THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED AND PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE REQUESTED. It is the intent of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering to negotiate with Opelco Inc., 105 Executive Drive, Suite 1001, Dulles, VA 20166 for assistance to NIBIB for the Model VS4-1845 Image Intensifier. The Model VS4-1845 Image Intensifier allows for fast optical gating which permits sequential spectroscopic image capture for an on-going collaboration with Dr. R. Hendler to develop custom instrumentation that will study the kinetics of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle in conjunction with infra-red studies. The instrumentation requested must be capable of capturing new images in the visible (400-700nm), with a variable gate from 50ns to 1ms, and a TTL triggered capture rate up to 5MHz with a resolution of 40 line pairs. The intensifier will enable a series of up to 500 spectra to be captured with the same exposure time at a maximum rate of 5MHz with a selectable variable delay between successive frames. The model VS4 is sensitive in the visible spectrum and has a 160ns phosphor persistence decay time; both of which are critical features to the research conducted. To extract information for storage and enable a new data acquisition cycle within a fraction of a microsecond requires all old data to have decayed at such a rate. The 160ns persistence time facilitates this key feature for the scientific needs of the research. Additionally, the VS4 high repetition power supply can be gated between the 50ns and 1ms allowing fast image capture and readout. The VS4 model has the necessary control hardware and software interfaces that enable it to be integrated into the existing spectrometer and ccd camera instrumentation. Once assembled into the complete instrumentation package, the VS4 image intensifier/Princeton Instruments PhotonMax ccd camera/Acton SpectraPro 2500 spectrometer will provide repetitive capture of biological spectra at a rate that is not possible with existing commercial instrumentation. This purchase is intended as sole source to Opelco Inc because other manufacturers of image intensifiers mainly target night vision applications such as binoculars and spotting scopes and many cannot meet the critical specifications of both a fast decay phosphor and visible spectral sensitivity. This acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, Competition Requirements. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) Code is 333315 and the Size Standard is 500 employees. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed purchase order based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Comments to this announcement, referencing synopsis number NHLBI-PB-EB-2009-314-JKS may be submitted by mail to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Office of Acquisitions, Procurement Branch, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 6136A, Bethesda, MD 20892-7902, Attention: Jennifer Schlegel, by fax transmission to (301) 480-3432 or by email to [email protected]

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