Capital Stock (Details Textual) - USD ($)			1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 12, 2016	Dec. 15, 2015	May 19, 2016	Feb. 18, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares, Issued					17,108,968	14,101,395
Acquiring Percentage of Common Stock to Exercise of Rights Under Shareholder Rights Plan					20.00%
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock					$ 349,000	$ 4,198,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Convertible Preferred Stock					0	5,357,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues					$ 3,694,000	$ 4,122,000
February 2015 Offering [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock				$ 3,200,000
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs				$ 400,000
Purchase Agreement [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues			2,836,880
Shares Issued, Price Per Share			$ 1.7625
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Warrants or Rights			1,418,440
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights			$ 1.7625
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues			$ 5,000,000
Class Of Warrant Or Right Expiration Date					May 19, 2021
Class of Warrant or Right, Date from which Warrants or Rights Exercisable					Nov. 19, 2016
Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding					1,560,284
Purchase Agreement [Member] | Placement Agent [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Warrants or Rights			141,844
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights			$ 1.7625
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Purchase Price of Common Stock, Percent					85.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized					150,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Shares Issued in Period					58,638	38,872
Aspire Purchase Agreement [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Purchase Agreement, Value Committed		$ 15,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Issued for Services		150,000
Stock Purchase Agreement, Shares Registered		2,688,933
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	150,000					500,000
Shares Issued, Price Per Share						$ 2.00
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock						$ 900,000
Stock Purchase Agreement Description					any trading day on which the closing sale price of its common stock exceeded $0.50, the Company had the right, in its sole discretion, to direct Aspire Capital to purchase up to 150,000 shares of the Companys common stock per trading day, at a per share price (the Purchase Price) calculated by reference to the prevailing market price of its common stock. In addition, the Company had the right, from time to time in its sole discretion, to sell Aspire Capital an amount of stock equal to up to 30% of the aggregate shares of the Companys common stock traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the next trading day, subject to a maximum number of shares which Biostage may determine and a minimum trading price.
Proceeds from Issuance or Sale of Equity	$ 349,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	$ 371,000
Aspire Purchase Agreement [Member] | Harvard Bioscience Inc [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance		2,038,933
Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares, Issued				2,070,000
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued upon Conversion						3,479,285
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues					2,987,000	2,720,000
Shares Issued, Price Per Share				$ 1.75
Shares, Issued				2,070,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues					$ 30,000	$ 27,000
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Reserved for Future Issuance				695,857
Shares Issued, Price Per Share				$ 8.75
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs				$ 700,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Convertible Preferred Stock				$ 5,400,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding					0	0
Undesignated Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized					1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share					$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding					0	0