Roche Diagnostics Service

This purchase order is for Service Plan Coverage for the

Roche Equipment identified in the Statement of Work and the

Price/Cost Schedule.

1. Roche Diagnostics is the sole manufacturer and distributor of the HE 600 Automated Workflow Series, BenchMark Ultra, Ventana Connect Middleware, and all the associated reagents and consumables. Roche Diagnostics provided a sole-source letter indicating that Roche Diagnostics-trained service engineers must service the family of systems, or the warranty for this instrument is rendered null and void.

The proprietary nature of the instrument's technology requires that only Roche Diagnostics perform certain maintenance and service procedures. The operator’s manual describes the routine maintenance activities that end-users should perform, and Roche Diagnostics-trained service engineers must perform all other activities.

Accordingly, Roche Diagnostics Corporation is the only firm capable of providing the supplies and services described in Section III above without the Veterans Health Administration incurring risks and potential costs that could not be expected to be recovered through competition.