Description
The Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, intends to negotiate a sole source contract under Simplified Acquisition Procedures and the authority of FAR Part 6.302-1, only one responsible source to MindWare Technologies Ltd, for a physiological recording system. There is no other known source that provides this type of recording system. This system is currently in use at the VA Boston Healthcare System (Jamaica Plain, MA) location for ongoing research, therefore the integration and compatibility of equipment is required in order to eliminate the potential for differences between these systems in order to aggregate collected data with the Brockton site. A firm fixed price contract with no option years is anticipated and shall be awarded. It is the Governments belief that only the proposed candidate possesses the required capabilities to successfully meet this requirement. It is the Governments intention to solicit and negotiate only with this source. This is not a request for proposal. However, companies that can provide an equal product must submit their technical capabilities to include technical, specifications of their product, pass performance information, price and delivery time. This information will be reviewed by the Government technical representatives for consideration for future requirements. Email statements are preferred. Phone inquiries will not be accepted. Statements are due no later than August 28, 2009. This is not a solicitation; it is a Notice of Intent to Sole Source requirement. JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. Identification of the agency and the contracting agency Dept of Veterans Affairs 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved: Trans # 9173-0368 3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agencys needs (including the estimated value): Purchase of equipment to establish a psychophysiological laboratory located in Building 5 at the Brockton Campus of the VA Boston Healthcare System at a cost of $29,949.18. The equipment package offered by MindWare is proven to be a quick and accurate means of converting raw physiologic data to meaningful statistical representations allowing for faster data reduction and analysis of automatic function. Proposed equipment will combine audio and video components to allow noiseless two-way communications, audible stimulus presentation, subject monitoring, and digital recording. By combining the audio and video components, all audio within an experimental session is mixed into the digital .avi file along with the video. The result is a time synchronous file which can be played back using standard Windows applications or used as an input to many behavioral coding applications. The signal processing hardware that we seek to purchase is highly sophisticated and uniquely meets our psychophysiological laboratory recording needs. Several investigators will use the hardware and software in ongoing research. Projects in which the hardware will be used involve investigations of physiological responding (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance, facial electromyography) in schizophrenia, substance dependence, and depression. 4. Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than open and full competition: FAR Part 6.302-Only one responsible source. 5. Demonstration that the proposed contractors unique qualifications of the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited: Qualifications: MindWare has developed physiological signal processing hardware, and they own the exclusive rights to sell and distribute this signal processing hardware. The substantial reduction in time for data reduction is not available with any other physiological signal processing hardware currently on the market. This system is currently in use at the VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Division for ongoing research studies and therefore duplication of the exact same equipment and technology is required in order to eliminate the potential for differences between these systems in order to aggregate collected data with the Brockton Division site. The use of an alternative vendor would compromise the ability to use data from both sites given the potential for differences in data collection. ..In addition, the set up of the psychophysiological laboratory in Brockton is to mirror the set up of the same lab at the Jamaica Plain lab currently in placethe ability to use the same equipment that is at that campus will provide us the flexibility and assured outcomes necessary for a successful research program. Additional information from MindWare on how this system functions is summarized below: The MindWare Standard Audio Video System is a powerful integration system that allows noiseless two-way communications, audible stimulus presentation, subject monitoring, and on-the-fly digital recording. By combining these two systems, all audio within an experimental session is mixed into the digital .avi file along with the video. The result is a time synchronous file which can be played back using standard Windows applications or used as an input to many behavioral coding applications. The MindWare Stimulus Response System provides the capability of presenting audible or visual stimuli to a subject as well as recording their responses. In addition to stimulus presentation, subjects can be queried using many assessment tools including questionnaires or pre-recorded audio files. Responses are collected using wireless keyboard and mouse which provides the means for performance measurement. Visual stimuli are presented using an LCD monitor. Continuous rating can be performed when integrated with the MindWare Continuous Rating System or BioNex Rating and Response Module. The BioNex physiological product was designed to as the workhorse of most laboratories. It contains 8 user configurable slots providing up to 32 channels of custom signal conditioning. These slots can be configured using any combination of the six available BioNex modules. It also supports high speed data acquisition, simultaneous digital input/output, stimulus generation and flexible triggering options. The MindWare Technologies' Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Application, Electrodermal Activity Skin Conductance (EDA) Application, and Electromyography (EMG) Application gives life sciences researchers powerful, easy-to-use research tools that works directly with industry standard data formats and standard desktop applications. The MindWare HRV application is used in many top research institutions nationwide and is continually improved by our development team. The new MindWare 3.0 Analysis Applications adds many significant upgrades to our respected signal processing suite. All of the MindWare Analysis Applications now include a full featured A/V playback tool (.mpeg). This playback is synchronized with the data collected and displays a movable cursor on the data that is time correlated to the video. The configuration screen and analysis/event mode interface have been completely transformed into a single streamlined interface. The new applications also feature the ability to output to text files and excel documents or both. 6. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a FedBizOps notice was or will be published as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies. A sole source notice will be published in FedBizOps.gov. 7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the government will be reasonable and fair: The cost to the government has been determined to be reasonable and fair. The vendor has offered government discounted pricing. 8. Description of the market survey conducted (i.e. names of firms and date(s) the firms were contacted) and the results, or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted: No other firm expressed interest in this purchase. We contacted other vendors in the industry regarding their psychophysiology assessment products. However, Mindware psychophysiology hardware is much more user friendly than other psychophysiology hardware systems and comes packaged with software for data acquisition and data progressing in addition to interfacing with audio and video equipment necessary for conducting experimental studies in the laboratory. In addition to the integrated features of the Mindware system, the Mindware data analysis software that comes with the system is unique in that most other software programs do not provide separate software for data analysis. Mindwares separate software for data analysis is very sophisticated and results in substantial reduction of time required for data analysis that saves users hundreds of hours of processing time. Thus, Biopac and/or no other vendor outside of Mindware is able to provide these unique software and hardware products. 9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as explanation why technical data packages, specifications, engineering descriptions, statements of work, or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition have not been developed and are not available: As reported by MindWare, the expertise of this company in constructing and managing highly sophisticated psychophysiological equipment and software is unparalleled in the academic environment: With over 40 years of real-world engineering experience in both industry and academia, MindWare brings a wealth of experience to solve your complex computer based data acquisition, instrumentation and analysis needs. MindWare is also committed to continually improving our products and systems by integrating the best of new technologies and methods into our products as they become available. MindWare has an active presence in the academic and medical research community and we have specialized in developing systems for physiological signal acquisition and data analysis. We have a wealth of industry experience in a wide range of disciplines from power monitoring to manufacturing test. As a result, our solutions are used in many major institutions across the country. We have developed innovative products to acquire and analyze most physiology signals. MindWare Technologies can provide customized systems and software solutions for your most demanding data acquisition and analysis applications. We are National Instruments Alliance members and we are a value added reseller of Lafayette Instrument Co., Psychology Software Tools (PST), ASL, and Measurand products. 10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition: N/A 11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services rendered. Contracting Activity will continue to encourage full and open competition whenever possible.