66 -- INFINITYPLUS 400 MHZ WB NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE CONSOLE

Notice Date

August 15, 2001

Contracting Office

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Acquition Management Branch, 2 Democracy Plaza, Room 780, 6707 Democracy Blvd. MSC 5455, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5455

ZIP Code

20892-5455

Solicitation Number

NIDDK-01-671

Response Due

September 5, 2001

Point of Contact

Patricia Haun, Purchasing Agent, 301-594-8855

Description

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has a requirement to purchase an Infinityplus 400 MHz WB Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Console from Varian Inc., 3120 Hansen Way, MSD300, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1030. The following specifications shall be included in the system: 1) The console must include at least two radiofrequency channels, permitting simultaneous application of radiofrequency pulse sequences at NMR frequencies of two different nuclei. One channel must cover the frequency range from at least 376 Megahertz to 400 Megahertz, corresponding to NMR frequencies of fluorine-19 and hydrogen nuclei. The other channel must cover the frequency range from at least 28 Megahertz to 162 Megahertz, corresponding to NMR frequencies of nitrogen-14 and phosphorus-31 nuclei. 2) The console must include at least one receiver and digitizer channel, capable of detecting NMR signals in the frequency ranges given above. The digitization rate must be at least 2 Megahertz, permitting acquisition of NMR spectra with frequency offsets from -1 Megahertz to +1 Megahertz from the carrier frequency. The digitizer must have at least 14-bit resolution. 3) It must be possible to trigger the digitization of individual signal points, or groups of signal points, between radiofrequency pulses as commonly done in traditional multiple-pulse homonuclear decoupling experiments in solid state NMR. 4) The pulse programmer for each radiofrequency channel must permit the application of pulse sequences of significant complexity (at least 1024 pulse sequence steps), including conditional execution of pulse sequence blocks, nested looping with at least ten different loop counters, independent phase cycling or phase incrementation of all radiofrequency pulses, and amplitude modulation of individual pulses. It must be possible to set pulse lengths and delays with a timing resolution of 10 nanosecond. 5) It must be possible to trigger radiofrequency pulses on either channel explicitly and actively from an external logic signal, for example from a sample spinning speed tachometer in order to synchronize pulse sequences with sample spinning. This external triggering capability is absolutely essential for many experiments to be performed with the new spectrometer console, and must be absolutely reliable with no jitter or instability in synchronization above 100 nanoseconds. 6) Both channels must include digital phase-shifting in increments of 0.35 degrees (10 bits) or less. Small-angle and large-angle phase shifts must occur in less than 100 nanoseconds (to 90% of desired phase change) from the time at which the phase shift is requested by the pulse program. In other words, there should be no software or hardware delays that limit phase switching times to more than 100 nanoseconds. Inaccuracies in phase shifts must be less than 0.1 degrees. For a fixed amplitude setting in the pulse program, the pulse amplitude must be independent of phase without any requirement for manual adjustment or calibration by the user. 7) Amplitude modulation of radiofrequency pulses must be possible on both channels, with arbitrary shape specified in the pulse program, over an amplitude range of at least 60 dB. Amplitude switching by 20 dB must occur in less than 100 nanoseconds (to 90% of desired amplitude change) from the time at which the amplitude change is requested by the pulse program. 8) It must be possible to apply pulse sequences asynchronously on the two radiofrequency channels, for example as in heteronuclear multiple pulse decoupling or TPPM decoupling experiments. In other words, it must be possible to program the spectrometer console so that the timing of pulses and delays on one channel is not dependent on the timing of pulses and delays on the other channel, so that pulse lengths and delay lengths can be set arbitrarily and independently on the two channels. 9) There must be at least two (one per channel) spare logic outputs, under pulse program control, for triggering of external devices such as a light source in synchrony with a radiofrequency pulse program. 10) The spectrometer console must include an automated magic angle spinning (MAS) speed controller, for setting and stabilizing the spinning speed of solid state MAS NMR probes. In particular, the MAS speed controller must be compatible with and capable of operating three existing solid state MAS NMR probes produced by Varian NMR systems, with MAS rotor diameters of 3.2, 4.0, and 6.0 mm. These probes require separate control of bearing and drive gas pressures, up to pressures of 50 psi. The MAS controller must be compatible with the optical tachometer system in these existing MAS NMR probes. It must be possible to achieve long-term spinning speed stabilities of at least 0.5 parts per thousand over the entire range of spinning speeds from 1 kilohertz to 20 kilohertz with the 3.2 mm probe (in other words, variations of -5 Hz to +5 Hz out of 20 kilohertz, or better), and over the entire range of spinning speeds from 1 kilohertz to 8 kilohertz with the 6.0 mm probe. It must be possible to set the spinning speed under control of the main computer of the NMR console, with a resolution of 1 Hz or better. 11) The spectrometer console must include a computer system that controls the console, stores data, permits writing of pulse programs and data processing, controls the MAS speed controller, and initiates data acquisition. This computer system must include at least 128 Mb of memory, a hard disk with at least 10 Gb capacity, a color monitor with a 17 inch or larger screen, CD-ROM and floppy disk drives, an ethernet card for connection to an external network (in addition to any ethernet lines required for control of the spectrometer console), and operating system software and licenses as required. 12) The spectrometer computer must include all software required for operation of the spectrometer console, including writing pulse programs and macro programs, execution of experiments, acquisition of data, and data processing. In particular, the software must be compatible with existing pulse programs and macro programs written under Varian Spinsight software. Compatibility with Spinsight software is absolutely required because the NIH laboratory employs non-standard solid state NMR techniques for which pulse programs, data acquisition macros, and data processing macros have already been written under Spinsight. The Institute intends to purchase this equipment by other than full and open competition from Varian, Incorporated. To the best of the Governments knowledge they are the sole manufacturer and distributor of this equipment. Interested vendors may identify in writing their interest with a capability statement to the Contracting Office prior to the closing date of this notice. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals, however, all responses received before the closing date of this announcement will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed acquisition is based upon responses to this notice and is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. This notice is for the purchase of commercial equipment with the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of up to $5 million dollars.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010817/66SOL001.HTM (W-227 SN50V0J7)