Brain Coil Array Upgrade for the Siemens Terra 7T MRI Scanner including additional three-year service contract

This contract action was not awarded competitively as only one source was available. It was awarded as a fixed price contract. Pursuant to FAR Subpart 13.501(a)(1)(iv) the brand-name justification is made publicly available as an attachment with this solicitation. The rationale for the brand-name justification is that he acquisition is to provide an upgrade to NINDS existing Siemens Terra 7T MRI scanner. The new component will be incorporated into the existing Siemens Terra 7T MRI scanner.

Skope is the exclusive manufacturer and vendor of the brain coil. The coil will consist of 64 small densely packed receive coil elements that will dramatically increase signal sensitivity at brain locations closer to the coil elements compared to the whole-brain 32-channel head coil currently in use. The instrument is part of a complicated system with multiple intricate hardware and software interactions that must function flawlessly. The details of many of the parts and interactions are proprietary. Only Skope can provide and fully integrate the required component.