SU72(26) Re-tender for a Portable Ultrasound Machine with Specialised Phased Array Cardiac, Linear and Non-imaging Probes

This re-tender procurement process is to source a suitable supplier of high-end portable Ultrasound Machine with specialised phased array cardiac, linear and non-imaging probes. The original Specification from tender SU05(26) which was advertised but not awarded in September/October 2025, has been overhauled to better address the challenges of its practical use in the intended physical environments, as well as its extended scope of data analysis, to better meet the needs of the research.

The role of this equipment is to satisfy the high-quality clinical research imaging to be acquired in remote locations with underserved populations. Dr Drane has laid foundations to explore how rapid urbanisation contributes to rising rates of cardiometabolic disease worldwide and in order to understand the earliest mechanisms of pathophysiology and disease, the scope of the research needs to include people whose lifestyles remain largely unaffected by urbanisation.

Since the remote locations of such communities often exclude them from institutional research, a fully portable, high-end ultrasound machine is needed to enable inclusive, community-based research. External funding has been granted from the Higher Education Research Council (HERC) for a fixed maximum budget of GBP 44,900 excluding VAT (this equipment is VAT exempt due to its medical research usage) which includes all delivery and service contract costs. The HERC funding stipulates a delivery deadline of 31st March 2026, so we would like to achieve delivery with appropriate training and SOPs provided to all users, as soon as is practically possible.