Specification of Requirements for Ventilated Cage Rack System

Transcription

1 Specification of Requirements for Ventilated Cage Rack System 1.0 General 1.1 This specification comprises minimum requirements for purchase and installation of ten (10) each Ventilated Cage Racks with full complement of 126 complete cage units each, and five (5) each blower units complete with all components, parts, installation, connectors, trolleys, assembly, labor and accessories, as required to provide a complete and functioning system including animal cages to house mice. In addition to the Ventilated Cage Racks and Blower Units, the vendor shall provide and deliver additional complete cage units equal to 50% of the base cage count (630 cages in additional to the 1,260 cages routinely provided as part of the 10 Ventilated Cage Racks for a total cage count of 1,890) and water bottles equal to 150% of the base cage count (for a total count of 1,890 water bottles). 1.2 Any deviations from the requirements of the specifications shall be clearly shown in the RFP with reference to the specific clauses in the specification. Any additional information, including but not limited to, manufacturer s preprinted product literature, material qualities, proprietary details, test reports, etc., not described shall be submitted as an attachment to the RFP. 1.3 When RFP s are evaluated, an assessment will be made of the general design of the units, including but not limited to choice of material proposed for manufacture of the ventilated cage rack system, operational reliability, design details, in addition to the requirements of the specification. 1.4 As part of the assessment of the RFP, emphasis will be placed on compliance with the specification and on the total number of animals that can be kept in the ventilated cage racks proposed, so that the animal rooms may be utilized both practically and optimally. The number of animals that can be safely and efficiently housed depends on both the total number of cages and the size of the animals housed. All cages shall comply with or exceed the minimum standards contained in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Research Council, 1996, National Academy Press, Washington, DC) for the number of animals recommended per cage size. 1.5 All electrical equipment shall carry the UL or CE mark and shall comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC) as applicable. 1.6 ISO 9002 must be in-force at the manufacturing facility at all times during manufacture of all components of the ventilated cage rack system. The vendor shall provide evidence of ISO 9002 certification as an attachment the RFP response. 1.7 Use of Audible alarms shall not be permitted in Animal Holding rooms. Page 1 of 8

2 2.0 Design 2.1 Cage Racks Approved Manufacturers: a. Techniplast USA, Inc 180 Gordon Drive, Suite 109 Exton, PA Fax: Contact: Bill Stacy, Fax b. Allentown Caging Equipment Co., Inc. PO Box 698, Rt. 526 Allentown, NJ Fax: Contact: William Bean, Fax c. Lab Products, Inc. 742 Sussex Avenue, P.O. Box 639 Seaford, DE Fax: Contact: Robert Graves, Fax: The ventilated cage rack shall be designed to hold cages designed for mice The ventilated cage rack system shall be designed to be used either single-sided or double-sided, i.e. cages placed on one side or both sides All components of the ventilated cage rack system shall be designed to be cleaned, disinfected and sterilized in a mechanical cage washer and/or autoclave All electrical components shall be mounted in water-resistant NEMA rated sealed boxes to withstand disinfecting procedures All cage racks shall be provided with fully swiveling, lockable casters manufactured from a tread material that does not damage, discolor, or otherwise mark or deface floor coverings or walls. The dimension of the wheels (at least 4 inches) shall allow one person to easily maneuver the cage rack without assistance The ventilated cage rack system shall coordinate with, and connect to the automatic watering system, as manufactured and installed by Edstrom Industries, Inc. in the BSRB Facility. The cage rack system shall incorporate integral animal drinking manifolds mounted directly to the ventilated cage rack. The animal drinking manifolds shall incorporate on line rack flushing with both supply inlet and discharge outlet on the same side of the rack. Digital photographs of the Page 2 of 8

3 BSRB animal watering system are available upon request. Arrangement of animal watering system components, including but not limited to valves, shall not obstruct view of cage interiors and shall allow for tight stacking of cages during cleaning. 2.2 Animal Cages Animal cages shall be provided in sizes suitable for mice. When in use, the cage base and filter top will positively seal by means of an integrally designed gasket manufactured of nylon or other suitable material The filter top shall be of low profile type easily mounted on the cage without use of specialized tools or parts. The filter top shall include an integrally designed depression for a water bottle that can be removed from the cage without requiring removal of the lid from the cage, or the cage from the rack. When a bottle is in use, it shall seal against the inlet grommet. The water bottle inlet seal shall be manufactured from silicone or some other inert plastic material that remains flexible. When cages or bottles are removed from the ventilated cage rack, all grommet openings shall seal by means of a self-closing device, which will be positive locking and autoclavable The top shall not be permanently fixed to the cage rack in any way. When an animal cage is removed from the ventilated cage rack system, the filter top shall remain in place on the animal cage by means of a secure clip mechanism to preserve the barrier protection Filter tops shall be provided with 0.2 micron efficient filter paper The animal cages shall be easy to insert and remove from the ventilated cage rack system. When the animal cage is placed in the correct position in the ventilated cage rack system, the cage shall be ventilated automatically without additional manual adjustments being necessary. 3.0 Dimensions 3.1 The maximum external dimensions of the ventilated cage rack system shall not exceed 78 inches x 35 inches including any protrusions such as rails or bumpers. 3.2 The total height of the ventilated cage rack system shall not exceed 82 inches (to permit movement through doors and elevators). 3.3 Mouse cages shall be provided with a minimum floor area of 82 in. 2, with a usable minimum internal height of 5.5 inches. Rat cages shall be provided with a minimum floor area of 215 in. 2, with a minimum usable internal height of 8.3 inches. 4.0 Material and Surface Treatment 4.1 All metal used in the ventilated cage rack system shall be 304 Stainless Steel. 4.2 Casters shall be sealed (free of grease), shall be maintenance free, and shall be designed to withstand autoclaving. 4.3 Animal cages and filter tops shall be molded of Udel (Polysulfone) plastic and shall be designed to withstand routine cleaning and autoclaving. Cage unit components shall be completely autoclavable without deformation so the barrier protection is maintained at all times. Page 3 of 8

4 4.4 Ventilation tubes (air manifolds) shall be round or oval for optimal air circulation and static pressure, and shall be easily removable from the rack. Manifolds constructed of square tubing are not permitted. Ventilation tubes, manifolds and other components shall be designed for washing and disinfection in a mechanical rack washer with a maximum working temperature of F (135 0 C). Each tube section, both vertical and horizontal, shall include access openings for ease of tube cleaning. All access openings shall be sealed air-tight when in use. 5.0 Protective Function 5.1 The purpose of the ventilated cage rack system is to form a double-sided protective barrier around the animals against the surrounding conditions, partly to protect the animal against airborne pollution and infection, partly to minimize the spread of allergens among staff when housing animals and handling animal cages. 5.2 Each cage shall maintain Positive or Negative pressure at all times when placed in a positive or negative (exhaust) mode. Positive and negative air flows shall be fully adjustable by the user while the blower units are in operation without requiring use of special or proprietary tools. 5.3 When placed in the Negative mode, air exhausted from the cages shall be taken directly from within the cage environment and shall exhaust directly into the building general exhaust system. 6.0 Noise and Vibration Isolation 6.1 Noise generating from ventilated cage rack components shall not exceed 50dBA when measured at all points inside animal cages once placed inside the cage rack system. Within the octave band 32kHz, the noise level shall not exceed 45dBA when measured at all points inside animal cages once placed inside the cage rack system. 6.2 Total noise generated from the ventilated cage rack system shall not exceed 45 dba when measured inside the room. Measurements will be made with all cage racks operating. 6.3 The air supply fans or associated equipment shall not cause vibration that can spread to the animal cage. Fan wheels shall be statically and dynamically balanced in the factory to meet or exceed grade G6.3 as defined in ANSI S Ventilation 7.1 Air Conduction The ventilated cage rack system shall be of recirculating type; i.e. room air shall be filtered and delivered to the animal cages via the top of the cage. Exhaust shall also take place via the cage top, and all exhaust air from the cage rack shall be filtered and exhausted directly from the room through flexible connection to a 6 inch round exhaust duct provided at the ceiling of the room. The ventilated cage rack system shall be designed to deliver a wide range of air changes per hour which can be adjusted by the user while the unit is in operation. The ventilated cage rack system shall be provided complete with supply and exhaust filter/fan modules that are connected to the cage rack with flexible hoses. These modules shall be mounted on a mobile equipment trolley that can be placed in various configurations around the rack. It Page 4 of 8

5 shall also be possible to interconnect several racks to this trolley. The exhaust output shall be connected to the building exhaust by means of a flexible thimble connection. 7.2 Filtering Both supply and exhaust air shall be filtered with a HEPA filter with an efficiency of >99.99% according to the Warm DOP Method for 0.2 micron particles. A prefilter shall be placed in front of the HEPA filter to prolong its life. The prefilter shall be easily accessible for filter replacement. 7.3 Air flow for different animal cage placement configurations in the cage rack system shall be maintained within 15%+/- of the air flow the unit is set to deliver irrespective of the positions of the individual cages in the rack. 7.4 The relation between supply and exhaust air shall be easy adjustable so the pressure differential between animal cages and room can be positive or negative. Supply and exhaust air flows shall be adjustable by the user while the unit is in operation. Controls shall be located at the blower units. 8.0 Cage Ventilation and Airflow 8.1 As part of the acceptance of the cage rack systems, confirmation of air movement and velocity will be provided by an independent testing agency, approved by the Owner. Testing shall include such techniques as Computation Fluid Dynamic modeling and/or smoke tests as a minimum. Ventilation airflow and velocity information shall be provided to the Owner as part of the project close-out documents in the form of a printed, certified report with a copy provided in CD format. 8.2 The Owner reserves the right to confirm airflow and pressure relationships using an independent testing agent as a condition of acceptance of the cage rack systems. The cost of this testing will be borne by the Owner. Any discrepancies found or adjustments required will be corrected by the vendor at no additional cost to the Owner. 9.0 Control and Safety Equipment 9.1 The ventilated cage rack system shall include an alarm or test system that alerts faults in the ventilation system. At a minimum, the system shall: 1) HEPA filter test circuit to continuously monitor and assess condition of the HEPA filter including an hour-meter to track time since last filter maintenance, 2) A pre-filter timer to visually indicate completion of a preset cleaning interval, 3) Digital readout of both Supply and Exhaust fan units that converts to air changes per hour, 4) Continuous monitoring and digital readout of pressure differential between room pressure and pressure inside the cage. 9.2 The Ventilated Cage Rack System shall provide clean contacts or relays for power failure alert via the Building Automation and Management System provided in the BSRB Facility. As a condition of acceptance of the cage rack systems, the vendor shall demonstrate successful communication with the Building Automation System (BAS) through activation of a low pressure alarm at the BAS panel. 9.3 As an attachment to the bid proposal, the vendor shall provide a proposal to provide and install manufacturer s optional local alarms at all ventilated cage racks. The local alarm panel shall be Page 5 of 8

6 mounted directly on the Ventilated Cage Rack in a highly visible location. Use of audible alarms is not permitted at the Ventilated Cage Rack System. 9.4 Exhaust air shall be captured via an indirect thimble connection and vented into the building general exhaust system. Thimble connections shall be provided and installed by the vendor. Thimble connections require a 4 flexible hose on the discharge side of the rack and shall be mounted to a 6 inch diameter round exhaust duct in the ceiling Ergonomic Considerations 10.1 The following items are minimum requirements for the Ventilated Cage Rack System. 1) Weight Racks and trolleys shall be lightweight and shall roll freely and easily. Use of shelves in the ventilated cage rack system is not permitted. 2) Visibility Rack design shall allow clear, unobstructed view of cage interiors to observe animals and to check water levels in animal watering bottles. Rack components shall not obstruct visibility of cage interiors. 3) Access to Equipment Supply and Exhaust units, filters and controls shall be accessible without requiring removal of racks. Associated equipment shall be mounted on mobile trolleys that can be easily moved and serviced. At no time shall equipment require lifting or removal for service or cleaning. 4) Cage Docking Racks shall NOT utilize individual cage locking devices that could potentially lead to stress related disorders, i.e., carpel tunnel system, etc. Cages shall seat firmly in place by inserting the cage into the rack with one clean motion Documentation & Submittals 11.1 One copy each of concise preprinted user instructions shall accompany each unit. User instructions shall be provided in both English and Spanish. The instructions shall contain all necessary information to achieve a satisfactory, safe protective function at all times when the cage rack system is in use. Use of symbols, flow charts, and simple schematic drawings is recommended Operation and Maintenance Manuals including but not limited to the following documentation shall be submitted to the Owner: 1) Operating instructions, 2) Description of design and function, 3) Regulations for safety and handling, 4) Description of control and alarm systems, 5) Maintenance instructions and schedules for all materials and components, 6) Replacement parts pictures and part numbers, 11.3 Vendor shall provide a minimum of three (3) copies of submittals, product data, and/or shop drawings as required to fully describe the proposed cage rack system, for review and approval, prior to beginning of fabrication. Submittals shall clearly detail and confirm the interface between the animal watering component provided as part of the cage rack system and the animal watering system provided in the building. Submittals shall also show the relationship between animal cages and the ventilated cage rack components. Page 6 of 8

7 11.4 Manufacturer shall provide a list of recommended spare parts and perishable supplies to be stocked by Owner. The recommended spare parts list shall be provided in the following format. M.D. Anderson Spare Parts List Spare Part Description Model/ Part # Replacement frequency Unit Price Count to keep in stock Total Cost subtotal shipping grand total 11.5 Engraved, waterproof name plates shall be permanently affixed to all equipment marked with, at a minimum, manufacturer name, manufacturer address and telephone number, model number, type designation and serial number Installation 12.1 Ventilated cage rack systems, including all parts, components and associated paperwork, shall be delivered directly to the final equipment locations in the Vivarium of the BSRB Facility located at 6767 Bertner Road, Houston, Texas All equipment and components shall be received, uncrated, inspected and accepted and moved into final place by the vendor. The delivery route through the building shall include delivery and unloading at the BSRB loading dock, use of the freight elevator located adjacent to the dock area, to move materials from the dock to the Basement and delivery to the final locations on the basement. An electronic copy of the floor plans of the facility is available upon request. The actual date and time of delivery shall be coordinated with the Owner a minimum of two (2) weeks before delivery and installation Ventilated cage rack systems will be installed in the following locations: Room No. XB.8452 XB.8455 XB.8293 Room Name: XRO Isolator Room XRO Breeding Room GEM Housing Room Description of Equipment: Two (2) Ventilated Cage Rack Systems + one (1) blower unit Six (6) Ventilated Cage Rack Systems + three (3) blower units Two (2) Ventilated Cage Rack Systems + one (1) blower unit 12.3 All equipment shall be installed, cleaned, disinfected, started, commissioned, tested and certified by the vendor. All connections, included but not limited to, electrical connections, HVAC connections including flexible thimble connections shall be the responsibility of the vendor. Vendor shall demonstrate operation of all equipment to the Owner as a condition of acceptance. Page 7 of 8

8 12.4 Removal and disposal of all unused materials, trash, debris, crating materials, etc. shall be the responsibility of the vendor. Spaces shall be left clean and in the same condition as before installation of the ventilated cage rack systems Inspection 13.1 All control and alarm equipment shall be tested with a built-in test program in the presence of the Owner All control and alarm equipment will be calibrated by the supplier All racks and equipment trolleys shall be thoroughly tested and documented at the factory and test data shall be recorded in the operation manuals included with each ventilated cage rack system Warranties, Maintenance Agreements and Preventative Maintenance 14.1 Vendor shall provide the manufacturer s standard one year warranty against defects in manufacture, workmanship and design. Warranty coverage shall begin upon date of Owner s final acceptance of equipment Vendor shall provide a proposal for an additional one year extension to the standard manufacturer s one year maintenance agreement providing all materials, parts, and labor required to maintain Ventilated Cage Rack systems in place without interruption of service Vendor shall provide a schedule showing all maintenance activities, including preventative maintenance activities, along with scheduled dates for each activity. End of Specifications Page 8 of 8