Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all short-term investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high-credit-quality financial institutions and invests primarily in money market accounts. No cash was restricted at December 31, 2012 or 2011. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Accounts receivable primarily include amounts due from hospitals and distributors for acquisition of magnetic systems, associated disposable device sales and service contracts. Credit is granted on a limited basis, with balances due generally within 30 days of billing. The provision for bad debts is based upon management’s assessment of historical and expected net collections considering business and economic conditions and other collection indicators. Financial Instruments Financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt. The carrying value of such amounts reported at the applicable balance sheet dates approximates fair value. See Note 9 for disclosure of the fair value of debt. The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis, including warrants. General accounting principles for fair value measurement established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (“Level 1”) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (“Level 3”). The Company’s financial assets consist of cash equivalents invested in money market funds and an embedded derivative associated with the convertible debt. The Company had cash equivalents invested in money market funds in the amount of $256,702 and $55,629 at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The financial assets consisting of cash equivalents invested in money market funds are classified as Level 1 as described above and total interest income recorded for these investments was insignificant during the year ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company’s embedded derivative asset associated with the convertible debt was $1,736 at December 31, 2012. This asset is classified as Level 3 as described above and is measured using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The mark-to-market adjustment recorded in other income for the derivative asset was $16,772 during the year ended December 31, 2012. There were no significant purchases, sales, settlements or issuances of Level 3 investments during the year. The embedded derivative was transferred into Level 3 in May 2012 at the time of issuance of the convertible debt. The Company’s financial liabilities consist of warrants and an embedded derivative associated with the convertible debt in the amount of $2,968,348 and $125,415 at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. These liabilities are classified as Level 3 as described above and are measured using the Black-Scholes and Monte Carlo valuation models. The mark-to-market adjustment recorded in other income for these liabilities was $8,183,024 and $3,416,383 during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. There was $23,643 of settlements of Level 3 investments during the year ended December 31, 2012. There were no purchases, sales, or issuances of Level 3 investments during the year. The warrants and embedded derivative were transferred into Level 3 at the time of issuance of the convertible debt, equity, and associated warrants. See Note 12 for additional details. Inventory The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost, as determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, or market. The Company periodically reviews its physical inventory for obsolete items and provides a reserve upon identification of potential obsolete items. Property and Equipment Property and equipment consist primarily of computer, office, and research and demonstration equipment held for lease and leasehold improvements and are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives or life of the base lease term, ranging from three to ten years. Long-Lived Assets If facts and circumstances suggest that a long-lived asset may be impaired, the carrying value is reviewed. If this review indicates that the carrying value of the asset will not be recovered, as determined based on projected undiscounted cash flows related to the asset over its remaining life, the carrying value of the asset is reduced to its estimated fair value. Intangible Assets Intangible assets consist of purchased technology and intellectual property rights valued at cost on the acquisition date and amortized over their estimated useful lives of 10-15 years. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and loss during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Revenue and Costs of Revenue The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2009-13, Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements (“ASU 2009-13”) in the fourth quarter of 2009, effective as of January 1, 2009. Prior to the adoption of this guidance, the Company followed previously issued guidance for general accounting principles for revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables. Under this previously issued guidance, we were required to continually evaluate whether we had proper evidence to identify separate units of accounting for deliverables within certain contractual arrangements with customers. If we were unable to support the determination of vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) or third party evidence (“TPE”) of fair value on the undelivered element, we could not recognize revenue for the delivered elements. ASU 2009-13 permits management to estimate the selling price of undelivered components of a bundled sale for which it is unable to establish VSOE or TPE. This requires management to record revenue for certain elements of a transaction even though it might not have delivered other elements of the transaction, for which it was unable to meet the requirements for establishing VSOE or TPE. The adoption of the new guidance did not materially impact revenue reported in prior periods. The Company believes that the new guidance significantly improves the reporting of these types of transactions to more closely reflect the underlying economic circumstances. This guidance also prohibits the use of the residual method for allocating revenue to the various elements of a transaction and requires that the revenue be allocated proportionally based on the relative estimated selling prices. Under our revenue recognition policy before and after the adoption of ASU 2009-13, a portion of revenue for the Niobe, Odyssey Vision, Odyssey Cinema, and Vdrive systems is recognized upon delivery, provided that title has passed, there are no uncertainties regarding acceptance, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the sales price is fixed and determinable, and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. Beginning in the quarter ended March 31, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Vision Standard HD systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. However, this change did not have a material impact on revenue recognition for the year ended December 31, 2010. Beginning in the quarter ended June 30, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Vision Quad systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. This change resulted in additional revenue of $2.6 million and additional gross margin of $1.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2010. Beginning in the quarter ended December 31, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Cinema systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. This change resulted in additional revenue of $0.7 million and additional $0.4 million in gross margin. Revenue is recognized for other types of Odyssey systems upon completion of installation, since there are no qualified third party installers. When installation is the responsibility of the customer, revenue from system sales is recognized upon shipment since these arrangements do not include an installation element or right of return privileges. The Company does not recognize revenue in situations in which inventory remains at a Stereotaxis warehouse or in situations in which title and risk of loss have not transferred to the customer. However, the Company may deliver systems to a non-hospital site at the customer’s request as outlined in the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, in which case the Company evaluates whether the substance of the transaction meets the delivery and performance requirements for revenue recognition under “bill and hold” guidance. Amounts collected prior to satisfying the above revenue recognition criteria are reflected as deferred revenue. Revenue from services and license fees, whether sold individually or as a separate unit of accounting in a multiple-deliverable arrangement, is deferred and amortized over the service or license fee period, which is typically one year. Revenue from services is derived primarily from the sale of annual product maintenance plans. We recognize revenue from disposable device sales or accessories upon shipment and establish an appropriate reserve for returns. The return reserve, which is applicable only to disposable devices, is estimated based on historical experience which is periodically reviewed and updated as necessary. In the past, changes in estimate have had only a de minimus effect on revenue recognized in the period. We believe that the estimate is not likely to change significantly in the future. Costs of systems revenue include direct product costs, installation labor and other costs, estimated warranty costs, and initial training and product maintenance costs. These costs are recorded at the time of sale. Costs of disposable revenue include direct product costs and estimated warranty costs and are recorded at the time of sale. Cost of revenue from services and license fees are recorded when incurred. Research and Development Costs Internal research and development costs are expensed in the period incurred. Amounts receivable from strategic alliances under research reimbursement agreements are recorded as a contra-research and development expense in the period reimbursable costs are incurred. Advance receipts or other unearned reimbursements are included in accrued liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet until earned. Share-Based Compensation Stock options or stock appreciation rights issued to certain non-employees are recorded at their fair value as determined in accordance with general accounting principles for share-based payments and accounting for equity instruments that are issued to other than employees for acquiring, or in conjunction with selling, goods or services, and recognized over the service period. Deferred compensation for options granted to non-employees is remeasured on a quarterly basis through the vesting or forfeiture date. The Company utilizes the Black-Scholes valuation model to determine the fair value of share-based payments at the date of grant with the following inputs: 1) expected dividend rate of 0%; 2) expected volatility of 50-151% based on the Company’s historical volatility; 3) risk-free interest rate based on the Treasury yield on the date of grant and; 4) expected term for grants using the simplified method which results in an expected term ranging from 3.75 to 6.25 years. The resulting compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period, generally one to four years. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated based on the Company’s historical experience and future expectations. Restricted shares granted to employees are valued at the fair market value at the date of grant. The Company amortizes the amount to expense over the service period on a straight-line basis for those shares with graded vesting. If the shares are subject to performance objectives, the resulting compensation expense is amortized over the anticipated vesting period and is subject to adjustment based on the actual achievement of objectives. Shares purchased by employees under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan were considered to be compensatory and were accounted for in accordance with general accounting principles for share-based payments. Net Loss per Common Share Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share is computed by dividing the loss for the period by the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. In addition, the application of the two-class method of computing earnings per share under general accounting principles for participating securities is not applicable because the Company’s unearned restricted shares do not contractually participate in its losses. The Company did not include any portion of unearned restricted shares, outstanding options, stock appreciation rights or warrants in the calculation of diluted loss per common share because all such securities are anti-dilutive for all periods presented. The application of the two-class method of computing earnings per share under general accounting principles for participating securities is not applicable during these periods because those securities do not contractually participate in its losses. On July 10, 2012, the Company effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. The net loss per common share, shares outstanding, and weighted average shares outstanding reported in the financial statements and notes to the financial statements for the periods ending December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010 are presented on a post-split basis. See Note 11 for additional discussion of the reverse stock split. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 373,899 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options and stock appreciation rights at a weighted average exercise price of $43.90 per share and 6,099,476 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $9.98 per share. The Company had a weighted average of 99,087 unearned restricted shares outstanding for the period ended December 31, 2012. Income Taxes In accordance with general accounting principles for income taxes, a deferred income tax asset or liability is determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities as measured by the enacted tax rates that will be in effect when these differences reverse. The Company provides a valuation allowance against net deferred income tax assets unless, based upon available evidence, it is more likely than not the deferred income tax assets will be realized. Product Warranty Provisions The Company’s standard policy is to warrant all systems against defects in material or workmanship for one year following installation. The Company’s estimate of costs to service the warranty obligations is based on historical experience and current product performance trends. A regular review of warranty obligations is performed to determine the adequacy of the reserve and adjustments are made to the estimated warranty liability (included in other accrued liabilities) as appropriate. Patent Costs Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are expensed as incurred, as recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain. Concentrations of Risk The majority of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and investments are deposited with one major financial institution in the U.S. Deposits in this institution exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. One customer, Siemens AG, Medical Solutions, and its affiliated entities, as our distributor, accounted for $2,452,034, $1,899,158, and $6,074,479, or 5%, 5%, and 11% of total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2012. Reclassifications Common stock and additional paid-in capital in the prior year’s financial statements have been reclassified to reflect the one-for-ten reverse stock split effected on July 10, 2012. Refer to Note 11 for additional discussion of the reverse stock split. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU” or “Update”) 2013-02, “Comprehensive Income: Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” which adds new disclosure requirements for items reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). The update requires that the Company present either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements, the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of AOCI based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2012. As the Company has no items of other comprehensive income, the Company is not required to report accumulated other comprehensive income. In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-11, “Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” The Update enhances the disclosure of offsetting assets and liabilities by requiring companies to disclose both the gross and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset as well as those subject to an agreement similar to master netting arrangements. This guidance is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2013. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have an impact on the financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income that increases comparability between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). This guidance eliminates the current option to report other comprehensive income (OCI) and its components in the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. This guidance was effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2012. As the Company has no items of other comprehensive income, the Company is not required to report comprehensive income or other comprehensive income. In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS.” The Update amends the guidance on fair value measurements to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The Update does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. This guidance was effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2010-06 (“ASU 2010-06”), which is an amendment to the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures topic of the Accounting Standards Codification. This amendment requires disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. This amendment is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the requirement to provide the Level 3 activity of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. See “Financial Instruments” section of Note 2 for required disclosures. Effective October 1, 2009, the Company adopted ASU 2009-13. ASU 2009-13 permits management to estimate the selling price of undelivered components of a bundled sale for which it is unable to establish vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) or third party evidence (“TPE”). This requires management to record revenue for certain elements of a transaction even though it might not have delivered other elements of the transaction, for which it was unable to meet the requirements for establishing VSOE or TPE. This guidance also prohibits the use of the residual method for allocating revenue to the various elements of a transaction and requires that the revenue be allocated proportionally based on the relative estimated selling prices. The Company adopted this standard in the fourth quarter of 2009, with retrospective application to January 1, 2009. The Company’s adoption of ASU 2009-13 did not have a material impact on any amounts previously reported for the first three quarters of 2009. The fourth quarter of 2009 was the first period during which we sold a Niobe^® system with an uninstalled Odyssey Enterprise Cinema system. Due to the fact that we had not established VSOE or TPE for uninstalled Odyssey Enterprise Cinema systems under the previous guidance, we would not have been able to recognize revenue for any portion of these transactions, which amounted to $2.0 million in revenue and $1.3 million in gross margin. Under the new guidance, we were able to use management’s estimate of selling price to establish new elements, including the Odyssey Enterprise Cinema, and recognize revenue for the delivered elements that were included in bundled transactions with these undelivered elements. The Company believes that the new guidance significantly improves the reporting of these types of transactions to more closely reflect the underlying economic circumstances.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high-credit-quality financial institutions and invests primarily in money market accounts. No cash was restricted at December 31, 2012 or 2011.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts

Accounts receivable primarily include amounts due from hospitals and distributors for acquisition of magnetic systems, associated disposable device sales and service contracts. Credit is granted on a limited basis, with balances due generally within 30 days of billing. The provision for bad debts is based upon management’s assessment of historical and expected net collections considering business and economic conditions and other collection indicators.

Financial Instruments

Financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt. The carrying value of such amounts reported at the applicable balance sheet dates approximates fair value. See Note 9 for disclosure of the fair value of debt.

The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis, including warrants. General accounting principles for fair value measurement established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (“Level 1”) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (“Level 3”).

The Company’s financial assets consist of cash equivalents invested in money market funds and an embedded derivative associated with the convertible debt. The Company had cash equivalents invested in money market funds in the amount of $256,702 and $55,629 at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The financial assets consisting of cash equivalents invested in money market funds are classified as Level 1 as described above and total interest income recorded for these investments was insignificant during the year ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company’s embedded derivative asset associated with the convertible debt was $1,736 at December 31, 2012. This asset is classified as Level 3 as described above and is measured using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The mark-to-market adjustment recorded in other income for the derivative asset was $16,772 during the year ended December 31, 2012. There were no significant purchases, sales, settlements or issuances of Level 3 investments during the year. The embedded derivative was transferred into Level 3 in May 2012 at the time of issuance of the convertible debt.

The Company’s financial liabilities consist of warrants and an embedded derivative associated with the convertible debt in the amount of $2,968,348 and $125,415 at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. These liabilities are classified as Level 3 as described above and are measured using the Black-Scholes and Monte Carlo valuation models. The mark-to-market adjustment recorded in other income for these liabilities was $8,183,024 and $3,416,383 during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. There was $23,643 of settlements of Level 3 investments during the year ended December 31, 2012. There were no purchases, sales, or issuances of Level 3 investments during the year. The warrants and embedded derivative were transferred into Level 3 at the time of issuance of the convertible debt, equity, and associated warrants. See Note 12 for additional details.

Inventory

The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost, as determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, or market. The Company periodically reviews its physical inventory for obsolete items and provides a reserve upon identification of potential obsolete items.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist primarily of computer, office, and research and demonstration equipment held for lease and leasehold improvements and are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives or life of the base lease term, ranging from three to ten years.

Long-Lived Assets

If facts and circumstances suggest that a long-lived asset may be impaired, the carrying value is reviewed. If this review indicates that the carrying value of the asset will not be recovered, as determined based on projected undiscounted cash flows related to the asset over its remaining life, the carrying value of the asset is reduced to its estimated fair value.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of purchased technology and intellectual property rights valued at cost on the acquisition date and amortized over their estimated useful lives of 10-15 years.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and loss during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue and Costs of Revenue

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2009-13, Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements (“ASU 2009-13”) in the fourth quarter of 2009, effective as of January 1, 2009. Prior to the adoption of this guidance, the Company followed previously issued guidance for general accounting principles for revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables. Under this previously issued guidance, we were required to continually evaluate whether we had proper evidence to identify separate units of accounting for deliverables within certain contractual arrangements with customers. If we were unable to support the determination of vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) or third party evidence (“TPE”) of fair value on the undelivered element, we could not recognize revenue for the delivered elements.

ASU 2009-13 permits management to estimate the selling price of undelivered components of a bundled sale for which it is unable to establish VSOE or TPE. This requires management to record revenue for certain elements of a transaction even though it might not have delivered other elements of the transaction, for which it was unable to meet the requirements for establishing VSOE or TPE. The adoption of the new guidance did not materially impact revenue reported in prior periods. The Company believes that the new guidance significantly improves the reporting of these types of transactions to more closely reflect the underlying economic circumstances. This guidance also prohibits the use of the residual method for allocating revenue to the various elements of a transaction and requires that the revenue be allocated proportionally based on the relative estimated selling prices.

Under our revenue recognition policy before and after the adoption of ASU 2009-13, a portion of revenue for the Niobe, Odyssey Vision, Odyssey Cinema, and Vdrive systems is recognized upon delivery, provided that title has passed, there are no uncertainties regarding acceptance, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the sales price is fixed and determinable, and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. Beginning in the quarter ended March 31, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Vision Standard HD systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. However, this change did not have a material impact on revenue recognition for the year ended December 31, 2010. Beginning in the quarter ended June 30, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Vision Quad systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. This change resulted in additional revenue of $2.6 million and additional gross margin of $1.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2010. Beginning in the quarter ended December 31, 2010, revenue for Odyssey Cinema systems was recognized upon delivery due to the fact that third parties became qualified to perform installations. This change resulted in additional revenue of $0.7 million and additional $0.4 million in gross margin. Revenue is recognized for other types of Odyssey systems upon completion of installation, since there are no qualified third party installers. When installation is the responsibility of the customer, revenue from system sales is recognized upon shipment since these arrangements do not include an installation element or right of return privileges. The Company does not recognize revenue in situations in which inventory remains at a Stereotaxis warehouse or in situations in which title and risk of loss have not transferred to the customer. However, the Company may deliver systems to a non-hospital site at the customer’s request as outlined in the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, in which case the Company evaluates whether the substance of the transaction meets the delivery and performance requirements for revenue recognition under “bill and hold” guidance. Amounts collected prior to satisfying the above revenue recognition criteria are reflected as deferred revenue. Revenue from services and license fees, whether sold individually or as a separate unit of accounting in a multiple-deliverable arrangement, is deferred and amortized over the service or license fee period, which is typically one year. Revenue from services is derived primarily from the sale of annual product maintenance plans. We recognize revenue from disposable device sales or accessories upon shipment and establish an appropriate reserve for returns. The return reserve, which is applicable only to disposable devices, is estimated based on historical experience which is periodically reviewed and updated as necessary. In the past, changes in estimate have had only a de minimus effect on revenue recognized in the period. We believe that the estimate is not likely to change significantly in the future.

Costs of systems revenue include direct product costs, installation labor and other costs, estimated warranty costs, and initial training and product maintenance costs. These costs are recorded at the time of sale. Costs of disposable revenue include direct product costs and estimated warranty costs and are recorded at the time of sale. Cost of revenue from services and license fees are recorded when incurred.

Research and Development Costs

Internal research and development costs are expensed in the period incurred. Amounts receivable from strategic alliances under research reimbursement agreements are recorded as a contra-research and development expense in the period reimbursable costs are incurred. Advance receipts or other unearned reimbursements are included in accrued liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet until earned.

Share-Based Compensation

Stock options or stock appreciation rights issued to certain non-employees are recorded at their fair value as determined in accordance with general accounting principles for share-based payments and accounting for equity instruments that are issued to other than employees for acquiring, or in conjunction with selling, goods or services, and recognized over the service period. Deferred compensation for options granted to non-employees is remeasured on a quarterly basis through the vesting or forfeiture date.

The Company utilizes the Black-Scholes valuation model to determine the fair value of share-based payments at the date of grant with the following inputs: 1) expected dividend rate of 0%; 2) expected volatility of 50-151% based on the Company’s historical volatility; 3) risk-free interest rate based on the Treasury yield on the date of grant and; 4) expected term for grants using the simplified method which results in an expected term ranging from 3.75 to 6.25 years. The resulting compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period, generally one to four years. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated based on the Company’s historical experience and future expectations.

Restricted shares granted to employees are valued at the fair market value at the date of grant. The Company amortizes the amount to expense over the service period on a straight-line basis for those shares with graded vesting. If the shares are subject to performance objectives, the resulting compensation expense is amortized over the anticipated vesting period and is subject to adjustment based on the actual achievement of objectives.

Shares purchased by employees under the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan were considered to be compensatory and were accounted for in accordance with general accounting principles for share-based payments.

Net Loss per Common Share

Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share is computed by dividing the loss for the period by the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. In addition, the application of the two-class method of computing earnings per share under general accounting principles for participating securities is not applicable because the Company’s unearned restricted shares do not contractually participate in its losses.

The Company did not include any portion of unearned restricted shares, outstanding options, stock appreciation rights or warrants in the calculation of diluted loss per common share because all such securities are anti-dilutive for all periods presented. The application of the two-class method of computing earnings per share under general accounting principles for participating securities is not applicable during these periods because those securities do not contractually participate in its losses.

On July 10, 2012, the Company effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock. The net loss per common share, shares outstanding, and weighted average shares outstanding reported in the financial statements and notes to the financial statements for the periods ending December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010 are presented on a post-split basis. See Note 11 for additional discussion of the reverse stock split.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 373,899 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options and stock appreciation rights at a weighted average exercise price of $43.90 per share and 6,099,476 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted average exercise price of $9.98 per share. The Company had a weighted average of 99,087 unearned restricted shares outstanding for the period ended December 31, 2012.

Income Taxes

In accordance with general accounting principles for income taxes, a deferred income tax asset or liability is determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities as measured by the enacted tax rates that will be in effect when these differences reverse. The Company provides a valuation allowance against net deferred income tax assets unless, based upon available evidence, it is more likely than not the deferred income tax assets will be realized.

Product Warranty Provisions

The Company’s standard policy is to warrant all systems against defects in material or workmanship for one year following installation. The Company’s estimate of costs to service the warranty obligations is based on historical experience and current product performance trends. A regular review of warranty obligations is performed to determine the adequacy of the reserve and adjustments are made to the estimated warranty liability (included in other accrued liabilities) as appropriate.

Patent Costs

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are expensed as incurred, as recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain.

Concentrations of Risk

The majority of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and investments are deposited with one major financial institution in the U.S. Deposits in this institution exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits.

One customer, Siemens AG, Medical Solutions, and its affiliated entities, as our distributor, accounted for $2,452,034, $1,899,158, and $6,074,479, or 5%, 5%, and 11% of total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Reclassifications

Common stock and additional paid-in capital in the prior year’s financial statements have been reclassified to reflect the one-for-ten reverse stock split effected on July 10, 2012. Refer to Note 11 for additional discussion of the reverse stock split.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU” or “Update”) 2013-02, “Comprehensive Income: Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” which adds new disclosure requirements for items reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). The update requires that the Company present either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements, the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of AOCI based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2012. As the Company has no items of other comprehensive income, the Company is not required to report accumulated other comprehensive income.

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-11, “Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” The Update enhances the disclosure of offsetting assets and liabilities by requiring companies to disclose both the gross and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset as well as those subject to an agreement similar to master netting arrangements. This guidance is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2013. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have an impact on the financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to the presentation of comprehensive income that increases comparability between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). This guidance eliminates the current option to report other comprehensive income (OCI) and its components in the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. This guidance was effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2012. As the Company has no items of other comprehensive income, the Company is not required to report comprehensive income or other comprehensive income.

In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS.” The Update amends the guidance on fair value measurements to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The Update does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. This guidance was effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.

In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2010-06 (“ASU 2010-06”), which is an amendment to the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures topic of the Accounting Standards Codification. This amendment requires disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. This amendment is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the requirement to provide the Level 3 activity of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010. See “Financial Instruments” section of Note 2 for required disclosures.

Effective October 1, 2009, the Company adopted ASU 2009-13. ASU 2009-13 permits management to estimate the selling price of undelivered components of a bundled sale for which it is unable to establish vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) or third party evidence (“TPE”). This requires management to record revenue for certain elements of a transaction even though it might not have delivered other elements of the transaction, for which it was unable to meet the requirements for establishing VSOE or TPE. This guidance also prohibits the use of the residual method for allocating revenue to the various elements of a transaction and requires that the revenue be allocated proportionally based on the relative estimated selling prices. The Company adopted this standard in the fourth quarter of 2009, with retrospective application to January 1, 2009.

The Company’s adoption of ASU 2009-13 did not have a material impact on any amounts previously reported for the first three quarters of 2009. The fourth quarter of 2009 was the first period during which we sold a Niobe^® system with an uninstalled Odyssey Enterprise Cinema system. Due to the fact that we had not established VSOE or TPE for uninstalled Odyssey Enterprise Cinema systems under the previous guidance, we would not have been able to recognize revenue for any portion of these transactions, which amounted to $2.0 million in revenue and $1.3 million in gross margin. Under the new guidance, we were able to use management’s estimate of selling price to establish new elements, including the Odyssey Enterprise Cinema, and recognize revenue for the delivered elements that were included in bundled transactions with these undelivered elements. The Company believes that the new guidance significantly improves the reporting of these types of transactions to more closely reflect the underlying economic circumstances.