Medical imaging services

Tender description

Public Health England (PHE) is seeking to procure live-cell imaging system which allows imaging of multiple vessels and for multiple users running different experiments at the same time. Following an extensive market research PHE is planning to award a contract for the provision of Fluorescent Live-Cell Analysis System (IncuCyte S3) to Essen BioScience Ltd. Public Health England (PHE) is seeking to procure live-cell imaging system for cellular biology and cancer mechanisms and biomarkers groups, part of PHE’s in Toxicology Department in Chilton. The mandatory requirement is that system must be: — compatible with standard cell culture incubator to assure precise CO2, temperature and humidity control, — able to accommodate multiple users running experiments in parallel, — accommodate standard plates, 75 cm2 flasks, 25 cm2 flasks, 35mm dishes, 60 mm dishes, 100 mm dishes, chambered slides and microslides, — capable of imaging in parallel any mixture of at least 2 assay plates. These include 384-well microplates, 96-well microplates, 48-well plates, 24-well plates, 12-well plates and 6-well plates, — possess high definition phase contrast optics and at least 2 fluorescent wavelengths (red: Ex565-605nm, Em625-705nm; green: Ex440-480nm, Em504-544nm), — offer possibility of imaging cells for at least 7 days without decline in cell viability, — offer capability of high throughput scratch wound assay and be able to produce quantifiable results, — able to kinetically measure vascular tube formation (angiogenesis) over at least 7 days, — able to analyse neurite dynamics with or without labels in living cells. In addition, the following requirements are desirable: — offer extensive data storage capacity of at least 18 terabytes, — allow label-free counting and classification of adherent and non-adherent cells, — possess mobile optics, so the vessel is left undisturbed to allow imaging of suspension cells, — contain at least the following objectives on an automated turret: 4 x Plan, 10 x Plan Fluor and 20 x Plan Fluor. The contract will also cover any service maintenance cover for this or other such instruments own by PHE and any instrument specific consumables.