MALDI Biotyper Sirius CA

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY . It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses to this Sources Sought Announcement must be in writing. The purpose of this Sources Sought Announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Background: The Puget Sound VA Medical Center, located in Seattle, WA is seeking a contractor to provide a MALDI (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization) Mass Spectrometry (Microbial Identification System). The contractor shall provide an FDA-approved automated testing system that identifies microorganisms using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass. The testing system must include the instrumentation necessary to identify common microorganisms encountered in clinically relevant patient samples through analyses of protein fingerprint spectra from Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, yeast and fungi from any patient specimen source suspected of bacterial or fungal infection. The testing system must be able to meet the performance characteristics for accuracy and precision as defined by the 1988 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). (See Attached SSN 36C26026Q0635)