UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO - NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT: #21-022
Six degrees-of-freedom Joint Motion Simulator
The University of Waterloo (UW) intends to award a single source contract to Advanced Mechanical Technology Inc. (‘AMTI’) of Watertown, MA, USA for the purchase of a VIVO force and motion joint simulation system as described herein. The budget for this entire package is approximately $250,000 USD, not including taxes/HST.
This is an Advanced Notice indicating to the supplier community that UW intends to award a contract for this equipment to a pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date of this notice, a statement of specifications that satisfies the stated requirements set out in this Notice, the competitive requirements of the University are considered to have been met. Following notification to any suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of specifications meets the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.
If other potential suppliers submit statements of specifications during the fifteen-calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in this Notice, UW will proceed to a Request for Proposal process, in order to award the contract.
Process - Suppliers who can provide equivalent equipment with proven functionality required for the research, within budget, are encouraged to submit a statement of specifications, in writing, to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of specifications must unequivocally demonstrate how the supplier meets these advertised requirements within budget.
SPECIFICATIONS –
The VIVO joint simulation system is unique because it allows for the ability to control all six-axes in force and/or displacement control. Combined with a large operating range of motion in all six axes, capable of operating in either a local Joint Coordinate System mode or a standard Cartesian coordinate system, the system will enable testing and simulation of realistic human joint movement.
The following are the performance requirements:
Degree of Freedom / AxisSpecification
Axial load ±4500N
Medial-lateral / Anterior-Posterior load±1000N
Moment capability±80 N-m Flexion-Extension
±40 N-m Internal/External & Ab/Adduction
Flexion/Extension Range of Motion (ROM)200° (Cartesian)
110° (Grood & Suntay)
Internal/External ROM±40 degrees
Ab/Adduction ROM±25 degrees
Vertical translation50 mm stroke
ML / AP translationcircular workspace
50 mm diameter
VIVO’s performance highlights include:
- Six degrees of freedom – all joint motions can be controlled and measured in force and displacement control
- Each axis may operate in force or position control – including zero-force control to simulate an unconstrained axis
- Convenient user programming of complex force and motion profiles
- AMTI’s exclusive multi-fiber ligament model – captures 6-DOF soft tissue inter-axis coupling
- Traditional heuristic soft tissue model also supported
- Grood and Suntay coordinate system – kinematics are described using joint-referenced virtualized axes
- User-defined coordinates – change coordinate system origin and orientation to accommodate test specimens as mounted
- Iterative learning control – advanced feed-forward control system provides stability and rapid convergence to command during cyclic testing
- Temperature-controlled serum circulation and containment system
- VivoSim visualization software – provides an accurately scaled real-time display of the Vivo machine, the component under test, and the multi-fiber ligament model
VIVO provides accurate robotic joint motion simulation for knee, hip, shoulder, temporomandibular, elbow, ankle and spinal joint motions. VIVO™ may be programmed with standard or custom force and motion profiles, supporting research and test protocols that range from standard activities of daily living (ADL) tests through extreme sports and even simulation of accidental conditions and injurious activities.
A requirement for the proposed infrastructure is the large operating range of motion in all six axes commercial testing system. The large range of motion (±25mm in xyz axes, ±100° in flexion, ±40° in internal/external rotation, and ±30° in abduction/adduction) will enable the DFMS system to conduct planned implant and biological specimen tests simulating load and motion of the spine. This commercial testing system will also provide the required reliability to conduct long-term testing without significant risk of system failure or performance degradation during high-cycle fatigue testing. This reliability will be essential to conduct the planned research in the area of multi-axial fatigue mechanics of bone-implant systems. The dynamic control system (up to 2Hz for large motions, with higher frequencies possible for smaller oscillations) also has an iterative learning control feature to enable very accurate, high-cycle performance, which will be critical to research objectives evaluating the bone-implant interface.
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
AMTI’s VIVO simulator is able to replicate the most accurate kinetic and kinematic simulation to provide the closest possible approach to in-vivo conditions. VIVO™ provides the world’s first full-speed, full-load six degree of freedom environment in which to test joint prostheses as well as biological joint specimens.
The University is unaware of any other supplier/manufacturer that provides this specialized equipment within budget; the desired delivery date for this equipment is on or before June 15, 2021.
Date of issue: February 26, 2021
Closing Date: March 15, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. EST
Contact:
Christine Wagner, CPPB, CSCP – Procurement Specialist, Research
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
Ph: 519-888-4567 ext. 32074
Email – cpwagner@uwaterloo.ca, or, procure@uwaterloo.ca
