I thought "frozen" meant that it's reached "version 1.0" (or a close "0.9 beta") and that the analyser + test cartridge is now ready (or near ready) for production. The rest of their efforts will be to "optimise the assay with the reagent", which I presume means using MnG's technique to optimise cost & ease of production vs accuracy/efficiency of the reagent (in the test cartridge).
I assume it's testing different test area shapes, quantities of reagent, different application techniques, resistance to heat, microwaves, etc to get an optimal, near fool-proof test cartridge coating happening.
I'm not a scientist (well, technically a computer scientist) so I'm not sure exactly how this all happens, but that's how I read it.
Because it's new, and handheld POC is also quite new (results in few minutes vs hours), the field trials will take time, but the assay technique sounds a lot like Mix and Go, and Philips sounds like it's all guns blazing for a EOY delivery to clinical trials, so I would say quite good news.
