Sources Sought Notice Pass-Through Drying Cabinet
DISCLAIMER
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with RFO 15.101(c), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
Response Instructions:
Do not provide more than 8 pages, including cover letter page.
Submit your response via email to peyton.wilkerson1@va.gov
Submit your response NLT 15:00 (MST) on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026;
Mark your response as Proprietary Information if the information is considered business sensitive.
VA has identified the appropriate North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code as 339112 Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing with a Small Business size of 1000 Employees. Please identify and explain any NAICS codes your company believes would better represent the predominated work included in the attached Statement of Work draft / Salient Characteristics List;
Information Requested from Industry:
In response to the Sources Sought, interested Contractors shall submit the following information and any Capabilities/Qualifications Statement to include but not limited to an overview of proposed solution(s) and a description of the product your company possesses accordance with the Statement of Work draft / Salient Characteristics List.
Vendor Name:
SAM UEI #:
Name of Manufacturer:
Manufacturer Address:
Estimated Delivery Time:
SAC FSS contract number
Vendor Point of Contract (POC) Name
POC Phone Number:
POC Email Address:
Pass-Through Drying Cabinet
For
Oklahoma VA Medical Center
STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)
SOW: SCOPE OF WORK AND GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR PASS-THROUGH DRYERS
1. Background
The Department of Veterans Affairs, OKCVAMC requires a purchase order for the
procurement of Pass-Through drying cabinets which are designed to ensure safety and
effectiveness of surgical instruments and devices. They provide safe environment for
sensitive items, such as light cords, drills, batteries and cameras.
2. Pass through dryers reduces handling and cross-contamination risk. Space-efficient because they fit within the same processing line, saving floor space. Automation compatibility they work seamlessly enabling high-throughput process. These are typically used for high-volume SPDs where minimizing operator contact and maximizing throughput is critical.
3. Project Scope: The OKC VAHCS must purchase this dryer which will help meet the needs of the Sterile Processing Service at the Oklahoma City medical facility.
4. Specifications: The Oklahoma City VAHCS specifications are designed to outline all the
Oklahoma City VAHCS Nursing/Sterile Processing Service requirements. These requirements will be provided to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) before final approval
38 inches (965mm) pass through cabinets containing 18 shelves
No training shall be required other than demonstration that comes with installation.
38 INCHES WIDE 18 SHELVES WITH SCOPE HANGERS, Trim Kit encloses the wall gap for the passthrough cabinet
STANDARDS:
Interlocking doors
LED light per shelf allows medical devices to be clearly seen.
Stainless-steel drip pan(s) allows access to floor below the cabinet for cleaning, and to adjustable leveling feet for any required adjustments during installation
HEPA Filtered Air Purge (optional) assists in the drying of lumened medical devices. A pre-filter minimizes debris prior to the HEPA filter.
Tubing with luer lock connectors aid in the drying process.
Timer Countdown advises when medical devices are nearing their user-selected drying time limits. Each shelf is numbered and corresponds to a timer on the screen.
10" Touchscreen provides clear and intuitive operation for tracking drying time for each shelf
Precise temperature control allows the user to set temperature from ambient to 136°F (58°C). Supervisor can lock the cabinet temperature if desired.
Cabinet door is interlocking and made of tempered glass.
Door alarm sounds if door is left open for 45 seconds to help minimize heat loss. Isolated chamber minimizes heat loss.
Schedule option allows facility to create a daily schedule of when the cabinet is heated. Energy saving feature reduces electrical consumption when unit is not in use.
Electrical The unit is compatible with the following ratings:
120 Vac, 60Hz, 20 Amp standard duplex receptacle
4. Delivery Location:
Oklahoma City VAHCS SPS/Nursing Service
921 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
SBAR
S: The Department of Veterans Affairs, OKCVAMC requires a purchase order for the procurement of Pass-Through Cabinets which are designed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of surgical instruments and devices. They provide safe environment for sensitive items, such as light cords, drills, batteries and cameras, before they are sterilized. The use of drying cabinets with precise temperature control and HEPA filtration ensures that instruments are properly dried after manual cleaning, which is crucial for the subsequent sterilization or high-level disinfection process.
Advancements in surgical instruments have dramatically improved patient outcomes. However, the intricate designs of instruments make reprocessing more labor intensive and time consuming. This has caused more instrument manufacturers instructions for use to require other sterilization methods to ensure proper cleaning and disinfection. Pass-through dryers are essential in sterile processing to ensure that medical instruments are completely dry before they are sterilized. This is crucial because: Moisture can promote microbial growth and compromise the sterilization process, especially in steam-based processes where water acts as a barrier to effective heat penetration. Wet packaging can create wicking channels that allow microbes to contaminate sterile items. Drying is required by industry standards and monitored closely in high-performing Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) to maintain compliance with AAMI ST79, CDC, and manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs). By ensuring a complete and consistent drying phase, hospitals reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) and extend the life of expensive surgical equipment. Proper drying is vital for maintaining compliance with AAMI ST79, CDC, and manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs).
Thus, we are requesting 1 (one) pass through instrument dryers for our preparation area to utilize on both instruments and scopes.
B: The drying phase is the final stage in the cleaning and disinfection process of surgical instruments, and it plays a critical role in ensuring instruments are safe for handling, inspection, and sterilization. After instruments are cleaned either manually or in an automated washer-disinfector they must be completely dry before moving to the next step in the sterile processing workflow. Moisture left on instruments can promote microbial growth, compromise sterilization efficacy, and lead to corrosion or spotting on surgical tools. For this reason, the drying phase is required by industry standards and monitored closely in high-performing Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs). With the increase in workload (containers, peel packs, scopes) we will need these two in order to handle the volume we do here in the OKC VA.
Drying is required by industry standards and monitored closely in high-performing Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) to maintain compliance with AAMI ST79, CDC, and manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs). By ensuring a complete and consistent drying phase, hospitals reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) and extend the life of expensive surgical equipment. Proper drying is vital for maintaining compliance with AAMI ST79, CDC, and manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs).
A: We have drastically increased our scope usage since 2023. We started tracking these at the end of 2023 data is not available. However, in 2024 we did over 4024 scopes. Now in 2025 we have done 4317 scopes and increasing every year. Since 2022 SPS has increased its workload all the way from the number of sets assembled (35,000 in 2022, 40,000 in 2023, 42,000 in 2024, 45,000 in 2025). 90% of our instruments go through the ultrasonic. We have washed over 46,000 individual items in 2022, 43,000 in 2023, 36,000 in 2024, and 40,000 items alone in 2024.
These cabinets allow automatic shut off at set temperatures, helping to dry hard to reach lumens after manual cleaning, minimizing the risk of compromising the subsequent sterilization or HLD disinfection process. These drying cabinets reduce hands on drying time through controlled drying process and minimize patient safety and not having standing water stand idle in these instruments.
These Pass-Through dryers are preferred cabinets due to meeting all the salient characteristics needed within a growing SPS and agronomics for the staff being able to go from the washers to the preparation area in a clean and sterilized manner.
Pass-Through dryers are essential in sterile processing to ensure that medical instruments are completely dry before they are sterilized. This is crucial because: Moisture can promote microbial growth and compromise the sterilization process, especially in steam-based processes where water acts as a barrier to effective heat penetration. Wet packaging can create wicking channels that allow microbes to contaminate sterile items.
R: We recommend purchasing this Pass-Through dryer to help us in the throughput here at the OKC VA and their needs.
