 3D PC; (c) MISCELLANEOUS CAPABILITIES FOR DIAGNOSTIC-QUALITY IMAGING: (1) Flow Compensated or Gradient motion rephasing sequences for reduction of Flow Artifacts, (2) Presaturation Techniques -- RF Saturation pulses to suppress Flow and Motion Artifacts, (3) Fat Saturation to suppress fatty tissue in the image, (4) ECG [cardiac] triggering, (5) Offcenter Field of View Capability for Knee and Shoulder Imaging, (6) Oblique Imaging with Multi-Slice multi-angle capability and oversampling to avoid aliasing, (7) Gradient Strength shall be equal to or greater than 10mT/m, (8) Minimum Slice Thickness is 3mm, (9) Minimum Field of View is 150 mm, (10) Magnetic Field Homogenity must be 8 PPM over a cylinder 40 cm in length, and (11) Long term stability must be less than 0.1 PPM per hour; and (d) ENGINEERING/LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS: (1) Unit must be actively shielded and housed in a mobile trailer that is no longer than 48'0" in length and 8'6" in width, (2) Rental includes all maintenance and repair of the unit during the rental period, with repairs initiated within 24 hours and completed within 48 hours of the initial notification [failure to comply with this time frame will permit the VA to reduce rental payments by 1/30 for every 24 hours or portion thereof of additional downtime suffered beyond the 48 hour maximum], (3) The successful bidder shall provide all the helium necessary to keep the unit operating during the rental period, (4) The successful bidder shall provide training, of up to 40 hours and concluding no later than 2/28/97, to VA technicians, and (5) The successful bidder shall specify all utilities necessary for the unit provided. THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; bids are being requested, and A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. SOLICITATION NUMBER 549-20-97 IS HEREBY ISSUED AS AN INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) which documents and incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 90-42. THIS PROCUREMENT IS A 100% SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS and SIC CODE 3845 APPLIES. Contractor is to provide Delivery shall be made FOB destination to Building 44, Dallas Campus, North Texas Veterans Health Care System, 4500 South Lancaster Road, Dallas, TX 75216. THE DATE OF DELIVERY AND COMPLETION OF SETUP SHALL BE NO LATER THAN 2/21/97, AS PRESCRIBED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, which allows for up to one week of training prior to the shutdown of the permanent MRI, scheduled for 2/28/97. FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. ADDENDA TO 52.212-1 -- Bidders may submit multiple bids; a separate bid must be submitted for each product offered. Actual length of rental period is not known [estimated 6-8 weeks]; therefore, bids should reflect both weekly and monthly pricing. FAR 52.233-1, Service of Protest, VAAR 852.233-70, Protest Content, VAAR 852.270-1, Representatives of Contracting Officers, and VAAR 852.270-4, Commercial Advertising are hereby incorporated by reference. Each bidder must include a completed copy of FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, with its bid in order to receive consideration for award. FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. ADDENDA TO 52.212-4 -- FAR 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting With Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment, FAR 52.232-8, Discounts for Prompt Payment and FAR 52.237-2, Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation, are hereby incorporated by reference. FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition; the following FAR clauses are applicable in accordance with 52.212-5: 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans, 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers, 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era, 52.225-3, Buy American Act -- Supplies, and 52.225-9, Buy American Act -- Trade Agreements Act -- Balance of Payments Program. BIDS ARE DUE BY -- AND WILL BE OPENED AT -- 2:00 p.m., CST, 1/30/97. Original bids shall be submitted on company letterhead or (preferably) on a Standard Form 1449 and must be delivered to the Bid Repository, Building 8, Dallas Campus, North Texas Veterans Health Care System, 4500 South Lancaster Road, Dallas, TX 75216. For information regarding this solicitation, please contact Warren L. Ector, Contracting Officer/90C, 214-302-7523. (0366)

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