Segment Information	12 Months Ended
Segment Information	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Information [Abstract]
Segment Information	13. Segment Information BioTime’s executive management team, as a group, represents the entity’s chief operating decision makers. BioTime’s executive management team views BioTime’s operations as one segment that includes, the research and development of therapeutic products for oncology, orthopedics, retinal and neurological diseases and disorders, blood and vascular system diseases and disorders, blood plasma volume expansion, diagnostic products for the early detection of cancer, and hydrogel products that may be used in surgery, and products for human embryonic stem cell research. As a result, the financial information disclosed materially represents all of the financial information related to BioTime’s sole operating segment.

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

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