CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (13,029,117)	$ (11,581,430)	$ (11,031,931)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities:
Amortization and depreciation	848,974	744,157	676,289
Amortization of license fees	98,022	98,022	98,022
(Gain) loss on investment	(346,180)	202,338	95,684
Accretion of interest on note payable and accrued severance	29,104	37,745	45,121
Loss on the disposition and sale of machinery and equipment	0	0	15,130
Unrealized loss on short-term investment securities	3,618	0	0
Warrant liability loss (gain)	157,809	(29,615)	(144,550)
Equity based employee compensation expense	941,650	880,509	1,326,393
Equity based payments for outside services	0	30,873	2,259,147
(Decrease) increase in allowance for doubtful accounts	(10,000)	0	10,000
(Decrease) increase in inventory reserve	(60,623)	145,000	60,000
(Increase) decrease in assets:
Accounts receivable	(906,074)	10,238	(61,230)
Inventory	(129,228)	(531,356)	(701,534)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(551,236)	497,856	(478,955)
Increase (decrease) in liabilities:
Accounts payable	473,804	(136,297)	86,332
Accrued expenses	586,109	(21,965)	649,271
Accrued severance	(203,365)	(233,655)	(225,000)
Deferred income	28,350	0	0
Net cash used in operating activities	(12,068,383)	(9,887,580)	(7,321,811)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of patents and trademarks	(450,208)	(356,541)	(413,180)
Acquisition of machinery and equipment	(1,156,906)	(197,229)	(37,481)
Purchase of short-term investment securities	(58,979,131)	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(60,586,245)	(553,770)	(450,661)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds from exercise of warrants	12,447,108	196	50,688
Payments on borrowings - demand bank loan	0	0	(174,925)
Payments on borrowings - note payable	(333,334)	(333,333)	(333,333)
Net proceeds from October 2017 registered direct offering	50,732,200	0	0
Net proceeds from October 2016 registered direct offering	0	10,707,823	0
Net proceeds from July 2016 registered direct offering	0	4,682,764	0
Net proceeds from February 2016 registered direct offering	0	5,091,791	0
Net proceeds from June 2015 registered direct offering	0	0	5,576,083
Stock cancellation	0	0	(34,500)
Net payments from related party	0	0	46,069
Net cash provided by financing activities	62,845,974	20,149,241	5,130,082
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(9,808,654)	9,707,891	(2,642,390)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period	13,468,188	3,760,297	6,402,687
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period	3,659,534	13,468,188	3,760,297
Net cash paid for:
Cash paid during the period for interest	29,104	37,745	7,600
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	0	0	0
Non-cash transactions:
Patent and trademark additions included in accounts payable	188,818	185,341	310,078
Patent and trademark additions included in accrued expenses	0	0	17,715
Machinery and equipment additions included in accounts payable	77,913	7,765	2,525
Issuance of common stock in connection with equity investment	0	0	325,000
Reclassification of warrant liability to capital in excess of par due to voiding of exchange rights clause in Crede Tranche 1A warrant	$ 0	$ 2,810,000	$ 0