Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Going Concern [Policy Text Block]

Going Concern

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $347.1 million, cash outflows from operations of $9.8 million for the three months then ended, cash and cash equivalents of $34.9 million and a net loss of $10.1 million. The Company anticipates net losses for the next several years or until it can generate substantial product revenue and achieve profitability. Based on the Company’s current operating plan, the Company has determined that, with its current financial resources, the Company would be able to operate into the first quarter of 2025. As the Company’s operating plan does not allow the Company to operate for a period of twelve months from the date the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued without additional financing, based on the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern, the Company is required to disclose that substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern exists. This evaluation initially cannot take into consideration the potential mitigating effects of plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued. To continue to fund the operations of the Company beyond this time period, management has developed a plan, which primarily consists of raising additional capital through a rights offering expected to close in the second quarter of 2024. Additionally, the Company may utilize some combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, or potential new collaborations in the future. There is no assurance, however, that any additional financing or any revenue-generating collaboration will be available when needed or that management of the Company will be able to obtain financing or enter into a collaboration on terms acceptable to the Company. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with the Company’s  December 31, 2023 audited Consolidated Financial Statements and include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state the information set forth herein. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and, as permitted by such rules and regulations, omit certain information and footnote disclosures necessary to present the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of  December 31, 2023 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The results of operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire year or any future periods.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Pulse Biosciences, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions, if any, have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes to the financial statements. Estimates include, but are not limited to, the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation, inventory valuation, warranty obligations, income taxes, and the useful lives assigned to long-lived assets. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions based on historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company's stock-based compensation programs include stock options and an employee stock purchase program.

The Company periodically issues stock options to officers, directors, employees, and consultants for services rendered. Such issuances vest and expire according to terms established at the issuance date. Stock-based payments to officers, directors and employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized in the financial statements based on their grant date fair values, which are estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Stock-based compensation expense is charged to operations on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The Company has granted stock options with both time-based as well as performance-based vesting conditions. For stock awards with performance-based vesting conditions, the Company does not recognize compensation expense until it is probable that the performance-based vesting condition will be achieved. The analysis to determine such probability involves estimates and judgements from management and the estimate of expense  may be revised periodically. 

The Company has also issued certain stock options with market-based vesting conditions. These vesting conditions relate to the achievement of certain market capitalization targets of the Company. The grant date fair value for these stock options was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. The expense is recognized over the requisite service period for each tranche of the awards. The requisite service period is the service period derived from the Monte Carlo simulation model. If the market capitalization targets are met sooner than the derived service period, the Company will accelerate the recognition of stock-based compensation expense to reflect the cumulative expense associated with the vested shares. The Monte Carlo simulation requires the Company to make assumptions and judgements about the variables used in the calculation including the expected term, volatility of the Company's common stock, an assumed risk-free interest rate, and cost of equity. The assumptions used in the option-pricing model represent management’s best estimates. If factors change and different assumptions are used, the Company's stock-based compensation expense could be materially different in the future.

See Note 6 for a detailed discussion of the Company’s stock plans and stock-based compensation expense.

Standard Product Warranty, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Product Warranty

The Company provides a standard warranty on eligible products which provides the customer assurances that the products comply with the agreed-upon specifications. The standard warranty does not provide any services in addition to those assurances. The Company accrued a warranty reserve for products sold based upon the best estimate of the nature, frequency, and costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain given the short history of sales, and changes to the historical or projected warranty experience  may cause material changes to the warranty reserve in the future. In June 2023, the Company reduced the accrued warranty liability to zero. Based upon the Company's shift in focus, there are a limited number of consoles currently covered under the standard warranty. All inventory has been fully written off, therefore the only incremental costs to fulfill a warranty claim in 2024 would be shipping costs or the costs to replace the CellFX nsPFA electrode, which would be immaterial in nature.

Warranty accrual activity consisted of the following for the three-month periods ended  March 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
Beginning balance	$	—	$	50
Add: Accruals for warranties issued during the period		—		—
Less: Adjustment for inventory at cost and excessive and obsolete inventory		—		—
Ending balance	$	—	$	50

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Net Loss per Share

The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by giving effect to all potential dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding during the period. For purposes of this calculation, options to purchase common stock and common stock warrants are considered common stock equivalents. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease loss per share) are excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share.

Basic and diluted net loss per common share is the same for all periods presented because all warrants, stock options and restricted stock units outstanding are anti-dilutive.

The following outstanding stock options, and warrants were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
Common stock warrants		—		7,208,193
Common stock options		10,096,411		5,608,210
Total		10,096,411		12,816,403

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

As of March 31, 2024, there were no material changes to the information provided regarding recent accounting pronouncements in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.