10-K

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

☒  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE  SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

☐  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period from __to __

Commission File Number 001-32982

Atrion Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	63-0821819
(State of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

One Allentown Parkway,Allen, Texas	75002
(Address of principal executive offices)	(ZIP code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 390-9800

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT:
Title of Class	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $.10 Par Value	NASDAQ

SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12(g) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes   ☐      No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes   ☐       No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes   ☒       No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).

Yes   ☐       No  ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting Common Stock held by nonaffiliates of the Registrant as of, June 30, 2017, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $918,764,277 based on the $643.30 closing price reported for such date on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

Number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at February 15, 2018: 1,851,842

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part III of this Form 10-K incorporates by reference information from the Company's definitive proxy statement relating to the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report.

ATRION CORPORATION

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT TO

THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017

________

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM		PAGE
PART I		1
ITEM 1.	BUSINESS	1
ITEM 1A.	RISK FACTORS	7
ITEM 1B.	UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS	16
ITEM 2.	PROPERTIES	16
ITEM 3.	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	16
ITEM 4.	MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES	16
	EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY	17
PART II		18
ITEM 5.	MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES	18
ITEM 6.	SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA	19
ITEM 7.	MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
	CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS	21
ITEM 7A.	QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT
	MARKET RISK	25
ITEM 8.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA	26
ITEM 9.	CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
ITEM 9A.	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	49
ITEM 9B.	OTHER INFORMATION	51
PART III		51
ITEM 10.	DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	51
ITEM 11.	EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	51
ITEM 12.	SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDERS MATTERS	51
ITEM 13.	CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE	52
ITEM 14.	PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES	52
PART IV		53
ITEM 15.	EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES	53
SIGNATURES		58

ATRION CORPORATION

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT TO

THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017

PART I

ITEM 1.  

BUSINESS.

General

Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries (”we,” “our,” “us,” “Atrion,” or the “Company”) develop and manufacture products, primarily for medical applications. Our medical products are used in a number of fields including fluid delivery, cardiovascular and ophthalmology applications.

Our fluid delivery products accounted for 44 percent of net revenues for 2017 and 42 percent of net revenues for both 2016 and 2015. We have developed a wide variety of proprietary valves designed to precisely fill, hold and release controlled amounts of fluids or gasses on demand for use in various intubation, intravenous, catheter and other applications in fields such as anesthesia and oncology. We make products that deliver fluids, as well as promote infection control in hospital and home healthcare environments.

Our cardiovascular products accounted for 33 percent of net revenues for both 2017 and 2016 and 32 percent of net revenues for 2015. At the core of our cardiovascular products is the MPS2® Myocardial Protection System, or MPS2, a proprietary technology that is the only system used in open-heart surgery that delivers to the heart essential fluids and medications, mixes critical drugs and controls temperature, pressure and other variables. This system indicates improved outcomes offering an integrated, flexible set of choices during surgery without diluting the blood. We also develop and manufacture other cardiovascular products such as cardiac surgery vacuum relief valves; silicone vessel loops for retracting and occluding vessels in minimally invasive surgical procedures; inflation devices for balloon catheter dilation, stent deployment and fluid dispensing; as well as products used in heart bypass surgery to make a precision opening in the heart for attachment of the bypass vessels.

Our ophthalmic products accounted for 9 percent, 11 percent and 12 percent of our net revenues for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We are a leading manufacturer of specialized medical devices that disinfect contact lenses. We also manufacture a proprietary line of balloon catheters used in the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children and adults.

Our other medical and non-medical products accounted for 14 percent of our net revenues for 2017, 2016 and 2015. One of these product lines consists of instrumentation and associated disposables used to measure the activated clotting time of blood. In addition, we manufacture and sell a line of products designed for safe needle and scalpel blade containment. We are also the leading manufacturer of inflation systems and valves used in marine and aviation safety products. We manufacture components used in inflatable survival products and structures. We also produce one-way and two-way pressure relief valves that protect sensitive electronics and other products during transport in other medical and non-medical applications.

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Marketing and Major Customers

We market components to other equipment manufacturers for incorporation in their products and sell finished devices to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other treatment centers. We sell our products through a sales force which consists of direct sales personnel, independent sales representatives and distributors. Our sales managers also work closely with major customers in designing and developing products to meet customer requirements.

Our net revenues from sales to customers outside the United States totaled approximately 37 percent of our net revenues for both 2017 and 2016 and 35 percent of our net revenues for 2015. In 2015, we saw a reduction in the percentage of our international sales that was driven in large part by a customer’s decision to build a new facility in the United States. Our international sales are made to various manufacturers and through distributors in over 60 countries. Additional information about our revenues from customers in and outside of the United States over the past three years is set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

We offer customer service, training and education, and technical support such as field service, spare parts, maintenance and repair for certain of our products. We periodically advertise our products in trade journals, routinely attend and participate in industry trade shows throughout the United States and internationally, and sponsor scientific symposia as a means of disseminating product information. We also have supportive literature on the benefits of our products.

Manufacturing

Our medical and non-medical products are manufactured at facilities in Florida, Alabama and Texas. The facilities in Alabama and Florida both utilize plastic injection molding and specialized assembly as their primary manufacturing processes. Our other manufacturing processes consist of the assembly of standard and custom component parts, including the assembly of electronic components, and the testing of completed products.

We are subject to the Quality System Regulation, or QSR, of the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, which requires manufacturers of medical devices to adhere to certain design testing, quality control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during the manufacturing process. We devote significant attention to quality assurance. Our quality assurance measures begin with the suppliers which participate in our supplier quality assurance program. These measures continue at the manufacturing level where many components are assembled in a clean room environment designed and maintained to reduce product exposure to particulate matter. Products are tested throughout the manufacturing process for adherence to specifications. Most finished products are then shipped to outside processors for sterilization by radiation or ethylene oxide gas. After sterilization, the products are quarantined and tested before they are shipped to customers.

Skilled workers are required for the manufacturing of our products, and we believe that additional workers with these skills are readily available in the areas where our plants are located.

Our medical device operations are EN ISO13485:2012 certified and are subject to FDA jurisdiction. Our non-medical device operations are ISO9001-2008 certified.

Research and Development

A well-targeted research and development, or R&D, program is an essential part of our activities, and we are currently engaged in a number of R&D projects. The objective of this program is to develop new products in our current product lines, improve current products and develop new product lines. The Company expects to continue additional R&D in 2017 in all these fields.

Our consolidated R&D expenditures for 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $5,799,000, $6,574,000 and $6,346,000, respectively.

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Sources and Availability of Raw Materials

The principal raw materials that we use in our products are resins. Our ability to operate profitably is dependent, in part, on the availability and pricing of these resins. The resins we use are derived from petroleum and natural gas, and the prices fluctuate substantially as a result of changes in petroleum and natural gas prices, demand and the capacity of the companies that produce these resins to meet market needs. Instability in the world markets for petroleum and natural gas could adversely affect the availability and pricing of these resins.

We contract with various suppliers to provide the component parts necessary to assemble our products. Substantially all of these components are available from a number of different suppliers, although certain components are purchased from single sources that manufacture these components using our tooling. We believe that there are satisfactory alternative sources for single-sourced components, although a sudden disruption in supply from one or more of these suppliers could adversely affect our ability to deliver finished products on time. We own the molds used for production of substantially all our components. Consequently, in the event of supply disruption, we should be able to fabricate our own components or contract with another supplier, albeit after a possible delay in the production process.

Patents and License Agreements

Our commercial success is dependent, in part, on our ability to continue to develop patentable products, to preserve our trade secrets and to operate without infringing or violating the proprietary rights of third parties. We currently have 530 active patents and patent applications pending on products that are either being sold or are in development. We pay royalties to outside parties for three patents. All of these patents and patents pending relate to products currently being sold by us or to products in evaluation stages. Our patents expire at various times over the next 20 years.

We have developed technical knowledge which, although non-patentable, we consider to be significant in enabling us to compete. However, the proprietary nature of such knowledge may be difficult to protect. We have entered into agreements with key employees prohibiting them from disclosing any of our confidential information or trade secrets. In addition, generally these agreements also provide that inventions or discoveries relating to our business by these individuals will be assigned to us and become our sole property.

The medical device industry is characterized by extensive intellectual property litigation, and companies in this industry sometimes use intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage. Intellectual property litigation, regardless of outcome, is often complex and expensive, and the outcome of this litigation is generally difficult to predict.

Competition

Depending on the product and the nature of the project, we compete on the basis of our ability to provide engineering and design expertise, quality, service, product and price. As such, successful competitors must have technical strength, responsiveness and scale. We believe that our expertise and reputation for quality medical products have allowed us to compete favorably with respect to each such factor and to maintain long-term relationships with our customers.

In many of our markets, we compete with numerous other companies in the sale of healthcare products. These markets are dominated by established manufacturers that have broader product lines, greater distribution capabilities, substantially greater capital resources and larger marketing, R&D staffs and facilities than ours. Many of these competitors offer broader product lines within the specific product market and in the general field of medical devices and supplies. Broad product lines give many of our cardiovascular and fluid delivery competitors the ability to negotiate exclusive, long-term medical device supply contracts and, consequently, the ability to offer comprehensive pricing of their competing products. By offering a broader product line in the general field of medical devices and supplies, competitors may also have a significant advantage in marketing competing products to group purchasing organizations, health maintenance organizations, and other managed care organizations that are increasingly seeking to reduce costs through centralization of purchasing functions. Furthermore, innovations in surgical techniques, product design or functions, or medical practices could have the effect of reducing or eliminating market demand for one or more of our products. In addition, our competitors may use price reductions to preserve market share in their product markets.

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We design products for a customer or potential customer prior to entering into long-term development and manufacturing agreements with that customer. Because these products are somewhat limited in number and normally are only a component of the ultimate product sold by our customers, we are dependent on our ability to meet the quality requirements of our customers and must continually be attentive to the need to manufacture such products at competitive prices and in compliance with strict manufacturing standards. Additionally, we are dependent on our customers’ success in the marketing of the ultimate products sold. We also compete in the market for inflation devices used in marine and aviation equipment.

Government Regulation

Products

The manufacture and sale of medical products are subject to comprehensive regulation by numerous United States and foreign regulatory agencies, principally the FDA. The R&D, manufacturing, promotion, marketing and distribution of medical products in the United States are subject to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and the regulations promulgated thereunder. All manufacturers of medical devices must register with the FDA and list all medical devices manufactured by them. The list must be updated annually. Our medical products subsidiaries and certain of our customers are subject to inspection by the FDA for compliance with such regulations and procedures and our medical products manufacturing facilities are subject to regulation by the FDA. We are also subject to regulation in certain foreign countries where we sell our products. Some of the regulations in these countries that are applicable to our products are similar to those of the FDA.

The FDA has traditionally pursued a rigorous enforcement program to ensure that regulated entities comply with the FDCA. A company not in compliance may face a variety of regulatory actions, including warning letters, product detentions, device alerts, mandatory recalls or field corrections, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production, injunctive actions or civil penalties and criminal prosecutions of the company or responsible employees, officers and directors.

The FDA promulgates rules, which are available to the public, for the approval of medical devices. The process of obtaining FDA approval for new devices can take several months to several years depending on the type of application required for a particular device. Furthermore, the process of obtaining FDA approval can be expensive and uncertain. Even if granted, FDA approval may include significant limitations on the indicated uses for which a product may be marketed. FDA enforcement policy strictly regulates the promotion of approved medical devices. Product approvals can be withdrawn for failure to comply with regulatory requirements or the occurrence of unforeseen problems following initial marketing.

Certain aviation and marine safety products are subject to regulation by the United States Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration and similar organizations in foreign countries which regulate the safety of marine and aviation equipment.

Healthcare Regulations

In the United States, healthcare providers, including hospitals and physicians, that purchase medical products for treatment of their patients generally rely on third-party payors, principally Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance plans, to reimburse all or a part of the costs and fees associated with the procedures performed using these products.

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Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and by region within some countries, and reimbursement approvals must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. Many international markets have government-managed healthcare systems that control reimbursement for new products and procedures. In most markets, there are private insurance systems as well as government-managed systems. Market acceptance of our products in international markets depends, in part, on the availability and level of reimbursement.

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for hospitals is generally based on a fixed amount for a patient based upon that patient’s specific diagnosis. Because of this fixed reimbursement method, hospitals may seek to reduce the costs they incur in treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. Frequently, reimbursement is reduced to reflect the availability of a new procedure or technique, and as a result hospitals are generally willing to implement new cost saving technologies before these downward adjustments take effect. Likewise, because the rate of reimbursement for physicians who perform certain procedures has been and may in the future be reduced, physicians may seek greater cost efficiency in treatment to minimize any negative impact of reduced reimbursement. Third-party payors may challenge the prices charged for medical products and services and may deny reimbursement if they determine that a device was not used in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods as determined by the payor, was experimental or was used for an unapproved application.

In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively known as the “Affordable Care Act”) were enacted. Among other provisions, this legislation imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale in the United States of certain medical devices by the manufacturer, producer or importer effective after December 31, 2012. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, signed into law on December 18, 2015 included a two-year moratorium on collection of the medical device tax, beginning January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2017. As part of stopgap spending legislation signed into law by President Trump on January 22, 2018 the imposition of the medical device excise tax was delayed for an additional two years until January 1, 2020. During 2015, this excise tax applied to approximately 28 percent of our product revenue generated in the United States, and for that year, we remitted $600,000 for this excise tax. The Affordable Care Act, also established a payment transparency program, sometimes referred to as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, that requires medical device and drug manufacturers, including the Company, to report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services payments or other transfers of value made to physicians and teaching hospitals. The program is intended to provide patients with enhanced transparency as to the financial relationships that physicians and teaching hospitals have with medical device and drug manufacturers. Additionally, various healthcare reform proposals have also emerged at the state level. On January 20, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies to exercise all authority and discretion available to them under the Affordable Care Act to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision of the Affordable Care Act that would impose a fiscal or regulatory burden on states, individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices. There have also been judicial and congressional challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act, as well as efforts by the Trump Administration to modify, repeal, or otherwise invalidate all, or certain provisions of, the Affordable Care Act. Since January 2017, President Trump has signed two Executive Orders designed to delay the implementation of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act or otherwise circumvent some of the requirements for health insurance mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The Trump Administration has also announced that it will discontinue the payment of cost-sharing reduction (“CSR”) payments to insurance companies until Congress approves the appropriation of funds for the CSR payments. The loss of the CSR payments is expected to increase premiums on certain policies issued by qualified health plans under the Affordable Care Act. A bipartisan bill to appropriate funds for CSR payments has been introduced in the Senate, but the future of that bill is uncertain. In addition, CMS has recently proposed regulations that would give states greater flexibility in setting benchmarks for insurers in the individual and small group marketplaces, which may have the effect of relaxing the essential health benefits required under the Affordable Care Act for plans sold through such marketplaces. Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or Tax Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017, the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate penalty for not having health insurance coverage will be eliminated starting in 2019. Further, each chamber of Congress has put forth multiple bills designed to repeal or repeal and replace portions of the Affordable Care Act. Although the majority of these measures have not been enacted by Congress to date, Congress will likely continue to consider other legislation to modify elements of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the Trump Administration is likely to continue shaping the law significantly through regulations that may impact the health insurance marketplaces, essential health benefits requirements, and Medicaid/marketplace waivers for state flexibilities. Any regulatory or legislative developments in domestic or foreign markets that eliminate or reduce reimbursement rates for procedures performed with our products could harm our ability to sell our products or cause downward pressure on the prices of our products, either of which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Further, we anticipate that state legislatures and the private sector will continue to review and assess healthcare reform, including alternative healthcare delivery and payment systems. We cannot predict with certainty what impact the adoption or modification of any such reform measures or market forces may have on our business.

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We are, directly or indirectly, subject to various federal and state laws governing our relationship with healthcare providers and pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws. In particular, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual or the furnishing, arranging for or recommending a good or service for which payment may be made in whole or part under federal healthcare programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Penalties for violations include criminal penalties and civil sanctions such as fines, imprisonment and possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. In implementing the statute, the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, has issued a series of regulations, known as the “safe harbors.” These safe harbors set forth provisions that, if all their applicable requirements are met, will assure healthcare providers and other parties that they will not be prosecuted under the Anti-Kickback Statute. The failure of a transaction or arrangement to fit precisely within one or more safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy each applicable element of a safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities, such as the OIG.

The Federal False Claims Act, or FCA, imposes civil liability on any person or entity that submits, or causes the submission of, a false or fraudulent claim to the United States government. Damages under the FCA can be significant and consist of the imposition of fines and penalties. The FCA also allows a private individual or entity with knowledge of past or present fraud against the federal government to sue on behalf of the government to recover the civil penalties and treble damages. The United States Department of Justice, on behalf of the government, has previously alleged that the marketing and promotional practices of medical device and drug manufacturers that included the off-label promotion of products or the payment of prohibited kickbacks to doctors violated the FCA resulting in the submission of improper claims to federal and state healthcare entitlement programs such as Medicaid. In certain cases, manufacturers have entered into criminal and civil settlements with the federal government under which they entered into plea agreements, paid substantial monetary amounts and entered into corporate integrity agreements that require, among other things, substantial reporting and remedial actions going forward.

Product Liability and Insurance

The design, manufacture and marketing of products of the types we produce entail an inherent risk of product liability claims. A problem with one of our products could result in product liability claims or a recall of, or safety alert or advisory notice relating to, the product. We have product liability insurance in amounts that we believe are adequate.

Advisory Board

Several physicians and other healthcare professionals serve as our clinical advisors. These clinical advisors have assisted in the identification of the market need for some of our products. Members of our management and scientific and technical staff from time to time consult with these clinical advisors to better understand the technical and clinical requirements of current and future products. We anticipate that these clinical advisors will continue to play a role in our development activities.

Certain of the clinical advisors are employed by academic institutions and may have commitments to, or consulting or advisory agreements with, other entities that may limit their availability to advise us. The clinical advisors may also serve as consultants to other medical device companies. Our clinical advisors are not expected to devote more than a small portion of their time in providing services to us.

People

At January 31, 2018, we had 528 employees. We are proud that many of our employees have tenures with us ranging from 10 to 40 years.

Available Information

Our website address is www.atrioncorp.com. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. These filings are also available at www.sec.gov.

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ITEM 1A.   

RISK FACTORS.

In addition to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, the following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our business. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. Additional risks and uncertainties that we do not currently know about or that we currently believe are immaterial, or that we have not predicted, may also harm our business operations or adversely affect us.

●

Our sales could decline materially if we lose business from one or more of our larger customers or a significant number of our smaller customers.

Our sales are generally made under open short-term purchase orders or purchase contracts. Customers with purchase orders could reduce their volumes, or cease purchasing our products, with minimal notice. Customers having purchase contracts may elect not to renew those contracts at expiration or the contracts may be renewed on terms less favorable to us. The loss of, or material reduction in orders by, one or more of our larger customers or a significant number of our smaller customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our business is dependent on the price and availability of resins and our ability to pass on resin price increases to our customers.

The principal raw materials that we use in our products are polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride resins. Our ability to operate profitably is dependent, in part, on the availability and pricing of these resins. The resins we use are derived from petroleum and natural gas; therefore, prices fluctuate substantially as a result of changes in petroleum and natural gas prices, demand and the capacity of the companies that produce these products to meet market needs. Instability in the world markets for petroleum and natural gas could adversely affect the prices of these raw materials and their availability.

Our ability to maintain profitability depends, in part, upon our ability to pass through to our customers the full amount of any increase in raw material costs. If resin prices increase and we are not able to fully pass on the increases to our customers, our results of operations and our financial condition will be adversely affected.

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The loss of a key supplier of raw materials could lead to increased costs and lower profit margins.

The loss of a key supplier would force us to purchase raw materials in the open market, which may be at higher prices, until we could secure another source and such higher prices may not allow us to remain competitive. If we are unable to obtain raw materials in sufficient quantities, we may not be able to manufacture our products. Even if we were able to replace one of our raw material suppliers through another supply arrangement, there is no assurance that the terms that we enter into with such alternate supplier will be as favorable to us as the supply arrangements that we currently have or that such replacement could be timely completed.

●

Product liability claims could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be subject to product liability claims involving claims of personal injury or property damage. Our product liability insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover the cost of defense and the potential award in the event of a claim. A product liability claim, regardless of its merit or outcome, could result in significant legal defense costs. Also, a well-publicized actual or perceived problem with one or more of our products could adversely affect our reputation and reduce the demand for our products.

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Issues with product quality could have an adverse effect upon our business, subject us to regulatory actions and cause a loss of customer confidence in us or our products.

Our success depends upon the quality of our products. Quality management plays an essential role in determining and meeting customer requirements, preventing defects, improving our products and assuring the safety and efficacy of our products. Our future success depends on our ability to maintain and continuously improve our quality management program. While we have one quality system that covers the lifecycle of our products, quality and safety issues may occur with respect to any of our products. A quality or safety issue may result in adverse inspection reports, warning letters, product recalls, monetary sanctions, injunctions to halt manufacture and distribution of products, civil or criminal sanctions, costly litigation, refusal of a government to grant approvals and licenses, restrictions on operations or withdrawal of existing approvals and licenses. An inability to address a quality or safety issue in an effective and timely manner may also cause negative publicity or a loss of customer confidence in us or our current or future products, which may result in the loss of sales and difficulty in successfully launching new products. Additionally, we have made and continue to make significant investments in assets, including inventory and property, plant and equipment, which relate to potential new products or modifications to existing products. Product quality or safety issues may restrict us from being able to realize the expected returns from these investments, potentially resulting in asset impairments in the future.

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Unaffiliated third party suppliers provide a number of goods and services to our manufacturing and R&D organizations. Third party suppliers are required to comply with our quality standards. Failure of a third party supplier to provide compliant raw materials or supplies could result in delays, service interruptions or other quality related issues that may negatively impact our business results.

●

Any losses we incur as a result of our exposure to the credit risk of our customers could harm our results of operations.

We monitor individual customer payment capability in granting credit arrangements, seek to limit credit to amounts we believe the customers can pay, and maintain reserves we believe are adequate to cover exposure for doubtful accounts. As we have grown our revenue and customer base, our exposure to credit risk has increased. Any material losses as a result of customer defaults could harm, and have an adverse effect on, our business, operating results and financial condition.

●

The success of certain of our products depends upon relationships with healthcare professionals.

The research, development, marketing, and sales of many of our new and improved products are dependent upon our maintaining working relationships with healthcare professionals. We rely on these professionals to provide us with considerable knowledge and experience regarding our products. If we are unable to maintain our relationships with these professionals and do not continue to receive their advice and input, the development and commercialization of our products could suffer, which could have a material, adverse impact on our revenues, financial condition, profitability, and cash flows.

●

Our success is measured in part by our ability to develop patentable products, to preserve our trade secrets and operate without infringing or violating the proprietary rights of third parties.

Others may challenge the validity of any patents issued to us, and we could encounter legal and financial difficulties in enforcing our patent rights against infringers. In addition, there can be no assurance that other technologies cannot or will not be developed or that patents will not be obtained by others which would render our patents less valuable or obsolete. Our patents expire at various times over the next 20 years. Once patents expire, some customers may not continue to purchase from us, opting for competitive copies instead. If we do not develop and launch new products prior to the expiration of patents for our existing products, our sales and profits could decline substantially.

We have developed technical knowledge which, although non-patentable, we consider to be significant in enabling us to compete. However, the proprietary nature of such knowledge may be difficult to protect.

The medical device industry is characterized by extensive intellectual property litigation, and companies in the medical device industry sometimes use intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage. Intellectual property litigation, regardless of outcome, is often complex and expensive, and the outcome of this litigation is generally difficult to predict. An adverse determination in any such proceeding could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties or require us to seek licenses from third parties or pay royalties that may be substantial. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that necessary licenses would be available to us on satisfactory terms or at all. Accordingly, an adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding or failure to obtain necessary licenses could prevent us from manufacturing or selling certain of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

●

International patent protection is uncertain.

Patent law outside the United States is uncertain and is currently undergoing review and revision in many countries. Further, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as United States laws. We may participate in opposition proceedings to determine the validity of our or our competitors’ foreign patents, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our efforts.

-8-

●

New lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risks.

From time to time, we may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new product or service. Furthermore, any new line of business or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal control. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

●

Some of our competitors have significantly greater resources than we do, and it may be difficult for us to compete against them.

In many of our markets, we compete with numerous other companies that have substantially greater financial resources and engage in substantially more R&D activities than we do. Furthermore, innovations in surgical techniques or medical practices could have the effect of reducing or eliminating market demand for one or more of our products. In addition, the trend of consolidation in the medical device industry and among our customers could result in greater competition and pricing pressure.

Some of the markets in which we compete are dominated by established manufacturers that have broader product lines, greater distribution capabilities, substantially larger marketing, R&D staffs and facilities than we do. Many of these competitors offer broader product lines within the specific product market and in the general field of medical devices and supplies. Broad product lines give many of our cardiovascular and fluid delivery competitors the ability to negotiate exclusive, long-term medical device supply contracts and, consequently, the ability to offer comprehensive pricing of their competing products. By offering a broader product line in the general field of medical devices and supplies, competitors may also have a significant advantage in marketing competing products to group purchasing organizations. In addition, our competitors may use price reductions to preserve market share in their product markets.

●

We are subject to healthcare fraud and abuse regulations that could result in significant liability, require us to change our business practices and restrict our operations in the future.

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, including anti-kickback and false claims laws. Violations of these laws are punishable by criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and health programs outside the United States. These laws and regulations are wide ranging and subject to changing interpretations and applications, which could restrict our sales or marketing practices. A violation of these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.

●

We will be unable to sell our products if we fail to comply with governmental regulations.

To manufacture our products commercially, we must comply with governmental regulations that govern design controls, quality systems and documentation policies and procedures, including continued compliance with QSR. The FDA and equivalent foreign governmental authorities periodically inspect our manufacturing facilities and the manufacturing facilities of our Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM, medical device customers. If we or our OEM

medical device customers fail to comply with these manufacturing regulations, including meeting reporting obligations to the FDA, or fail any FDA inspections, marketing or distribution of our products may be prevented or delayed, which would negatively impact our business.

-9-

●

Our products are subject to product recalls even after receiving regulatory clearance or approval, and any such recalls would negatively affect our financial performance and could harm our reputation.

Any of our products may be found to have significant deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture. The FDA and similar governmental authorities in other countries have the authority to require the recall of any such defective products. A government-mandated or voluntary recall could occur as a result of component failures, manufacturing errors or design defects. We do not maintain insurance to cover losses incurred as a result of product recalls. Any product recall would divert managerial and financial resources and negatively affect our financial performance and could harm our reputation with customers and end-users.

●

We may not receive regulatory approvals for new product candidates or for modifications of existing products or approvals may be delayed.

Regulation by governmental authorities in the United States and foreign countries is a significant factor in the development, manufacture and marketing of our proposed products and in our ongoing research and product development activities. Any failure to receive the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize our product candidates, or the subsequent withdrawal of any such approvals, would harm our business. Additionally, modification of our existing products may require regulatory approval. The process of obtaining these approvals and the subsequent compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations require spending substantial time and financial resources. If we fail to obtain or maintain, or encounter delays in obtaining or maintaining, regulatory approvals, it could adversely affect the marketing of any products we develop or modify, our ability to receive product revenues, and our liquidity and capital resources.

●

We rely on technology to operate our business and any failure of these systems could harm our business.

We rely heavily on communications and information technology systems to conduct our business, enhance customer service and increase employee productivity. Some of these systems are vulnerable to breakdown or other interruption by fire, power loss, system malfunction, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, unauthorized access and other events. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, inventory, manufacturing and other systems. There is no assurance that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed by our policies and procedures that are intended to safeguard our systems. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions or security breaches of our information technology systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, and expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, security breaches of our information technology systems could result in the misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information belonging to us, our customers, our suppliers or our employees, which may result in significant costs and other adverse consequences.

●

We sell many of our products to healthcare providers that rely on Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance plans to reimburse the costs associated with the procedures performed using our products and these third party payors may deny reimbursement for use of our products.

We are dependent, in part, upon the ability of healthcare providers to obtain satisfactory reimbursement from third-party payors for medical procedures in which our products are used. Third-party payors may deny reimbursement if they determine that a prescribed product has not received appropriate regulatory clearances or approvals, is not used in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods as determined by the payor, or is experimental, unnecessary or inappropriate. Failure by hospitals and other users of our products to obtain reimbursement from third-party payors, or adverse changes in government or private third-party payors’ policies toward reimbursement for procedures utilizing our products, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Major third-party payors for medical services in the United States and other countries continue to try to contain healthcare costs. The introduction of cost containment incentives, combined with closer scrutiny of healthcare expenditures by both private health insurers and employers, has resulted in increased discounts and contractual adjustments to charges for services performed. Further implementation of legislative or administrative reforms to the United States or international reimbursement systems in a manner that significantly reduces reimbursement for procedures using our products or denies coverage for such procedures may result in hospitals or physicians substituting lower cost products or other therapies for our products which, in turn, would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, uncertainty about whether and how changes may be implemented could also have a negative impact on the demand for our products.

-10-

●

We face significant uncertainty in our industry due to government health care reform, changes in Medicare, Medicaid and other governmental medical program reimbursements, and we cannot predict with certainty how these reforms will impact our operating results.

Currently, the Trump Administration and the United States Congress are seeking to modify, repeal or otherwise invalidate all or part of Affordable Care Act, and it remains unclear what new framework may emerge as a result of such efforts. Further, regardless of the prevailing political environment in the United States, Medicare, Medicaid, managed care organizations and foreign governments are increasingly seeking to both control health care utilization and to limit reimbursement. Changes in reimbursement programs or their regulations, including retroactive and prospective rate and coverage criteria changes, competitive bidding for certain products and services, and other changes intended to reduce expenditures (domestically or internationally), could adversely affect the portions of our businesses that are dependent on third-party reimbursement or direct governmental payments. Moreover, to the extent that our customers experience reimbursement pressure resulting in lower revenue for them, their demand for our products may decrease. Furthermore, the outcome of the 2018 Congressional elections that will be held in the United States might result in material changes to governmental regulation of various aspects of our business and operations. We devote significant operational and managerial resources to comply with existing laws and regulations. Different interpretations and enforcement policies of existing laws and regulations, the possible repeal of existing laws and regulations, as well as the enactment of new laws and regulations, could require additional operational and managerial resources and could subject our current practices to allegations of impropriety or illegality or could require us to make significant changes to our products and operations. The impact of the above-mentioned items could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and cash flows.

Among other provisions, the Affordable Care Act imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale in the United States of certain medical devices by the manufacturer, producer or importer after December 31, 2012. In December 2015, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, collection of the medical device excise tax was suspended for 2016 and 2017, and as part of stopgap spending legislation signed by President Trump on January 22, 2018 the imposition of the medical device excise tax was delayed until January 1, 2020. If the excise tax is not repealed or further suspended, the tax will adversely impact future results of operations after the current suspension expires in December 2019.

-11-

●

Our existing credit agreement contains restrictions that may limit our flexibility in operating our business.

Our existing credit agreement contains, and any future agreements may contain, covenants that could impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us. Although we currently do not have any borrowings under our existing credit agreement, the covenants in those agreements may limit the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.

●

We have pledged certain of our assets as collateral under our existing credit agreement. If we borrow funds under that credit agreement and default on the terms of such credit agreement and the holder of our indebtedness accelerates the repayment of such indebtedness, there can be no assurance that we will have sufficient assets to repay our indebtedness.

Under our existing credit agreement, we are required to satisfy and maintain specified financial ratios. Our ability to meet those financial ratios can be affected by events beyond our control, and there can be no assurance that we will meet those ratios. A failure to comply with the covenants contained in the agreement could result in an event of default under such agreement, which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and profitability. In the event of any default under our existing credit agreement, the holder of our indebtedness thereunder:

●

Will not be required to lend any additional amounts to us;

●

Could elect to declare all indebtedness outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit, if applicable; or

●

Could require us to apply all of our available cash to repay such indebtedness.

If we are unable to repay those amounts, the holder of our indebtedness could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that indebtedness. If the indebtedness under our existing credit agreement were to be accelerated, there can be no assurance that our assets at that time would be sufficient to repay such indebtedness in full.

●

We may not be able to attract and retain skilled people.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in most activities we engage in can be intense, and we may not be able to hire qualified people or to retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of our key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our market, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

●

A portion of our business relies on distribution agreements and relationships with various third parties and any adverse change in those relationships could result in a loss of revenue and harm that business.

We sell many of our products through distributors. Some of our distributors also sell our competitors’ products, and, if they favor our competitors’ products for any reason, they may fail to market our products as effectively or to devote resources necessary to provide effective sales, which would cause our results to suffer. The success of the arrangements with these third parties depends, in part, on the continued adherence to the terms of our agreements with them. Any disruption in these arrangements may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. The actions of distributors in foreign countries may adversely affect our ability to market effectively our products in those countries, particularly if a distributor holds the regulatory authorization in such countries and such actions result in the suspension or revocation of such authorization. In such cases, re-establishing market access or regulatory authorization may be difficult, expensive or time consuming.

●

We utilize distributors for a portion of our sales, which subjects us to risks that could harm our business.

We have strategic relationships with a number of distributors for sales of our products. To the extent that we rely on distributors, our success will depend on the efforts of others over whom we may have little or no control. If these strategic relationships are terminated and not replaced, our revenues could be adversely affected. Also, we may be named as a defendant in litigation against our distributors related to sales of our products by them.

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●

Severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism or other external events could significantly impact our business.

We currently conduct all our development, manufacturing and management at three locations. Severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other adverse external events at any one or more of these locations could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. We have the ability to transfer the production of certain products from a facility affected by such events, but doing so would be expensive. Our disaster recovery policies and procedures may not be effective and the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. The insurance we maintain may not be adequate to cover our losses.

●

Our sales and operations are subject to the risks of doing business internationally.

A substantial portion of our sales occur outside the United States, and we are increasing our presence in international markets. Sales outside the United States subject us to many risks, such as:

●

economic or political problems that disrupt foreign healthcare payment systems;

●

the imposition of governmental controls;

●

less favorable intellectual property or other applicable laws;

●

protectionist laws and business practices that favor local competitors;

●

the inability to obtain any necessary foreign regulatory or pricing approvals of products in a timely manner;

●

changes in tax laws and tariffs;

●

receivables may be more difficult to collect; and

●

longer payment cycles.

Our operations and marketing practices are also subject to regulation and scrutiny by the governments of the other countries in which we operate. In addition, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, prohibits United States companies and their representatives from offering, promising, authorizing or making payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business abroad. In certain countries, the healthcare professionals we regularly interact with may meet the definition of a foreign official for purposes of the FCPA. Additionally, we are subject to other United States laws in our international operations. Failure to comply with domestic or foreign laws could result in various adverse consequences, including possible delay in approval or refusal to approve a product, recalls, seizures, withdrawal of an approved product from the market, and the imposition of civil or criminal sanctions.

●

We may lose revenues, market share and profits due to exchange rate fluctuations related to our international business.

Fluctuations in exchange rates may affect the prices that our international customers are willing to pay and may put us at a price disadvantage compared to other competitors. Potentially volatile shifts in exchange rates may negatively affect our financial condition and operations. Because payments from our international customers are received primarily in United States dollars, increases in the value of the United States dollar relative to foreign currencies could make our products less competitive or less affordable, and therefore adversely affect our sales in international markets.

●

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results.

We have historically experienced, and may continue to experience, fluctuations in our quarterly operating results. These fluctuations are due to a number of factors, many of which are outside our control, and may result in volatility of our stock price. Future operating results will depend on many factors, including:

●

demand for our products;

●

pricing decisions, and those of our competitors, including decisions to increase or decrease prices;

●

regulatory approvals for our products;

●

timing and levels of spending for R&D, sales and marketing;

●

timing and market acceptance of new product introductions by us or our competitors;

●

development or expansion of business infrastructure in new clinical and geographic markets;

●

tax rates in the jurisdictions in which we operate;

●

shipping delays or interruptions;

●

customer credit holds;

●

timing and recognition of certain R&D milestones and license fees; and

●

ability to control our costs;

-13-

●

Our stock price can be volatile.

Stock price volatility may make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their common stock when they want and at prices they find attractive. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things:

●

actual or anticipated variations in quarterly results of operations;

●

recommendations by securities analysts;

●

operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to the Company;

●

perceptions in the marketplace regarding the Company and our competitors;

●

new technology used, or services offered, by competitors;

●

trading by funds with high-turnover practices or strategies;

●

significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving the Company or our competitors;

●

failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions;

●

changes in government regulations; and

●

geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism or military conflicts.

Additionally, our public float is small which can result in large fluctuations in stock price during periods with increased selling or buying activity. General market fluctuations, industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events, such as economic slowdowns or recessions, interest rate changes or credit loss trends, could also cause our stock price to decrease regardless of operating results.

●

We continue to evaluate expansion through acquisitions of, and investments in, other companies or technologies, which may carry significant risks.

If we pursue acquisitions of, or investments in, other companies or technologies, we may:

●

Use cash that we may need in the future to operate our business;

●

Incur debt, including on terms that could be unfavorable to us or debt that we might be unable to repay;

●

Structure the transaction in a manner that has unfavorable tax consequences, such as a stock purchase that does not permit a step-up in the tax basis for the assets acquired;

●

Be unable to realize the anticipated benefits, such as increased revenues, cost savings, or synergies from additional sales;

●

Be unable to integrate, upgrade, or replace the purchasing, accounting, financial, sales, billing, employee benefits, payroll, and regulatory compliance functions of an acquisition target;

●

Be unable to secure or retain the services of key employees related to the acquisition;

●

Be unable to succeed in the marketplace with the acquisition; or

●

Assume material unknown liabilities associated with the acquired business.

Any of the above risks, should they occur, could materially, adversely affect our revenues, financial condition, profitability, and cash flows, including the inability to recover our investment or cause a write down or write off of such investment, associated goodwill, or assets.

●

If we make divestitures, we could encounter difficulties that harm our business.

We may sell a business or product line. Any divestiture may result in significant write-offs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Divestitures could also involve additional risks, including difficulties in separation of operations, services and personnel, the diversion of management’s attention from other operations and the potential loss of key personnel.

●

Political and economic conditions could materially and adversely affect our revenue and results of operations.

Our business may be affected by a number of factors that are beyond our control such as general geopolitical economic and business conditions, conditions in the financial markets, and changes in the overall demand for our products. A severe or prolonged economic downturn could adversely affect our customers’ financial condition and the levels of business activity of our customers. Uncertainty about current global political or economic conditions could cause businesses to postpone spending in response to tighter credit, negative financial news or declines in income or asset values, which could have a material negative effect on the demand for our products. There could be additional effects on our business from these economic developments including the insolvency of key suppliers or their inability to obtain credit, the inability of our customers to pay for or obtain credit to finance purchases of our products and increased pressure to reduce the prices of our products.

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Turbulence in the United States and international markets and economies could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, if we are unable to successfully anticipate changing economic and political conditions, we may be unable to effectively plan for and respond to those changes, which could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

●

The full impact that the recently passed Tax Act may have on us is uncertain.

The Tax Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act made numerous changes to United States corporate tax law and is expected to reduce our effective income tax rate for fiscal year 2018 and future periods. Effective January 1, 2018, the Tax Act lowers the United States corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and prompts various other changes to United States corporate tax law. Further, the Tax Act is unclear in certain respects and will require interpretations and implementing regulations by the Internal Revenue Service, as well as state tax authorities, and the Tax Act could be subject to amendments and technical corrections, any of which could lessen or increase the impact of the Tax Act. The accounting treatment of these tax law changes is complex, and some of the changes may affect both current and future periods, and, until the Internal Revenue Service issues regulations under the Tax Act and other guidance, the full impact the Tax Act will have on us is uncertain.

●

If we fail to manage our exposure to market risk and credit risk successfully, our financial condition could be adversely impacted.

We have exposure to market risk and credit risk in our investment activities. The fair values of our investments vary from time to time depending on economic and market conditions. Fixed income securities expose us to interest rate risk as well as credit risk. Equity securities expose us to equity price risk. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary policies and domestic and international economic and political conditions. These and other factors also affect the equity securities owned by us. The outlook of our investment portfolio depends on the future direction of interest rates, fluctuations in the equity securities market and the amount of cash flows available for investment. Our investments may decline in value in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

●

Provisions in our governing documents and Delaware law may discourage or prevent a change of control, which could cause our stock price to decline and prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a change in the ownership of the Company or a change in our management. We are also subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15 percent or more of our outstanding common stock. Although a delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or of changes in our Board of Directors could be effective in improving stockholder value, they also carry a risk of causing the market price of our common stock to decline.

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ITEM 1B.          

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

ITEM 2. 

PROPERTIES.

We own three facilities comprising approximately 398,000 square feet, and the 139 acres on which they are situated, in Texas, Alabama and Florida. Administrative, engineering, manufacturing and warehouse operations are conducted at each facility, and our corporate headquarters are located at our Texas facility.  

ITEM 3.        

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

We have no pending legal proceedings of the type described in Item 103 of Regulation S-K.

ITEM 4.           

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

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Executive Officers of the Company

Name	Age	Title
Emile A Battat	79	Chairman of the Board of the Company and Chairman of the Board of Halkey-Roberts Corporation, or Halkey-Roberts, one of our subsidiaries
David A. Battat	48	President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, President of Halkey-Roberts and Chairman of the Board of all other subsidiaries
Jeffery Strickland	59	Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of the Company and Vice President or Secretary-Treasurer of all subsidiaries

Messrs. David Battat and Strickland currently serve as officers of the Company and all subsidiaries. Mr. Emile Battat currently serves as an officer of the Company. The officers of the Company and our subsidiaries are elected annually by the respective Boards of Directors of the Company and our subsidiaries at the first meeting of such Boards of Directors held after the annual meetings of stockholders of such entities. The next meetings of the stockholders of the Company and our subsidiaries are expected to be held in May 2018 and the Boards of Directors of the Company and our subsidiaries are expected to meet promptly thereafter. Accordingly, the terms of office of the current officers of the Company and our subsidiaries are anticipated to expire in May 2018.

There are no arrangements or understandings between any officer and any other person pursuant to which the officer was elected. The only family relationship between any of our executive officers or directors is that Mr. David Battat is the son of Mr. Emile Battat.

There have been no events under any bankruptcy act, no criminal proceedings and no judgments or injunctions material to the evaluation of the ability and integrity of any executive officers during the past ten years.

Brief Account of Business Experience During the Past Five Years

Mr. Emile Battat has been a director of the Company since 1987 and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Company since January 1998. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Halkey-Roberts since October 1998. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Chairman of the Board or President of all subsidiaries from October 1998 until May 2011.

Mr. David Battat has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Chairman of the Board of all subsidiaries with the exception of Halkey-Roberts, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, since May 2011. He has been President of Halkey-Roberts since January 2006. He also serves as President of Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC. He served as the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer from May 2007 until May 2011 and from February 2005 until December 2005 he served as Vice President - Business Development and General Counsel at Halkey-Roberts.

Mr. Strickland has served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of the Company since February 1, 1997 and has served as a Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer of all the Company’s subsidiaries since January 1997. Mr. Strickland was employed by the Company or our subsidiaries in various other positions from September 1983 through January 1997.

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PART II

ITEM 5. 

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (Symbol ATRI). As of February 13, 2018, we had 126 record holders, and approximately 4,800 beneficial owners, of our common stock. The high and low sales prices as reported by NASDAQ for each quarter of 2016 and 2017 are shown below.

Year Ended December 31, 2016:	High	Low
First Quarter	$415.00	$350.00
Second Quarter	$442.50	$385.00
Third Quarter	$490.45	$393.96
Fourth Quarter	$522.05	$418.00

Year Ended December 31, 2017:	High	Low
First Quarter	$512.10	$454.00
Second Quarter	$688.95	$459.50
Third Quarter	$691.95	$605.70
Fourth Quarter	$694.00	$612.10

We pay regular quarterly cash dividends on our common stock. We have increased our quarterly cash dividend payments in September of each of the past fourteen years. The quarterly dividend was increased to $.90 in September of 2015, $1.05 in September 2016 and to $1.20 in September 2017. We paid cash dividends totaling $8.3 million to our stockholders in 2017.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, we did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and during the fourth quarter of 2017 we did not purchase any of our common stock.

The stock performance graph set forth in our 2018 Annual Report to Stockholders is incorporated by reference herein and is included in Exhibit 13.1 to this Form 10-K.  However, the stock performance graph is not to be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, the stock performance graph shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any statement that incorporates this Form 10-K by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate this information by reference.

-18-

ITEM 6.    

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

Selected Financial Data

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
Operating Results for the Year ended December 31,
Revenues	$146,595	$143,487	$145,733	$140,762	$131,993
Operating income	41,274	39,126	42,510	40,817	37,944
Net income	36,593	27,581	28,925	27,808	26,582
Depreciation and amortization	8,677	8,953	8,823	8,723	8,592
Per Share Data:
Net income per diluted share	$19.71	$14.85	$15.47	$14.08	$13.18
Cash dividends per common share	$4.50	$3.90	$3.30	$2.78	$2.40
Average diluted shares outstanding	1,857	1,857	1,870	1,975	2,017
Financial Position at December 31,
Total assets	$203,780	$181,942	$164,336	$171,514	$172,066
Long-term debt	-	-	-	-	-

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ITEM 7. 

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

Overview

We develop and manufacture products primarily for medical applications. We market components to other equipment manufacturers for incorporation in their products and sell finished devices to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other treatment centers. Our medical products primarily serve the fluid delivery, cardiovascular, and ophthalmology markets. Our other medical and non-medical products include valves and inflation devices used in marine and aviation safety products. In 2017, approximately 37 percent of our sales were outside the United States.

Our products are used in a wide variety of applications by numerous customers. We encounter competition in all of our markets and compete primarily on the basis of product quality, price, engineering, customer service and delivery time.

Our strategy is to provide a broad selection of products in the areas of our expertise. R&D efforts are focused on improving current products and developing highly-engineered products that meet customer needs and serve niche markets with meaningful sales potential. Proposed new products may be subject to regulatory clearance or approval prior to commercialization and the time period for introducing a new product to the marketplace can be unpredictable. We also focus on controlling costs by investing in modern manufacturing technologies and controlling purchasing processes. We have been successful in consistently generating cash from operations and have used that cash to reduce or eliminate indebtedness, to fund capital expenditures, to make investments, to repurchase stock and to pay dividends.

Our strategic objective is to further enhance our position in our served markets by:

●

Focusing on customer needs;

●

Expanding existing product lines and developing new products;

●

Maintaining a culture of controlling cost; and

●

Preserving and fostering a collaborative, entrepreneurial management structure.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, we reported revenues of $146.6 million, operating income of $41.3 million and net income of $36.6 million.

Results of Operations

Our net income was $36.6 million, or $19.82 per basic and $19.71 per diluted share, in 2017 compared to $27.6 million, or $15.12 per basic and $14.85 per diluted share, in 2016 and net income of $28.9 million, or $15.67 per basic and $15.47 per diluted share, in 2015. Revenues were $146.6 million in 2017 compared with $143.5 million in 2016 and $145.7 million in 2015. The two percent revenue increase in 2017 over 2016 was generally attributable to higher sales volumes. Our 2016 revenues were negatively impacted by the strong U. S. dollar in our international markets and lower sales prices in certain markets as compared to 2015 revenues.

Annual revenues by product lines were as follows (in thousands):

	2017	2016	2015
Fluid Delivery	$65,053	$60,889	$60,630
Cardiovascular	48,073	47,064	46,463
Ophthalmology	13,537	15,427	18,253
Other	19,932	20,107	20,387
Total	$146,595	$143,487	$145,733

Our cost of goods sold was $75.8 million in 2017, $75.9 million in 2016 and $74.8 million in 2015. A favorable product sales mix, improved manufacturing efficiencies and the impact of continued cost improvement projects were the primary contributors to the decrease in cost of goods sold in 2017 compared to 2016. Increased compensation costs, depreciation and repair costs partially offset by reduced utilities and reduced supplies were the primary contributors to the increase in cost of goods sold in 2016 over 2015.

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Gross profit in 2017 was $70.8 million compared with $67.6 million in 2016 and $71.0 million in 2015. Our gross profit was 48 percent of revenues in 2017, 47 percent of revenues in 2016 and 49 percent of revenues in 2015. The increase in gross profit percentage in 2017 from 2016 was primarily related to increased revenues and a favorable product sales mix. The decrease in gross profit percentage in 2016 from 2015 was primarily related to reduced sales, lower sales prices and increased manufacturing costs.

Operating expenses were $29.5 million in 2017 and $28.5 million in both 2016 and 2015. R&D expenses decreased $775,000 in 2017 as compared with 2016 primarily as a result of decreased costs for outside services and supplies. R&D expenses consist primarily of salaries and other related expenses of our R&D personnel as well as costs associated with regulatory matters. In 2017, selling expenses increased $640,000 as compared with 2016 primarily as a result of increased commissions, outside services, compensation and travel costs. Selling expenses consist primarily of salaries, commissions and other related expenses for sales and marketing personnel, marketing, advertising and promotional expenses. General and Administrative, or G&A expenses increased $1.1 million in 2017 as compared to 2016 primarily as a result of increased compensation and compensation related costs and increased outside services partially offset by reduced depreciation, amortization and travel costs. G&A expenses consist primarily of salaries and other related expenses of administrative, executive and financial personnel and outside professional fees.

R&D expenses increased $228,000 in 2016 as compared to 2015 primarily as a result of increased costs for supplies and travel partially offset by reduced outside services. In 2016, selling expenses increased $568,000 as compared with 2015 primarily as a result of increased travel, outside services, compensation and trade shows. G&A expenses decreased $763,000 in 2016 as compared to 2015 primarily as a result of reduced compensation and benefits.

Our operating income for 2017 was $41.3 million compared with $39.1 million in 2016 and $42.5 million in 2015. Operating income was 28 percent of revenues in 2017, 27 percent of revenues for 2016 and 29 percent of revenues for 2015. An increase in 2017 gross profit partially offset by increased operating expenses was the major contributor to the increase in operating income for 2017 as compared to the previous year. The decrease in 2016 gross profit was the major contributor to the decrease in operating income for 2016 as compared to the previous year

Investment income for 2017 was $1.1 million, compared with $448,000 in 2016 and $771,000 in 2015. Increased levels of investments, increased interest rates and increased dividends on our equity investments were the primary reason for the increase in 2017. Lower interest rates were the primary reason for the reductions in 2016.

Other income (expense) in 2015 is primarily related to a $2.4 million impairment loss on one of our long-term corporate bonds which experienced a significant decline in market value in 2015. In 2016 after the issuer declared bankruptcy, we sold this bond that was previously intended to be held to maturity. We recorded an additional net loss of $311,000 to other income (expense) on this bond in 2016 prior to and including its sale.

Income tax expense in 2017 totaled $5.7 million, compared with $11.7 million in 2016 and $11.9 million in 2015. The effective tax rates for 2017, 2016 and 2015 were 13.6 percent, 29.8 percent and 29.2 percent, respectively. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in December 2017, reduced the corporate federal income tax rate in the United States from 35% to 21% effective for us on January 1, 2018. This rate reduction reduced our net deferred tax liability, including adjustments to our net state deferred tax liabilities, by $4.1 million as of December 31, 2017. Based upon this tax law enactment, we recorded a corresponding benefit in our income tax provision of $4.1 million for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2017. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2017 we recorded a valuation allowance of $609,000 to reduce our deferred tax assets which partially offset the benefit recorded in our income tax provision from the tax law change in 2017. During 2016 we adopted ASU 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Improvements to Employee Share Based Payment Accounting and recorded excess tax benefits related to employee stock compensation of $5.8 million and $687,000 for the years ended December 31 2017 and 2016, respectively.The adoption was on a prospective basis and therefore had no impact on years prior to 2016. The effective tax rate for 2015 benefitted from tax credits totaling $2.3 million for our R&D expenditures. This amount included an adjustment for recalculation of our R&D tax credits from prior years resulting from a regulation issued by the Treasury Department which favorably impacted the benefits provided to the Company under these rules. Benefits from R&D tax credits totaled $1.0 million in 2017, $1.1 million in 2016 and $2.3 million in 2015. Benefits from tax incentives for domestic production totaled $600,000 in 2017, $1.2 million in 2016 and $1.4 million in 2015. Charges from changes in uncertain tax positions totaled $865,000 in 2017. Benefits from changes in uncertain tax positions totaled $120,000 in 2016. We expect our effective tax rate for 2018 to be approximately 21.0 percent. Accounting for stock based awards could create volatility in our effective tax rate depending upon the extent of exercise or vesting activity.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2017 we had a $75.0 million revolving credit facility with a money center bank pursuant to which the lender is obligated to make advances until February 28, 2022. This credit facility, entered into on February 28, 2017, replaced a $40.0 million revolving credit facility with the same bank which was in place for several years prior to that date. The credit facility is secured by substantially all our inventories, equipment and accounts receivable. Interest under the credit facility is assessed at 30-day, 60-day or 90-day LIBOR, as selected by us, plus .875 percent (2.35 percent at December 31, 2017) and is payable monthly. We had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at December 31, 2017 or the prior credit facility at December 31, 2016. Our ability to borrow funds under the credit facility from time to time is contingent on meeting certain covenants in the loan agreement, the most restrictive of which is the ratio of total debt to earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization. At December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.

At December 31, 2017, we had a total of $74.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments, an increase of $20.7 million from December 31, 2016. The principal contributor to this increase was positive cash flows resulting from operations.

Cash flows provided by operations of $47.0 million in 2017 were primarily comprised of net income plus the net effect of non-cash expenses. At December 31, 2017, we had working capital of $105.6 million, including $30.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and $35.5 million in short-term investments. The $20.6 million increase in working capital during 2017 was primarily related to increases in cash and short-term investments. The increase in cash and short-term investments was primarily a result of operational results partially offset by purchases of property, plant and equipment and payment of dividends. Working capital items consisted primarily of cash, accounts receivable, short-term investments, inventories and other current assets minus accounts payable and other current liabilities.

Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment totaled $9.6 million in 2017, compared with $10.6 million in 2016 and $9.3 million in 2015. These expenditures were primarily for machinery and equipment. We expect 2018 capital expenditures, primarily machinery and equipment, to be greater than the average of the levels expended during each of the past three years.

We paid cash dividends totaling $8.3 million, $7.1 million and $6.1 million during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We expect to fund future dividend payments with cash flows from operations. We purchased treasury stock totaling $1.3 million and $30.7 million during 2016 and 2015, respectively. No treasury stock was purchased in 2017.

The table below summarizes debt, lease and other contractual obligations outstanding at December 31, 2017:

	Payments due by period
Contractual Obligations	Total	2018	2019 - 2020	2021 and thereafter
	(In thousands)
Purchase Obligations	$1,474	$1,474	$-	$-
Total	$1,474	$1,474	$-	$-

We believe our cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments, cash flows from operations and available borrowings of up to $75.0 million under our credit facility will be sufficient to fund our cash requirements for at least the foreseeable future. We believe our strong financial position would allow us to access equity or debt financing should that be necessary. Additionally, we expect our cash and cash equivalents and investments, as a whole, will continue to increase in 2018.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet financing arrangements.

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Impact of Inflation

We experience the effects of inflation primarily in the prices we pay for labor, materials and services. Over the last three years, we have experienced the effects of moderate inflation in these costs. At times, we have been able to offset a portion of these increased costs by increasing the sales prices of our products. However, competitive pressures have not allowed for full recovery of these cost increases.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Under this guidance all excess tax benefits (“windfalls”) and deficiencies (“shortfalls”) related to employee stock compensation are recognized within income tax expense. The Company early adopted this guidance using the prospective transition method in the second quarter of 2016 effective January 1, 2016. As a result of our adoption of this guidance, an excess tax benefit of $687,000 was recorded in 2016 resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. In 2017 we recorded an excess tax benefit of $5,782,000 resulting from the exercise of employee stock options and the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. The excess tax benefits recorded in 2017 and 2016 were included in our consolidated statements of cash flows under operating activity rather than under financing activity as was done in prior years. There were no restatements to 2015. This guidance could create future volatility in our effective tax rate depending upon the extent of exercise or vesting activity in our stock based awards.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17) which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this guidance.  ASU 2015-17 was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2017 on a retrospective basis. As of December 31, 2016, “Deferred Income Taxes” of $651,000 were reclassified from an asset account in Current Assets to a liability account in “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits.”

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, also known as ASC 606. This new standard requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-09 replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles when it became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. ASU 2014-09 permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. We conducted and completed a comprehensive review of contracts and their associated business terms and conditions and performed detailed analysis on the impact of this standard to our current contracts. Based on our evaluation, we adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method and expect no material change to our financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting as a result. Because accounting for revenue under contracts will not materially change for us under the new standard, prior period financial statements will not require adjustment.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Changes to the current guidance primarily affect the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The primary impact of this change relates to our available-for-sale equity investment and will result in unrecognized gains and losses from this investment being reflected in our income statement beginning in 2018.  We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018, applying the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet by reclassifying Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet to Retained Earnings.  We do not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our financial statements.

On February 25, 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (ASC 842).  The main objective of this new standard is to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard requires lessees to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet. Lessor accounting is updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard (ASC 606).  Atrion elected to early adopt this new standard as of January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach as required.  We have concluded that the adoption of this new standard will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

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From time to time, new accounting pronouncements applicable to us are issued by the FASB, or other standards setting bodies, which we will adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Critical Accounting Policies

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In the preparation of these financial statements, we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We believe the following discussion addresses our most critical accounting policies and estimates, which are those that are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results and require management's most difficult, subjective and complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

From time to time, we accrue legal costs associated with certain litigation. In making determinations of likely outcomes of litigation matters, we consider the evaluation of legal counsel knowledgeable about each matter, case law and other case-specific issues. We believe these accruals are adequate to cover the legal fees and expenses associated with litigating these matters. However, the time and cost required to litigate these matters as well as the outcomes of the proceedings may vary significantly from what we have projected.

We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make required payments. On an ongoing basis, the collectability of accounts receivable is assessed based upon historical collection trends, current economic factors and the assessment of the collectability of specific accounts. We evaluate the collectability of specific accounts and determine when to grant credit to our customers using a combination of factors, including the age of the outstanding balances, evaluation of customers’ current and past financial condition, recent payment history, current economic environment, and discussions with our personnel and with the customers directly. Accounts are written off when it is determined the receivable will not be collected. If circumstances change, our estimates of the collectability of amounts could be changed by a material amount.

We are required to estimate our provision for income taxes and uncertain tax positions in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating our actual current tax exposure, including assessing the risks associated with tax audits, together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included within the balance sheet. We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we believe that recovery is more likely than not, do not establish a valuation allowance. In the event that actual results differ from these estimates, the provision for income taxes could be materially impacted.

We assess the impairment of our long-lived identifiable assets, excluding goodwill which is tested for impairment as explained below, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. This review is based upon projections of anticipated future cash flows. Although we believe that our estimates of future cash flows are reasonable, different assumptions regarding such cash flows or changes in our business plan could materially affect our evaluations. No such changes are anticipated at this time.

We assess goodwill for impairment pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, which requires that goodwill be assessed on an annual basis, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable, by applying a qualitative assessment on goodwill impairment to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.

We assess the total carrying value for each of our investments on a quarterly basis for changes in circumstances or the occurrence of events that suggest our investment may not be recoverable. If an investment is considered impaired, we must determine whether the impairment is other than temporary. If it is determined to be other than temporary, the impairment must be recognized in our financial statements.

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During 2017, 2016 and 2015, none of our critical accounting estimates, with the exception of the previously mentioned impairment loss on one of our long-term corporate bonds, required significant adjustments. We did not note any material events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of long-lived assets were not recoverable.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risks

Foreign Exchange Risk

We are not exposed to material fluctuations in currency exchange rates that would result in realized gains or losses being reflected in the consolidated statements of income because the payments from our international customers are received primarily in United States dollars.

However, fluctuations in exchange rates may affect the prices that our international customers are willing to pay and may put us at a price disadvantage compared to other customers. Increases in the value of the United States dollar relative to foreign currencies could make our products less competitive or less affordable and therefore adversely affect our sales in international markets.

Market Risk and Credit Risk

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are held in accounts with financial institutions that we believe are creditworthy. Certain of these accounts at times may exceed federally-insured limits. We have not experienced any credit losses in such accounts and do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds.

We have investments in taxable corporate bonds and commercial paper and in certificates of deposit. As a result, we are exposed to potential loss from market risks that may occur as a result of changes in interest rates, changes in credit quality of the issuer and otherwise. These securities have a higher degree of, and a greater exposure to, credit or default risk and may be less liquid in times of economic weakness or market disruptions. We have also invested a portion of our available funds in common stock and mutual funds. The value of these securities fluctuates due to changes in the equity and credit markets along with other factors. In times of economic weakness, the market value and liquidity of these assets may decline and may negatively impact our financial condition.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis and elsewhere in this Form 10-K that are forward looking are based upon current expectations, and actual results or future events may differ materially. Therefore, the inclusion of such forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us that our objectives or plans will be achieved. Such statements include, but are not limited to, our 2018 effective tax rate, the impact of the restrictive covenants in our credit facility on our liquidity and capital resources, our earnings in 2018, our 2018 capital expenditures, funding future dividend payments with cash flows from operations, availability of equity and debt financing, our ability to meet our cash requirements for the foreseeable future, the impact on our consolidated financial statement of recently issued accounting standards when we adopt those standards, and increases in 2018 in cash, cash equivalents and investments. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “should,” “plans,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and there are a number of factors that could cause actual results or future events to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the following: changing economic, market and business conditions; acts of war or terrorism;the effects of governmental regulation; the impact of competition and new technologies; slower-than-anticipated introduction of new products or implementation of marketing strategies; implementation of new manufacturing processes or implementation of new information systems; our ability to protect our intellectual property; changes in the prices of raw materials; changes in product mix; intellectual property and product liability claims and product recalls; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and the loss of any significant customers. In addition, assumptions relating to budgeting, marketing, product development and other management decisions are subjective in many respects and thus susceptible to interpretations and periodic review which may cause us to alter our marketing, capital expenditures or other budgets, which in turn may affect our results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K are made as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation, and disclaim any duty, to supplement, update or revise such statements, whether as a result of subsequent events, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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ITEM 8.      

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Atrion Corporation

Opinion on the consolidated financial statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Atrion Corporation (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes and the schedule (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, thefinancial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”), and our report dated February 27, 2018expressed an unqualified opinion.

Basis for opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.

Dallas, Texas

February 27, 2018

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

	2017	2016	2015
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues	$146,595	$143,487	$145,733
Cost of Goods Sold	75,841	75,857	74,752
Gross Profit	70,754	67,630	70,981
Operating Expenses:
Selling	7,251	6,611	6,043
General and administrative	16,430	15,319	16,082
Research and development	5,799	6,574	6,346
	29,480	28,504	28,471
Operating Income	41,274	39,126	42,510
Investment Income	1,065	448	771
Other Income (Expense), net	1	(308)	(2,411)
Income before Provision for Income Taxes	42,340	39,266	40,870
Provision for Income Taxes	(5,747)	(11,685)	(11,945)
Net Income	$36,593	$27,581	$28,925
Net Income Per Basic Share	$19.82	$15.12	$15.67
Weighted Average Basic Shares Outstanding	1,846	1,824	1,846
Net Income Per Diluted Share	$19.71	$14.85	$15.47
Weighted Average Diluted Shares Outstanding	1,857	1,857	1,870
Dividends Per Common Share	$4.50	$3.90	$3.30

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

	2017	2016	2015
	(In thousands)
Net Income	$36,593	$27,581	$28,925
Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income, net of tax: Unrealized (Loss) Gain on investments, net of tax  benefits of $68 and $408 in 2017 and 2016, respectively, and net of tax expense of $283 in 2015	(741)	(757)	528
Comprehensive Income	$35,852	$26,824	$29,453

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016

Assets:	2017	2016
	(In thousands)
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$30,136	$20,022
Short-term investments	35,468	24,080
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $28 and $71 in 2017 and 2016, respectively	17,076	17,166
Inventories	29,354	29,015
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,199	3,181
Total Current Assets	115,233	93,464
Long-term investments	9,136	9,945
Property, Plant and Equipment	167,080	160,413
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	100,711	95,148
	66,369	65,265
Other Assets and Deferred Charges:
Patents and licenses, net of accumulated amortization of $12,062 and $11,911 in 2017 and 2016, respectively	1,778	1,929
Goodwill	9,730	9,730
Other	1,534	1,609
	13,042	13,268
Total Assets	$203,780	$181,942

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:	2017	2016
	(In thousands)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$3,929	$4,028
Accrued liabilities	4,947	4,635
Accrued income and other taxes	746	410
Total Current Liabilities	9,622	9,073
Line of credit	--	--
Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits:
Deferred income taxes	7,312	8,753
Other	2,458	1,128
	9,770	9,881
Total Liabilities	19,392	18,954
Commitments and Contingencies
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock, par value $.10 per share, authorized 10,000 shares, issued 3,420 shares	342	342
Additional paid-in capital	48,730	37,448
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,215)	(474)
Retained earnings	268,194	239,946
Treasury shares, 1,584 shares in 2017 and 1,596 shares in 2016, at cost	(131,663)	(114,274)
Total Stockholders’ Equity	184,388	162,988
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$203,780	$181,942

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

	2017	2016	2015
	(In thousands)
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net income	$36,593	$27,581	$28,925
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	8,677	8,953	8,823
Deferred income taxes	(1,374)	(247)	(1,431)
Stock-based compensation	1,602	1,566	1,841
Impairment of investment	--	345	2,413
Net change in accrued interest, premiums, and discounts on investments	(195)	(37)	100
Other	49	--	17
	45,352	38,161	40,688
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	88	(546)	371
Inventories	(339)	756	(1,749)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(18)	(247)	1,786
Other non-current assets	75	(673)	(103)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	213	(324)	(492)
Accrued income and other taxes	336	81	(128)
Other non-current liabilities	1,330	195	54
	47,037	37,403	40,427
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Property, plant and equipment additions	(9,677)	(10,639)	(9,323)
Purchase of investments	(69,193)	(30,799)	(168)
Proceeds from sale of investments	--	210	--
Proceeds from maturities of investments	58,000	5,000	13,400
	(20,870)	(36,228)	3,909
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Shares tendered for employees’ withholding taxes on stock-based compensation	(7,735)	(1,112)	(154)
Tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	--	--	156
Purchase of treasury stock	--	(1,276)	(30,698)
Dividends paid	(8,318)	(7,111)	(6,069)
	(16,053)	(9,499)	(36,765)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	10,114	(8,324)	7,571
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	20,022	28,346	20,775
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	$30,136	$20,022	$28,346
Cash paid for:
Income taxes, net of refunds	$4,959	$10,750	$12,900
Non-cash financing activities:
Non-cash effect of stock option exercises	$10,237	$-	$-

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

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ATRION CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the year ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands)

	Common Stock		Treasury Stock
	Shares Outstanding	Amount	Shares	Amount	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Retained Earnings	Total
Balances, January 1, 2015	1,913	$342	1,507	$(81,173)	$33,940	$(245)	$196,706	$149,570
Net income							28,925	28,925
Other comprehensive income						528		528
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation					156			156
Stock-based compensation transactions	1		(1)	37	1,849			1,886
Shares surrendered in stock transactions	(1)		1	(154)				(154)
Purchase of treasury stock	(89)		89	(30,698)				(30,698)
Dividends							(6,115)	(6,115)
Balances, December 31, 2015	1,824	342	1,596	(111,988)	35,945	283	219,516	144,098
Net income							27,581	27,581
Other comprehensive loss						(757)		(757)
Stock-based compensation transactions	7		(7)	102	1,503			1,605
Shares surrendered in stock transactions	(3)		3	(1,112)				(1,112)
Purchase of treasury stock	(4)		4	(1,276)				(1,276)
Dividends							(7,151)	(7,151)
Balances, December 31, 2016	1,824	342	1,596	(114,274)	37,448	(474)	239,946	162,988
Net income							36,593	36,593
Other comprehensive loss						(741)		(741)
Stock-based compensation transactions	46		(46)	583	11,282			11,865
Shares surrendered in stock transactions	(34)		34	(17,972)				(17,972)
Dividends							(8,345)	(8,345)
Balances, December 31, 2017	1,836	$342	1,584	$(131,663)	$48,730	$(1,215)	$268,194	$184,388

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(1)     Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” “us,” “Atrion” or the “Company”) develop and manufacture products primarily for medical applications. We market our products throughout the United States and internationally. Our customers include physicians, hospitals, distributors, and other manufacturers. Atrion Corporation’s principal subsidiaries through which these operations are conducted are Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation and Quest Medical, Inc.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and in the bank as well as money market accounts and debt securities with maturities at the time of purchase of 90 days or less.

Our investments consist of taxable corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit and equity securities. We classify our investment securities in one of three categories: held-to-maturity, available-for-sale, or trading. Securities that we have the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are reported at amortized cost and classified as held-to-maturity securities. We report available-for-sale securities at fair value, based on quoted market prices, with unrealized gains and, to the extent deemed temporary, unrealized losses recorded in stockholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We report trading securities at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded in investment income in the Consolidated Statement of Income. We consider as current assets our mutual fund investments and those investments which will mature in the next 12 months including interest receivable on long-term bonds. The remaining investments are considered non-current assets including our investment in equity securities which we intend to hold longer than 12 months. We periodically evaluate our investments for impairment.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

The components of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents and our short and long-term investments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	2017	2016
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash deposits	$12,730	$10,724
Money market funds	17,406	9,298
Total cash and cash equivalents	$30,136	$20,022
Short-term investments:
Mutual funds (trading)	$222	--
Commercial paper (held-to-maturity)	31,220	--
Certificates of deposit (held-to-maturity)	4,020	$24,000
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	6	80
Total short-term investments	$35,468	$24,080
Long-term investments:
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	$5,000	$5,000
Equity securities (available-for-sale)	4,136	4,945
Total long-term investments	$9,136	$9,945
Total cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments	$74,740	$54,047

Accounts Receivables

Accounts receivable are recorded at the original sales price to the customer. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make required payments. On an ongoing basis, the collectability of accounts receivable is assessed based upon historical collection trends, current economic factors and the assessment of the collectability of specific accounts. We evaluate the collectability of specific accounts and determine when to grant credit to our customers using a combination of factors, including the age of the outstanding balances, evaluation of customers’ current and past financial condition, recent payment history, current economic environment, and discussions with appropriate Company personnel and with the customers directly. Accounts are written off when we determine the receivable will not be collected.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (including materials, direct labor and applicable overhead) or net realizable value. Cost is determined by using the first-in, first-out method. The following table details the major components of inventory (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017	2016
Raw materials	$13,545	$12,984
Work in process	6,647	6,230
Finished goods	9,162	9,801
Total inventories	$29,354	$29,015

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

Accounts Payable

We reflect disbursements as trade accounts payable until such time as payments are presented to our bank for payment. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, disbursements totaling approximately $411,000 and $624,000, respectively, had not been presented for payment to our bank.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes utilizing Accounting Standards Codification (ASC 740), Income Taxes, or ASC 740. ASC 740 requires the asset and liability method for the recording of deferred income taxes, whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the tax effects of temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, as measured at current enacted tax rates. When appropriate, we evaluate the need for a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets.

ASC 740 also requires the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attributes of income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Under ASC 740, the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return must be recognized in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized in the financial statements unless it is more-likely-than-not of being sustained.

Our uncertain tax positions are recorded as “Other non-current liabilities.” We classify interest expense on underpayments of income taxes and accrued penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the income tax provision.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, we made quarterly payments in excess of federal income taxes due of approximately $920,000. This amount is recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Additions and improvements are capitalized, including all material, labor and engineering costs to design, install or improve the asset. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. The following table represents a summary of property, plant and equipment at original cost (in thousands):

	December 31,		Useful
	2017	2016	Lives
Land	$5,511	$5,260	—
Buildings	32,461	32,321	30-40 yrs
Machinery and equipment	129,108	122,832	3-15 yrs
Total property, plant and equipment	$167,080	$160,413

Depreciation expense of $8,526,000, $8,689,000 and $8,478,000 was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Depreciation expense is recorded in either cost of goods sold or operating expenses based on the associated assets’ usage.

Patents and Licenses

Costs for patents and licenses acquired are determined at acquisition date. Patents and licenses are amortized over the useful lives of the individual patents and licenses, which are from seven to 20 years. Patents and licenses are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible net assets acquired. Annual impairment testing for goodwill is performed in the fourth quarter using a qualitative assessment on goodwill impairment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the carrying value of our reporting units exceeds their fair value. If necessary, a two-step goodwill impairment analysis is performed. Goodwill is also reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a change in value may have occurred. We have identified three reporting units where goodwill was recorded for purposes of testing goodwill impairment annually: (1) Atrion Medical Products, Inc., (2) Halkey-Roberts Corporation and (3) Quest Medical, Inc. The total carrying amount of goodwill in each of the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $9,730,000. Our evaluation of goodwill during each year resulted in no impairment losses.

Current Accrued Liabilities

The items comprising current accrued liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017	2016
Accrued payroll and related expenses	$3,943	$3,661
Accrued vacation	273	265
Other accrued liabilities	731	709
Total accrued liabilities	$4,947	$4,635

Revenues

We recognize revenue when our products are shipped to our customers, provided an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. All risks and rewards of ownership pass to the customer upon shipment. Net sales represent gross sales invoiced to customers, less certain related charges, including discounts, returns and other allowances. Revenues are recorded exclusive of sales and similar taxes. Returns, discounts and other allowances have been insignificant historically.

Shipping and Handling Policy

Shipping and handling fees charged to customers are reported as revenue and all shipping and handling costs incurred related to products sold are reported as cost of goods sold.

Research and Development Costs

R&D costs relating to the development of new products and improvements of existing products are expensed as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

We have stock-based compensation plans covering certain of our officers, directors and key employees. As explained in detail in Note 8, we account for stock-based compensation utilizing the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, or ASC 718.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Under this guidance all excess tax benefits (“windfalls”) and deficiencies (“shortfalls”) related to employee stock compensation are recognized within income tax expense. The Company early adopted this guidance using the prospective transition method in the second quarter of 2016 effective January 1, 2016. As a result of our adoption of this guidance, an excess tax benefit of $687,000 was recorded in 2016 resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. In 2017 we recorded an excess tax benefit of $5,782,000 resulting from the exercise of employee stock options and the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. The excess tax benefits recorded in 2017 and 2016 were included in our consolidated statements of cash flows under operating activity rather than under financing activity as was done in prior years. There were no restatements to 2015. This guidance could create future volatility in our effective tax rate depending upon the extent of exercise or vesting activity in our stock based awards.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17) which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this guidance.  ASU 2015-17 was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2017 on a retrospective basis. As of December 31, 2016, “Deferred Income Taxes” of $651,000 were reclassified from Current Assets to “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, also known as ASC 606. This new standard requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-09 replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles when it became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. ASU 2014-09 permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. We conducted and completed a comprehensive review of contracts and their associated business terms and conditions and performed detailed analysis on the impact of this standard to our current contracts. Based on our evaluation, we adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method and expect no material change to our financial statements and our internal controls over financial reporting as a result. Because accounting for revenue under contracts will not materially change for us under the new standard, prior period financial statements will not require adjustment.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Changes to the current guidance primarily affect the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The primary impact of this change relates to our available-for-sale equity investment and will result in unrecognized gains and losses from this investment being reflected in our income statement starting in 2018.  We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018, applying the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet by reclassifying Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet to Retained Earnings.  We do not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our financial statements.

On February 25, 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (ASC 842).  The main objective of this new standard is to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard requires lessees to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet. Lessor accounting is updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard (ASC 606).  Atrion elected to early adopt this new standard as of January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach as required.  We have concluded that the adoption of this new standard will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements applicable to us are issued by the FASB, or other standards setting bodies, which we will adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Fair Value Measurements

Accounting standards use a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers are: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we held certain investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and certain equity securities. These investments, with the exception of mutual funds, are all considered Level 2 assets and the fair value of our investments were estimated using recently executed transactions and market price quotations (see Note 2). Our investments in mutual funds are considered Level 1 assets and the reported fair value of these investments is based on observable quoted prices from active markets.

The carrying values of our other financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, money market accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and accrued income and other taxes approximated fair value due to their liquid and short-term nature.  

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable.  

Our cash and cash equivalents are held in accounts with financial institutions that we believe are creditworthy. Certain of these amounts at times may exceed federally-insured limits. At December 31, 2017, approximately 98 percent of our cash and cash equivalents were uninsured. We have not experienced any credit losses in such accounts and do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds.

We have investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper and in certificates of deposit. As a result, we are exposed to potential loss from market risks that may occur as a result of changes in interest rates, changes in credit quality of the issuer and otherwise. These securities have a higher degree of, and a greater exposure to, credit or default risk and may be less liquid in times of economic weakness or market disruptions.

For accounts receivable, we perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and generally do not require collateral.  We maintain reserves for possible credit losses.  As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had allowances for doubtful accounts of approximately $28,000 and $71,000, respectively.  The carrying amount of the receivables approximates their fair value. One customer accounted for 15.5% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2017. This was the only customer that exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable at December 31, 2017 and no customer exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable as of December 31, 2016.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(2)

Investments

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we held certain investments that were required to be measured for disclosure purposes at fair value on a recurring basis. These investments were considered Level 1 or Level 2 investments as detailed in the table below.

The amortized cost and fair value of our investments and the related gross unrealized gains and losses, were as follows as of the dates shown below (in thousands):

			Gross Unrealized
	Level	Cost	Gains	Losses	Fair value
As of December 31, 2017:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit	2	$4,020	$--	$(3)	$4,017
Commercial paper	2	$31,220	$26	$(38)	$31,208
Corporate bonds	2	$6	$--	$--	$6
Mutual funds	1	$219	$3	$--	$222
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds	2	$5,000	$--	$(75)	$4,925
Equity investments	2	$5,675	$--	$(1,539)	$4,136
As of December 31, 2016:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit	2	$24,000	$9	$--	$24,009
Corporate bonds	2	$80	$--	$--	$80
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds	2	$5,000	$--	$(287)	$4,713
Equity investments	2	$5,675	$--	$(730)	$4,945

The above certificates of deposit and commercial paper represents investments in multiple issuers at December 31, 2017, and are classified as held-to-maturity securities. The above equity investment represents an investment in one company at December 31, 2017 and is classified as available for sale. The above long-term corporate bond represents an investment in one issuer at December 31, 2017. The carrying value of our investments is reviewed quarterly for changes in circumstances or the occurrence of events that suggest an investment may not be recoverable. The unrealized loss for the long-term corporate bond is attributable to a rise in interest rates which resulted in a lower market price for that security. This investment has been in a loss position for more than 12 months due to the rise in interest rates. As of December 31, 2017 there were no changes in circumstances or events that would suggest our investments may not be recoverable. As a result, we recorded no impairment expense related to our investments during 2017. In 2015, one of our bonds experienced a significant decline in market value over a 12-month period due to a changed outlook for the issuer resulting from a major economic decline in its industry. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we determined, based upon disclosures by the issuer, that more likely than not, we would be required to sell or exchange the bond before recovery of its amortized cost. Therefore, we recorded an impairment loss on this bond of $2.4 million in 2015, reducing the carrying value of the bond to its market value at December 31, 2015. In 2016 after the issuer declared bankruptcy, we sold this bond that was previously intended to be held to maturity. We recorded an additional net loss of $311,000 on this bond in 2016 prior to and including its sale. These losses in 2015 and 2016 are reported as other income (loss) in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

At December 31, 2017, the length of time until maturity of the corporate bond we currently own was 41.5 months and the length of time until maturity of the certificates of deposit and commercial paper ranged from less than a monthto 11.2 months.

Our accumulated other comprehensive loss is comprised solely of unrealized losses on our above equity investments, net of tax.

(3)

Patents and Licenses

Purchased patents and licenses paid for the use of other entities’ patents are amortized over the useful life of the patent or license. The following tables provide information regarding patents and licenses (dollars in thousands):

December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Weighted Average Original Life (years)	Gross Carrying Amount	Accumulated Amortization	Weighted Average Original Life (years)	Gross Carrying Amount	Accumulated Amortization
15.67	$13,840	$12,062	15.67	$13,840	$11,911

Aggregate amortization expense for patents and licenses was $151,000, $264,000 and $345,000 for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense for each of the years set forth below ending December 31 is as follows (in thousands):

2018	$119
2019	$119
2020	$119
2021	$119
2022	$117

(4)     Line of Credit

As of December 31, 2017 we had a $75.0 million revolving credit facility with a money center bank pursuant to which the lender is obligated to make advances until February 28, 2022. This credit facility, entered into on February 28, 2017, replaced a $40.0 million revolving credit facility with the same bank which was in place for several years prior to that date. The credit facility is secured by substantially all our inventories, equipment and accounts receivable. Interest under the credit facility is assessed at 30-day, 60-day or 90-day LIBOR, as selected by us, plus .875 percent (2.35 percent at December 31, 2017) and is payable monthly. We had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at December 31, 2017 or the prior credit facility at December 31, 2016. Our ability to borrow funds under the credit facility from time to time is contingent on meeting certain covenants in the loan agreement, the most restrictive of which is the ratio of total debt to earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization. At December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.

(5)      Income Taxes

The items comprising Provision for Income Taxes are as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017	2016	2015
Current      —         Federal	$6,244	$10,706	$11,848
—         State	877	1,226	1,528
	7,121	11,932	13,376
Deferred    —         Federal	(1,542)	(92)	(1,364)
—         State	168	(155)	(67)
	(1,374)	(247)	(1,431)
Provision for Income Taxes	$5,747	$11,685	$11,945

Temporary differences and carryforwards which have given rise to deferred tax liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	2017	2016
Deferred tax liabilities (assets):
Property, plant and equipment	$6,787	$9,550
Patents and goodwill	1,740	2,833
Benefit plans	(854)	(1,819)
Inventories	(282)	(519)
Capital loss carryover	(572)	(954)
Other	(116)	(338)
	6,703	8,753
Plus: Valuation allowance	609	--
Total deferred tax liabilities	$7,312	$8,753

-40-

Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

Total income tax expense differs from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to pretax earnings as illustrated below (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017	2016	2015
Income tax expense at the statutory federal income tax rate	$14,819	$13,743	$14,304
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
State income taxes	662	730	882
Section 199 manufacturing deduction	(630)	(1,165)	(1,383)
R&D tax credits	(983)	(1,070)	(2,254)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	(5,782)	(687)	--
Impact from tax law rate change	(4,053)	--	--
Change in valuation allowance	609	--	--
Uncertain tax positions	865	(120)	(9)
Other, net	240	254	405
Provision for Income Taxes	$5,747	$11,685	$11,945

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, of 2017, enacted in December 2017, reduced the corporate federal income tax rate in the United States from 35% to 21% effective on January 1. 2018. This rate reduction reduced our net deferred tax liability, including adjustments to our net state deferred tax liabilities, by $4.1 million as of December 31, 2017. Based upon this tax law enactment, we recorded a corresponding benefit in our income tax provision of $4.1 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2017. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2017 we recorded a deferred tax valuation allowance of $609,000 primarily related to deferred tax assets for a $2.7 million capital loss carryover deduction which may not be realized by its expiration date in 2021. This charge partially offset the benefit recorded in our income tax provision as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We will continue to evaluate the tax reform impacts noting that the ultimate impact of tax reform may differ from the amounts recorded due to changes in our interpretations and assumptions, as well as additional regulatory guidance that may be issued.

An excess tax benefit is the realized tax benefit related to the amount of deductible compensation cost reported on an employer’s tax return for equity instruments in excess of the compensation cost for those instruments recognized for financial reporting purposes. The Company adopted ASU-2016-09 (see Note 1) effective January 1, 2016 eliminating the requirement for excess tax benefits to be recorded as additional paid-in capital when realized. An excess tax benefit in the amount of $156,000 was recognized as additional paid-in capital during 2015, resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. With the adoption of ASU 2016-09, excess tax benefits of $5,782,000 and $687,000 were recognized as a component of income tax expense in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

We recorded tax credits for our R&D expenditures totaling $2.3 million in 2015. This amount included an adjustment for recalculation of our R&D tax credits from prior years resulting from a regulation issued by the Treasury Department which favorably impacted the benefits provided to the Company under these rules.

-41-

Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits as required by ASC 740 is as follows (in thousands):

Gross unrecognized tax benefits at January 1, 2015	$129
Increase in tax positions for prior years	122
Increase in tax positions for current year	0
Lapse in statutes of limitation	(131)
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2015	$120
Decrease in tax positions for prior years	(120)
Increase in tax positions for current year	0
Lapse in statutes of limitation	0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2016	$0
Increase in tax positions for prior years	865
Increase in tax positions for current year	0
Lapse in statutes of limitation	0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2017	$865

As of December 31, 2017 all of the unrecognized tax benefits, which were comprised of uncertain tax positions, would impact the effective tax rate if recognized. Unrecognized tax benefits that are affected by statutes of limitation that expire within the next 12 months are immaterial.

We are subject to United States federal income tax as well as to income tax of multiple state jurisdictions.  We have concluded all United States federal income tax matters for years through 2013. An audit of our federal income tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013 was completed in 2016 with no changes. All material state and local income tax matters have been concluded for years through 2013. 

We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits included accrued interest of $1,000 at December 31, 2017. Tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2017 included a net interest charge of $1,000. There were no tax expenses or tax benefits for interest and penalties in 2016. A net interest benefit of $9,000 was included in 2015.

(6)     Stockholders’ Equity

Our Board of Directors has at various times authorized repurchases of our stock in open-market or privately-negotiated transactions at such times and at such prices as management may from time to time determine. On August 16, 2011, our Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program pursuant to which we repurchased 200,000 shares of our common stock from time to time in open market or privately-negotiated transactions, which was the maximum number of shares that could be repurchased. On May 21, 2015 our Board of Directors adopted a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 250,000 shares of our common stock in open market or privately-negotiated transactions. This program has no expiration date but may be terminated by the Board of Directors at any time. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 231,765 shares available for repurchase under this program. There were no stock repurchases during 2017. We repurchased 3,427 and 89,452 shares during 2016 and 2015, respectively.

We increased our quarterly cash dividend payments in September of each of the past three years. The quarterly dividend was increased to $.90 per share in September 2015, to $1.05 per share in September 2016 and to $1.20 per share in September 2017. Holders of our stock units earned non-cash dividend equivalents of $27,000 in 2017, $40,000 in 2016 and $46,000 in 2015.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(7)     Income Per Share

The following is the computation of basic and diluted income per share:

	Year ended December 31,
	2017	2016	2015
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Net Income	$36,593	$27,581	$28,925
Weighted average basic shares outstanding	1,846	1,824	1,846
Add: Effect of dilutive securities	11	33	24
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding	1,857	1,857	1,870
Net Income per share
Basic	$19.82	$15.12	$15.67
Diluted	$19.71	$14.85	$15.47

As required by ASC 260, Earnings per Share, unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are considered participating securities and, therefore, are included in the computation of basic income per share pursuant to the two-class method.

Incremental shares from stock options and restricted stock units were included in the calculation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding using the treasury stock method. Securities representing 148 shares of common stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 were excluded from the computation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding because their effect would have been anti-dilutive. There were no anti-dilutive shares excluded from the computation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding in 2016 and 2015.

(8)     Stock Plans

At December 31, 2017, we had three stock-based compensation plans which are described more fully below. We account for our plans under ASC 718, and the disclosures that follow are based on applying ASC 718.

Our Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2006 Plan, provides for awards to key employees, non-employee directors and consultants of incentive and nonqualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance shares and other stock-based awards. Under the 2006 Plan, 200,000 shares, in the aggregate, of common stock have been reserved for awards. The purchase price of shares issued on the exercise of options must be at least equal to the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant. The options granted become exercisable and expire as determined by the Compensation Committee. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 24,373 shares reserved for future stock-based awards under the 2006 Plan.

In May 2007, we adopted our Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (as amended, the “Deferred Compensation Plan”), and 2,500 shares of our common stock were initially reserved for issuance thereunder. This plan allows our non-employee directors to elect to receive stock units in lieu of all or part of the cash fees they are receiving for their services as directors. On the first business day of each calendar year, each participating non-employee director is credited with a number of stock units determined on the basis of the foregone cash fees and the closing price of our common stock on the next preceding date on which shares of our stock were traded. The stock units are converted to shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis at a future date as elected in advance by the director, but no later than the January following the year in which the director ceases to serve on the Board of Directors, and the shares are delivered to the director. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 1,548 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the conversion of stock units which may be credited in the future to non-employee directors.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

In May 2007, we also adopted our Non-Employee Director Stock Purchase Plan, (as amended, the “Director Stock Purchase Plan”), and 2,500 shares of our common stock were initially reserved for issuance thereunder. Under this plan, our non-employee directors may elect to receive on the first business day of the calendar year fully-vested stock and restricted stock in lieu of some or all of their fees payable to them during such year. The foregone fees are converted into shares of fully-vested stock and restricted stock on the first business day of such calendar year based on the closing price of our common stock on the next preceding date on which shares of our stock were traded. The restricted stock vests in equal amounts on the first day of the next three succeeding calendar quarters provided the non-employee director is then serving on our Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 1,126 shares reserved for issuance under such plan.

A summary of stock option transactions for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:

Options	Shares	Weighted Average Exercise Price	Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at December 31, 2016	50,000	$204.76
Granted	20,000	$501.03
Exercised	(50,000)	$204.76
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	20,000	$501.03	5.3 years
Exercisable at December 31, 2017	--	--	--

All nonvested options outstanding at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. None of our grants includes performance-based or market-based vesting conditions. We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula and a single option award approach. Our Black-Scholes valuation uses a volatility factor based on our historical stock trading history, a risk-free interest rate based on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury securities with an equivalent term, and a dividend yield based on our dividend history. Our expected life assumption represents the period that our stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and was determined based on historical experience of similar awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the stock-based awards, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

There were no options granted in 2016 and 2015. The fair value for the options granted in 2017 was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

	2017	2016	2015
Risk-free interest rate	2.13%	--	--
Dividend yield	0.85%	--	--
Volatility factor	25.45%	--	--
Expected life	5 years	--	--

The weighted average grant date fair value of the options granted in 2017 was $130.35. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2017 was $16.5 million. The total intrinsic value of options outstanding at December 31, 2017 was $2.6million. There were no exercisable options at December 31, 2017.

During 2017, we granted two awards of restricted stock under the 2006 Plan. Under the terms of our restricted stock awards, the restrictions usually lapse over a five-year period. Both awards include restrictions on transfer for a two-year period following vesting. During the vesting period, holders of restricted stock have voting rights and earn dividends, but the shares may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered. Nonvested shares are generally forfeited on termination of employment unless otherwise provided in the participant’s employment agreement or the termination is in connection with a change in control. We calculated the weighted average fair value per share of the restricted stock awarded in 2017 using the market value of our common stock on the date of the grant with a discount for post-vesting restrictions of 11.2%.   We estimated this discount using the Chaffe protective put method.  A summary of changes in nonvested restricted stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:

Nonvested Shares	Shares	Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Restricted stock at December 31, 2016	1,500	$ 228.08
Granted in 2017	5,900	$ 445.47
Vested in 2017	(1,500)	$ 228.08
Restricted stock at December 31, 2017	5,900	$ 445.47

All shares of nonvested restricted stock outstanding at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. The total fair value of restricted stock vested during 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $803,000, $1,177,000 and $1,086,000, respectively.

During 2017, restricted stock units were awarded to certain employees under the 2006 Plan. All of our restricted stock units are convertible to shares of stock on a one-for-one basis when the restrictions lapse, which is generally after a five-year period. Nonvested stock units are generally forfeited on termination of employment unless the termination is in connection with a change in control. During the vesting period, holders of all restricted stock units earn dividends in the form of additional units. During 2017, one non-employee director elected to receive stock units in lieu of a portion of his cash fees for his services as a member of the Board of Directors.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

A summary of changes in stock units for the year ended December 31, 2017, is presented below:

Nonvested Stock Units	Restricted Stock Units	Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit	Director’s Stock Units	Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit
Nonvested at December 31, 2016	9,388	$258.69	--
Granted	1,420	$616.41	11	$535.07
Vested	(4,608)	$230.90	(11)	$535.07
Nonvested at December 31, 2017	6,200	$361.28	--

All nonvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. The total intrinsic value of all outstanding stock units which were not convertible at December 31, 2017, including 468 stock units held for the accounts of non-employee directors, was $4,205,000. The total fair value of directors’ stock units that vested during 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $6,000, $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Stock awards that vested immediately were awarded under the 2006 Plan to non-employee directors totaling $312,000 in value in 2017 and $240,000 in value in each of 2016 and 2015. Compensation related to stock awards, restricted stock and stock units is based on the fair market value of the stock on the date of the award. These fair values are then amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the entire awards, which is generally the vesting period. Compensation related to stock options is based on the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula and a single option award approach.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense as a G&A expense in the amount of $1,602,000, $1,566,000 and $1,841,000, respectively, for all of the above mentioned stock-based compensation arrangements. The total tax benefit recognized in the income statement from stock-based compensation arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $6,342,000, $1,235,000 and $644,000, respectively. The 2017 and 2016 tax benefit amounts include $5,782,000 and $687,000, respectively, of excess tax benefits within income tax expense as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-09. Excess tax benefits of $156,000 were recognized during 2015 as additional paid-in capital and is shown as a financing activity in our consolidated statements of cash flows for such year.

Unrecognized compensation cost information for our various stock-based compensation types is shown below as of December 31, 2017:

	Unrecognized Compensation Cost	Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period
Stock options	$2,246,000	4.3
Restricted stock	2,264,000	4.3
Restricted stock units	1,114,000	3.8
Total	$5,624,000

We have a policy of utilizing treasury shares to satisfy stock option exercises, stock unit conversions and restricted stock awards.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(9)     Industry Segment and Geographic Information

We operate in one reportable industry segment: developing and manufacturing products primarily for medical applications and have no foreign operating subsidiaries. We have other product lines which include pressure relief valves and inflation systems, which are sold primarily to the aviation and marine industries. Due to the similarities in product technologies and manufacturing processes, these products are managed as part of our medical products segment. Our revenues from sales to customers outside the United States totaled approximately 37 percent of our net revenues in 2017 and 2016, and 35 percent in 2015. We have no assets located outside the United States.

A summary of revenues by geographic area, based on shipping destination, for 2017, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017	2016	2015
United States	$93,082	$91,092	$94,840
Germany	8,172	6,396	7,156
Other countries less than 5% of revenues	45,341	45,999	43,737
Total	$146,595	$143,487	$145,733

A summary of revenues by product line for 2017, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands):

	2017	2016	2015
Fluid Delivery	$65,053	$60,889	$60,630
Cardiovascular	48,073	47,064	46,463
Ophthalmology	13,537	15,427	18,253
Other	19,932	20,107	20,387
Total	$146,595	$143,487	$145,733

(10)    Employee Retirement and Benefit Plans

We sponsor a defined contribution 401(k) plan for all employees. Each participant may contribute certain amounts of eligible compensation. We make a matching contribution to the plan. Our contributions under this plan were $720,000, $667,000 and $645,000 in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company adopted a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan effective September 1, 2017, for certain key management or highly-compensated employees. The plan allows for the deferral of salary and bonus compensation until retirement or other specified payment events occur. Employees’ deferred compensation amounts are deemed to be invested in certain investment funds, indexes or vehicles selected by our Compensation Committee and designated by each participant and their deferral balances are adjusted for earnings based upon the performance of these deemed investments. Our deferred compensation obligation under the plan at December 31, 2017 was $426,000 and is reflected in “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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Atrion Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – (continued)

(11)    Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time and in the ordinary course of business, we may be subject to various claims, charges and litigation. In some cases, the claimants may seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures. We accrue the estimated costs of settlement or damages when a loss is deemed probable and such costs are estimable, and accrue for legal costs associated with a loss contingency when a loss is probable and such amounts are estimable. Otherwise, these costs are expensed as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss or defense costs is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had no ongoing litigation or arbitration for such matters.

We had a dispute which was favorably settled in the third quarter of 2007. This settlement was amended in December 2008.  The amended settlement agreement provides that we may receive annual payments from 2009 through 2024. We have not recorded $3.5 million in potential future payments under this settlement as of December 31, 2017 due to the uncertainty of payment.

We have arrangements with three of our executive officers pursuant to which the termination of their employment under certain circumstances would result in lump sum payments to them. Termination under such circumstances at December 31, 2017 could have resulted in payments aggregating $5.1million.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had purchase obligations with certain suppliers for the purchase of inventory for 2018. These contracts were commitments to purchase inventory used in the production of the Company’s products totaling $1.5 million.

(12)    Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited):

QuarterEnded	Operating Revenue	Operating Income	Net Income	Income  Per Basic Share	Income  Per Diluted Share
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
03/31/17	$38,504	$11,327	$9,950	$5.42	$5.36
06/30/17	36,164	10,175	10,026	5.44	5.40
09/30/17	37,903	11,479	7,971	4.30	4.29
12/31/17	34,024	8,293	8,646	4.67	4.66
03/31/16	$36,215	$10,465	$6,945	$3.81	$3.76
06/30/16	36,143	10,074	7,450	4.09	4.02
09/30/16	37,835	10,976	7,614	4.17	4.10
12/31/16	33,294	7,611	5,571	3.05	3.00

The quarterly information presented above reflects, in the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented.

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ITEM 9. 

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.

None.

ITEM 9A. 

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of December 31, 2017. Based upon this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, were effective as of December 31, 2017. There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting for the fourth fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2017 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. A system of internal control may become inadequate over time because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in the 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2017, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the consolidated financial statements included in this Report and, as part of its audit, has issued the following attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Atrion Corporation

Opinion on internal control over financial reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Atrion Corporation (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements and schedule of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017, and our report dated February 27, 2018 expressed an unqualified opinionon those financial statements and schedule.

Basis for opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Dallas, Texas

February 27, 2018

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ITEM 9B. 

OTHER INFORMATION.

There was no information required to be disclosed in a report on Form 8-K during the three months ended December 31, 2017 that was not reported.

PART III

ITEM 10.   

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

Certain information required by Part III is omitted from this Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement for our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders which we intend to file pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, within 120 days after December 31, 2017.

Directors

The information for this item relating to our directors is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

Executive Officers

The information required by this item relating to executive officers is set forth in Part I of this report.

The information required by Item 405 of Regulation S-K is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees. The Code of Business Conduct will be provided to any person, without charge, upon request addressed to: Corporate Secretary, Atrion Corporation, One Allentown Parkway, Allen, Texas 75002.

ITEM 11.   

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

ITEM 12. 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

The information contained in the section entitled “Securities Ownership” in our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides certain information about securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2017:

Plan Category	Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights(a)	Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights(b)	Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))(c)
Equity compensation plan approved by security holders (1)	26,200	$501.03(2)	24,373
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders(3)	468	-	2,674(4)
Total	26,668	$501.03	27,047

(1) 

Consists of shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under our 2006 Plan. The number of shares available for issuance under this plan is subject to equitable adjustment by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors in the event of any change in our capitalization, including, without limitation, a stock dividend or stock split. For more information regarding this plan, see Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements presented in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

(2) 

The stock units awarded under our 2006 Plan are excluded from the calculation of the weighted average exercise price.

(3) 

Consists of our Deferred Compensation Plan and our Director Stock Purchase Plan. For more information regarding these plans, see Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements presented in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

(4) 

The Deferred Compensation Plan and the Director Stock Purchase Plan do not provide for a specified limit on the number of shares of our common stock that may be issued thereunder. The 2,674 shares shown as available for future issuance (1,548 shares under the Deferred Compensation Plan and 1,126 shares under the Director Stock Purchase Plan) reflect the number of shares initially reserved, in the aggregate, for issuance under those plans less the number of shares of our common stock issued or to be issued with respect to stock units that have been credited to non-employee directors' stock unit accounts under the Deferred Compensation Plan and our stock that has been purchased under the Director Stock Purchase Plan on or before December 31, 2017.

ITEM 13. 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

ITEM 14. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement to be filed in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

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PART IV

ITEM 15. 

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

(a) The following documents are filed as a part of this report on Form 10-K:

1.             Financial Statements of the Company:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Statements of Income

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders Equity

2.             Financial Statement Schedules:

Schedule II – Consolidated Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

	December 31, (Thousands)
	Balance at Beginning of Period	Additions Charged to Expense	Deductions from Reserve	Ending Balance
Allowance for Doubtful Receivables
2017	$71	$14	$(57)	$28
2016	$50	$42	$(21)	$71
2015	$22	$33	$(5)	$50
Deferred Income Tax Valuation Allowance
2017	$-	$609	$-	$609
2016	$-	$-	$-	$-
2015	$-	$-	$-	$-

All other financial statement schedules have been omitted since the required information is included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto or is not applicable or required.

3.             Exhibits. Reference as made to Item 15(b) of this report on Form 10-K.

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(b)

Exhibits

Exhibit Numbers	Description
3a	Certificate of Incorporation of Atrion Corporation, dated December 30, 1996(1)
3b	Bylaws of Atrion Corporation (as last amended on August 14, 2013) (2)
10a*	Atrion Corporation Short-Term Incentive Compensation Plan (3)
10b*	Severance Plan for Chief Financial Officer (4)
10c*	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (5)
10d*	First Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (6)
10e*	Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (7)
10f*	Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (as last amended on August 14, 2017) (8)
10g*	Form of Award Agreement for Incentive Stock Option Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (9)
10h*	Form of Award Agreement for Non-Qualified Stock Option Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (10)
10i*	Form of Award Agreement for Common Stock Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (11)
10j*	Form of Award Agreement for Restricted Stock Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (12)
10k*	Form of Award Agreement for Restricted Stock Units Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (13)
10l*	Non-Employee Directors Stock Purchase Plan (as amended and restated as of December 2, 2008) (14)
10m*	Form of Stock Purchase Election Form – Non-Employee Directors Stock Purchase Plan (15)
10n*	Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (as amended and restated as of December 2, 2008) (16)
10o*	Form of Deferred Fee Election Form – Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (17)
10p*	Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement for President and Chief Executive Officer (18)
10q*	Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Executive Officers (19)
10r	Loan and Security Agreement dated November 12, 1999 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, Inc., Atrion Leasing Company, Inc., Atrion International, Inc. and SouthTrust Bank, National Association. (20)
10s	Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 26, 2001 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC, Atrion International, Inc. and SouthTrust Bank, National Association. (21)

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10t	Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 1, 2005 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (22)
10u	Fourth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of July 1, 2008 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (23)
10v	Fifth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 30, 2008 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (24)
10w	Sixth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement and Loan Increase Agreement dated as of October 1, 2011 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. (25)
10x	Sixth Amendment to Line of Credit Promissory Note dated as of October 1, 2011 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. (26)
10y	Seventh Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement and Loan Increase Agreement dated as of June 11, 2015 (27)
10z	Seventh Amendment to Line of Credit Promissory Note dated as of June 11, 2015 (28)
10aa	Credit Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 by and between Atrion Corporation, as Borrower, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Lender (29)
10ab	Guaranty Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 made by certain Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Lender (30)
10ac	Collateral Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 among Atrion Corporation, certain Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as lender. (31)
10ad	Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (32)
13.1	Stock Performance Graph (33)
21	Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation as of December 31, 2017 (33)
23	Consent of Grant Thornton LLP (33)
31.1	Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer (33)
31.2	Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 302 Certification of Chief Financial Officer (33)
32.1	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes – Oxley Act Of 2002 (33)
32.2	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes – Oxley Act Of 2002 (33)
101.INS**	XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

-55-

Notes

(1)

Incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Definitive Proxy Statement of the Company filed January 10, 1997.

(2)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed August 20, 2013.

(3)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed October 29, 2013.

(4)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10b to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed May 12, 2000.

(5)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 6, 2006.

(6)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed May 27, 2011.

(7)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed May 25, 2016.

(8)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed on November 8, 2017.

(9)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(10) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(11) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(12) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(13) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(14) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10l to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 13, 2009.

(15) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-8 of Atrion Corporation filed June 27. 2007 (File No. 333-144085).

(16) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10n to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 13, 2009.

(17) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-8 of Atrion Corporation filed June 27. 2007 (File No. 333-144086).

(18) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed October 31, 2014.

(19) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10v to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 12, 2012.

(20) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(i) to Schedule 13E-4 of Atrion Corporation filed November 17, 1999.

(21) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(3) to Schedule TO-I of Atrion Corporation filed March 18, 2003.

(22) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(23) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(24) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(25) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(26) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(27) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2015.

-56-

(28) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2015.

(29) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(30) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(31) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(32) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed November 8, 2017.

(33) 

Filed herewith.

* Management Contract or Compensatory Plan or Arrangement

** XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) information is furnished and not filed for purposes of Section 11 and 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In accordance with Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the XBRL information in Exhibit 101 of this Form 10-K shall not be subject to the liability of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and shall not be part of any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

-57-

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Atrion Corporation
By:	/s/ David A. Battat
	David A. Battat
	President and Chief  Executive Officer

Dated: February 27, 2018

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ David A. Battat	President and Chief Executive	February 27, 2018
David A. Battat	Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Jeffery Strickland	Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and	February 27, 2018
Jeffery Strickland	Secretary-Treasurer (Principal Financial
	and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Emile A Battat	Chairman	February 27, 2018
Emile A Battat
/s/ Hugh J. Morgan, Jr.	Director	February 27, 2018
Hugh J. Morgan, Jr.
/s/ Roger F. Stebbing	Director	February 27, 2018
Roger F. Stebbing
/s/ John P. Stupp, Jr.	Director	February 27, 2018
John P. Stupp, Jr.
/s/ Ronald N. Spaulding	Director	February 27, 2018
Ronald N. Spaulding
/s/ Preston G. Athey	Director	February 27, 2018
Preston G. Athey

-58-

Exhibit Index

Exhibit Numbers	Description
3a	Certificate of Incorporation of Atrion Corporation, dated December 30, 1996(1)
3b	Bylaws of Atrion Corporation (as last amended on August 14, 2013) (2)
10a*	Atrion Corporation Short-Term Incentive Compensation Plan (3)
10b*	Severance Plan for Chief Financial Officer (4)
10c*	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (5)
10d*	First Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (6)
10e*	Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Chairman (7)
10f*	Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (as last amended on August 14, 2017) (8)
10g*	Form of Award Agreement for Incentive Stock Option Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (9)
10h*	Form of Award Agreement for Non-Qualified Stock Option Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (10)
10i*	Form of Award Agreement for Common Stock Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (11)
10j*	Form of Award Agreement for Restricted Stock Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (12)
10k*	Form of Award Agreement for Restricted Stock Units Award under Amended and Restated Atrion Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (13)
10l*	Non-Employee Directors Stock Purchase Plan (as amended and restated as of December 2, 2008) (14)
10m*	Form of Stock Purchase Election Form – Non-Employee Directors Stock Purchase Plan (15)
10n*	Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (as amended and restated as of December 2, 2008) (16)
10o*	Form of Deferred Fee Election Form – Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (17)
10p*	Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement for President and Chief Executive Officer (18)
10q*	Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Executive Officers (19)
10r	Loan and Security Agreement dated November 12, 1999 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, Inc., Atrion Leasing Company, Inc., Atrion International, Inc. and SouthTrust Bank, National Association. (20)
10s	Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 26, 2001 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC, Atrion International, Inc. and SouthTrust Bank, National Association. (21)

-59-

10t	Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 1, 2005 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (22)
10u	Fourth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of July 1, 2008 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (23)
10v	Fifth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 30, 2008 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wachovia Bank, National Association. (24)
10w	Sixth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement and Loan Increase Agreement dated as of October 1, 2011 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. (25)
10x	Sixth Amendment to Line of Credit Promissory Note dated as of October 1, 2011 among Atrion Corporation, Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation, Quest Medical, Inc., AlaTenn Pipeline Company, LLC, Atrion Leasing Company, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. (26)
10y	Seventh Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement and Loan Increase Agreement dated as of June 11, 2015 (27)
10z	Seventh Amendment to Line of Credit Promissory Note dated as of June 11, 2015 (28)
10aa	Credit Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 by and between Atrion Corporation, as Borrower, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Lender (29)
10ab	Guaranty Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 made by certain Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Lender (30)
10ac	Collateral Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 among Atrion Corporation, certain Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as lender. (31)
10ad	Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (32)
13.1	Stock Performance Graph (33)
21	Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation as of December 31, 2017 (33)
23	Consent of Grant Thornton LLP (33)
31.1	Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer (33)
31.2	Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 302 Certification of Chief Financial Officer (33)
32.1	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes – Oxley Act Of 2002 (33)
32.2	Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes – Oxley Act Of 2002 (33)
101.INS**	XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE**	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

-60-

Notes

(1)

Incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Definitive Proxy Statement of the Company filed January 10, 1997.

(2)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed August 20, 2013.

(3)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed October 29, 2013.

(4)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10b to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed May 12, 2000.

(5)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 6, 2006.

(6)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed May 27, 2011.

(7)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed May 25, 2016.

(8)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed on November 8, 2017.

(9)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(10) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(11) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(12) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(13) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2011.

(14) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10l to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 13, 2009.

(15) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-8 of Atrion Corporation filed June 27. 2007 (File No. 333-144085).

(16) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10n to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 13, 2009.

(17) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-8 of Atrion Corporation filed June 27. 2007 (File No. 333-144086).

(18) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed October 31, 2014.

(19) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10v to Form 10-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 12, 2012.

(20) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(i) to Schedule 13E-4 of Atrion Corporation filed November 17, 1999.

(21) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(3) to Schedule TO-I of Atrion Corporation filed March 18, 2003.

(22) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(23) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(24) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(25) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(26) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed November 2, 2011.

(27) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2015.

-61-

(28) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q of Atrion Corporation filed August 4, 2015.

(29) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(30) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(31) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K of Atrion Corporation filed March 3, 2017.

(32) 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed November 8, 2017.

(33) 

Filed herewith.

* Management Contract or Compensatory Plan or Arrangement

** XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) information is furnished and not filed for purposes of Section 11 and 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In accordance with Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the XBRL information in Exhibit 101 of this Form 10-K shall not be subject to the liability of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and shall not be part of any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

-62-

EX-13.1

Exhibit 13.1

Company/Index	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Atrion Corporation	$100.00	$152.72	$176.83	$200.00	$268.53	$336.43
Russell 2000 Index	$100.00	$138.82	$145.62	$139.19	$168.85	$193.58
SIC Code Index	$100.00	$140.92	$166.14	$176.77	$205.60	$257.98

The graph set forth above compares the total cumulative return for the five-year period ended December 31, 2017 on the Company's common stock, the Russell 2000 Index and SIC Code 3841 Index--Surgical and Medical Instruments (compiled by Zacks Investment Research, Inc.), assuming $100 was invested on December 31, 2012 in our common stock, the Russell 2000 Index and the SIC Code Index and dividends were reinvested.

EX-21

Exhibit 21

Subsidiaries of Atrion Corporation

As of December 31, 2017

Subsidiary	State ofIncorporation	Ownership
Atrion Medical Products, Inc.	Delaware	100%
Halkey-Roberts Corporation	Delaware	100%
Quest Medical, Inc.	Texas	100%
AlaTenn Pipeline Company LLC	Alabama	100%
Atrion Leasing Company LLC	Alabama	100%

EX-23

Exhibit 23

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We have issued our reports dated February 27, 2018, with respect to the consolidated financial statements, schedule, and internal control over financial reporting included in the Annual Report of Atrion Corporation on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. We consent to the incorporation by reference of said reports in the Registration Statements of Atrion Corporation on Forms S-8 (File No. 333-56509, effective June 10, 1998, File No. 333-63318, effective June 19, 2001, File No. 333-142917, effective May 14, 2007, File No. 333-144085, effective June 27, 2007, File No. 333-144086, effective June 27, 2007, and File No. 333-172767, effective March 11, 2011).

/s/ Grant Thornton LLP

Dallas, Texas

February 27, 2018

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

Chief Executive Officer Certification

I, David A. Battat, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report of Atrion Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a – 15(f) and 15d – 15(f)) for the registrant and we have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: February 27, 2018

/s/ David A. Battat

David A. Battat

President and

Chief Executive Officer

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

Chief Financial Officer Certification

I, Jeffery Strickland, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report of Atrion Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a – 15(f) and 15d – 15(f)) for the registrant and we have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: February 27, 2018

/s/ Jeffery Strickland

Jeffery Strickland

Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES – OXLEY ACT OF 2002

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. section 1350, the undersigned officer of Atrion Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Dated: February 27, 2018         

/s/ David A. Battat    
David A. Battat

President and

Chief Executive Officer

The foregoing certification is made solely for purpose of 18 U.S.C. section 1350 and not for any other purpose.

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES – OXLEY ACT OF 2002

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. section 1350, the undersigned officer of Atrion Corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Dated: February 27, 2018      

/s/ Jeffery Strickland

Jeffery Strickland

Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

The foregoing certification is made solely for purpose of 18 U.S.C. section 1350 and not for any other purpose.

XML

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Feb. 15, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	ATRI
Entity Registrant Name	ATRION CORP
Entity Central Index Key	0000701288
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,851,842
Entity Public Float			$ 918,764,277

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 146,595	$ 143,487	$ 145,733
Cost of Goods Sold	75,841	75,857	74,752
Gross Profit	70,754	67,630	70,981
Operating Expenses:
Selling	7,251	6,611	6,043
General and administrative	16,430	15,319	16,082
Research and development	5,799	6,574	6,346
Operating Expenses, Total	29,480	28,504	28,471
Operating Income	41,274	39,126	42,510
Interest Income	1,065	448	771
Other Income (Expense), net	1	(308)	(2,411)
Income before Provision for Income Taxes	42,340	39,266	40,870
Provision for Income Taxes	(5,747)	(11,685)	(11,945)
Net Income	$ 36,593	$ 27,581	$ 28,925
Net Income Per Basic Share	$ 19.82	$ 15.12	$ 15.67
Weighted Average Basic Shares Outstanding	1,846	1,824	1,846
Net Income Per Diluted Share	$ 19.71	$ 14.85	$ 15.47
Weighted Average Diluted Shares Outstanding	1,857	1,857	1,870
Dividends Per Common Share	$ 4.5	$ 3.9	$ 3.3

XML

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income
Net Income	$ 8,646	$ 7,971	$ 10,026	$ 9,950	$ 5,571	$ 7,614	$ 7,450	$ 6,945	$ 36,593	$ 27,581	$ 28,925
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax: Unrealized (Loss) Gain on investments, net of tax benefits of $68 and $408 in 2017 and 2016, respectively, and net of tax expense of $283 in 2015									(741)	(757)	528
Comprehensive Income									$ 35,852	$ 26,824	$ 29,453

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 30,136	$ 20,022
Short-term investments	35,468	24,080
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $28 and $71 in 2017 and 2016, respectively	17,076	17,166
Inventories	29,354	29,015
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,199	3,181
Total Current Assets	115,233	93,464
Long-term investments	9,136	9,945
Property, Plant and Equipment	167,080	160,413
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	100,711	95,148
Property, Plant and Equipment, net	66,369	65,265
Other Assets and Deferred Charges:
Patents and licenses, net of accumulated amortization of $12,062 and $11,911 in 2017 and 2016, respectively	1,778	1,929
Goodwill	9,730	9,730
Other	1,534	1,609
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Noncurrent, Total	13,042	13,268
Total Assets	203,780	181,942
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	3,929	4,028
Accrued liabilities	4,947	4,635
Accrued income and other taxes	746	410
Total Current Liabilities	9,622	9,073
Line of credit	0	0
Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits:
Deferred income taxes	7,312	8,753
Other	2,458	1,128
Liabilities Noncurrent	9,770	9,881
Total Liabilities	19,392	18,954
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock, par value $.10 per share, authorized 10,000 shares, issued 3,420 shares	342	342
Additional paid-in capital	48,730	37,448
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,215)	(474)
Retained earnings	268,194	239,946
Treasury shares, 1,584 shares in 2017 and 1,596 shares in 2016, at cost	(131,663)	(114,274)
Total Stockholders' Equity	184,388	162,988
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	$ 203,780	$ 181,942

XML

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 28	$ 71
Patents and licenses, accumulated amortization	$ 12,062	$ 11,911
Common stock, par value	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Common stock, authorized	10,000	10,000
Common stock, issued	3,420	3,420
Treasury shares, shares	1,584	1,596

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net Income	$ 36,593	$ 27,581	$ 28,925
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	8,677	8,953	8,823
Deferred income taxes	(1,374)	(247)	(1,431)
Stock-based compensation	1,602	1,566	1,841
Impairment of investment	0	345	2,413
Net change in accrued interest, premiums, and discounts on investments	(195)	(37)	100
Other	49	0	17
Net Cash Provided By Used In Operating Activities Before Changes In Operating Capital, Total	45,352	38,161	40,688
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	88	(546)	371
Inventories	(339)	756	(1,749)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(18)	(247)	1,786
Other non-current assets	75	(673)	(103)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	213	(324)	(492)
Accrued income and other taxes	336	81	(128)
Other non-current liabilities	1,330	195	54
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities, Total	47,037	37,403	40,427
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Property, plant and equipment additions	(9,677)	(10,639)	(9,323)
Purchase of investments	(69,193)	(30,799)	(168)
Proceeds from sale of investments	0	210	0
Proceeds from maturities of investments	58,000	5,000	13,400
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Total	(20,870)	(36,228)	3,909
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Shares tendered for employees' withholding taxes on stock-based compensation	(7,735)	(1,112)	(154)
Tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	0	0	156
Purchase of treasury stock	0	(1,276)	(30,698)
Dividends paid	(8,318)	(7,111)	(6,069)
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities, Total	(16,053)	(9,499)	(36,765)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	10,114	(8,324)	7,571
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	20,022	28,346	20,775
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	30,136	20,022	28,346
Cash paid for:
Income taxes, net of refunds	4,959	10,750	12,900
Non-cash financing activities:
Non-cash effect of stock option exercises	$ 10,237	$ 0	$ 0

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Other Comprehensive Income / Loss	Retained Earnings	Total
Beginning Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	1,913	1,507
Beginning Balances at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 342	$ (81,173)	$ 33,940	$ (245)	$ 196,706	$ 149,570
Net Income					28,925	28,925
Other comprehensive income (loss)				528		528
Tax benefit from stock-based compensation			156			156
Stock-based compensation transactions (in shares)	1	(1)
Stock-based compensation transactions		$ 37	1,849			1,886
Shares surrendered in stock transactions (in shares)	(1)	1
Shares surrendered in stock transactions		$ (154)				(154)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	(89)	89
Purchase of treasury stock		$ (30,698)				(30,698)
Dividends					(6,115)	(6,115)
Ending Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	1,824	1,596
Ending Balances at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 342	$ (111,988)	35,945	283	219,516	144,098
Net Income					27,581	27,581
Other comprehensive income (loss)				(757)		(757)
Stock-based compensation transactions (in shares)	7	(7)
Stock-based compensation transactions		$ 102	1,503			1,605
Shares surrendered in stock transactions (in shares)	(3)	3
Shares surrendered in stock transactions		$ (1,112)				(1,112)
Purchase of treasury stock (in shares)	(4)	4
Purchase of treasury stock		$ (1,276)				(1,276)
Dividends					(7,151)	(7,151)
Ending Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	1,824	1,596
Ending Balances at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 342	$ (114,274)	37,448	(474)	239,946	162,988
Net Income					36,593	36,593
Other comprehensive income (loss)				(741)		(741)
Stock-based compensation transactions (in shares)	46	(46)
Stock-based compensation transactions		$ 583	11,282			11,865
Shares surrendered in stock transactions (in shares)	(34)	34
Shares surrendered in stock transactions		$ (17,972)				(17,972)
Dividends					(8,345)	(8,345)
Ending Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017	1,836	1,584
Ending Balances at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 342	$ (131,663)	$ 48,730	$ (1,215)	$ 268,194	$ 184,388

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” “us,” “Atrion” or the “Company”) develop and manufacture products primarily for medical applications. We market our products throughout the United States and internationally. Our customers include physicians, hospitals, distributors, and other manufacturers. Atrion Corporation’s principal subsidiaries through which these operations are conducted are Atrion Medical Products, Inc., Halkey-Roberts Corporation and Quest Medical, Inc.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and in the bank as well as money market accounts and debt securities with maturities at the time of purchase of 90 days or less.

Our investments consist of taxable corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit and equity securities. We classify our investment securities in one of three categories: held-to-maturity, available-for-sale, or trading. Securities that we have the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are reported at amortized cost and classified as held-to-maturity securities. We report available-for-sale securities at fair value, based on quoted market prices, with unrealized gains and, to the extent deemed temporary, unrealized losses recorded in stockholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We report trading securities at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded in investment income in the Consolidated Statement of Income. We consider as current assets our mutual fund investments and those investments which will mature in the next 12 months including interest receivable on long-term bonds. The remaining investments are considered non-current assets including our investment in equity securities which we intend to hold longer than 12 months. We periodically evaluate our investments for impairment.

The components of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents and our short and long-term investments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	2017		2016
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash deposits	$	12,730	$	10,724
Money market funds		17,406		9,298
Total cash and cash equivalents	$	30,136	$	20,022
Short-term investments:
Mutual funds (trading)	$	222		--
Commercial paper (held-to-maturity)		31,220		--
Certificates of deposit (held-to-maturity)		4,020	$	24,000
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)		6		80
Total short-term investments	$	35,468	$	24,080
Long-term investments:
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	$	5,000	$	5,000
Equity securities (available-for-sale)		4,136		4,945
Total long-term investments	$	9,136	$	9,945
Total cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments	$	74,740	$	54,047

Accounts Receivables

Accounts receivable are recorded at the original sales price to the customer. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make required payments. On an ongoing basis, the collectability of accounts receivable is assessed based upon historical collection trends, current economic factors and the assessment of the collectability of specific accounts. We evaluate the collectability of specific accounts and determine when to grant credit to our customers using a combination of factors, including the age of the outstanding balances, evaluation of customers’ current and past financial condition, recent payment history, current economic environment, and discussions with appropriate Company personnel and with the customers directly. Accounts are written off when we determine the receivable will not be collected.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (including materials, direct labor and applicable overhead) or net realizable value. Cost is determined by using the first-in, first-out method. The following table details the major components of inventory (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Raw materials	$	13,545	$	12,984
Work in process		6,647		6,230
Finished goods		9,162		9,801
Total inventories	$	29,354	$	29,015

Accounts Payable

We reflect disbursements as trade accounts payable until such time as payments are presented to our bank for payment. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, disbursements totaling approximately $411,000 and $624,000, respectively, had not been presented for payment to our bank.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes utilizing Accounting Standards Codification (ASC 740), Income Taxes, or ASC 740. ASC 740 requires the asset and liability method for the recording of deferred income taxes, whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the tax effects of temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, as measured at current enacted tax rates. When appropriate, we evaluate the need for a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets.

ASC 740 also requires the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attributes of income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Under ASC 740, the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return must be recognized in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized in the financial statements unless it is more-likely-than-not of being sustained.

Our uncertain tax positions are recorded as “Other non-current liabilities.” We classify interest expense on underpayments of income taxes and accrued penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the income tax provision.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, we made quarterly payments in excess of federal income taxes due of approximately $920,000. This amount is recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Additions and improvements are capitalized, including all material, labor and engineering costs to design, install or improve the asset. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. The following table represents a summary of property, plant and equipment at original cost (in thousands):

	December 31,				Useful
	2017		2016		Lives
Land	$	5,511	$	5,260		—
Buildings		32,461		32,321	30-40 yrs
Machinery and equipment		129,108		122,832	3-15 yrs
Total property, plant and equipment	$	167,080	$	160,413

Depreciation expense of $8,526,000, $8,689,000 and $8,478,000 was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Depreciation expense is recorded in either cost of goods sold or operating expenses based on the associated assets’ usage.

Patents and Licenses

Costs for patents and licenses acquired are determined at acquisition date. Patents and licenses are amortized over the useful lives of the individual patents and licenses, which are from seven to 20 years. Patents and licenses are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible net assets acquired. Annual impairment testing for goodwill is performed in the fourth quarter using a qualitative assessment on goodwill impairment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the carrying value of our reporting units exceeds their fair value. If necessary, a two-step goodwill impairment analysis is performed. Goodwill is also reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a change in value may have occurred. We have identified three reporting units where goodwill was recorded for purposes of testing goodwill impairment annually: (1) Atrion Medical Products, Inc., (2) Halkey-Roberts Corporation and (3) Quest Medical, Inc. The total carrying amount of goodwill in each of the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $9,730,000. Our evaluation of goodwill during each year resulted in no impairment losses.

Current Accrued Liabilities

The items comprising current accrued liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Accrued payroll and related expenses	$	3,943	$	3,661
Accrued vacation		273		265
Other accrued liabilities		731		709
Total accrued liabilities	$	4,947	$	4,635

Revenues

We recognize revenue when our products are shipped to our customers, provided an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. All risks and rewards of ownership pass to the customer upon shipment. Net sales represent gross sales invoiced to customers, less certain related charges, including discounts, returns and other allowances. Revenues are recorded exclusive of sales and similar taxes. Returns, discounts and other allowances have been insignificant historically.

Shipping and Handling Policy

Shipping and handling fees charged to customers are reported as revenue and all shipping and handling costs incurred related to products sold are reported as cost of goods sold.

Research and Development Costs

R&D costs relating to the development of new products and improvements of existing products are expensed as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

We have stock-based compensation plans covering certain of our officers, directors and key employees. As explained in detail in Note 8, we account for stock-based compensation utilizing the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, or ASC 718.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Under this guidance all excess tax benefits (“windfalls”) and deficiencies (“shortfalls”) related to employee stock compensation are recognized within income tax expense. The Company early adopted this guidance using the prospective transition method in the second quarter of 2016 effective January 1, 2016. As a result of our adoption of this guidance, an excess tax benefit of $687,000 was recorded in 2016 resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. In 2017 we recorded an excess tax benefit of $5,782,000 resulting from the exercise of employee stock options and the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. The excess tax benefits recorded in 2017 and 2016 were included in our consolidated statements of cash flows under operating activity rather than under financing activity as was done in prior years. There were no restatements to 2015. This guidance could create future volatility in our effective tax rate depending upon the extent of exercise or vesting activity in our stock based awards.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17) which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this guidance.  ASU 2015-17 was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2017 on a retrospective basis. As of December 31, 2016, “Deferred Income Taxes” of $651,000 were reclassified from Current Assets to “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, also known as ASC 606. This new standard requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-09 replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles when it became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. ASU 2014-09 permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. We conducted and completed a comprehensive review of contracts and their associated business terms and conditions and performed detailed analysis on the impact of this standard to our current contracts. Based on our evaluation, we adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method and expect no material change to our financial statements and our internal controls over financial reporting as a result. Because accounting for revenue under contracts will not materially change for us under the new standard, prior period financial statements will not require adjustment.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Changes to the current guidance primarily affect the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The primary impact of this change relates to our available-for-sale equity investment and will result in unrecognized gains and losses from this investment being reflected in our income statement starting in 2018.  We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018, applying the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet by reclassifying Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet to Retained Earnings.  We do not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our financial statements.

On February 25, 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (ASC 842).  The main objective of this new standard is to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard requires lessees to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet. Lessor accounting is updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard (ASC 606).  Atrion elected to early adopt this new standard as of January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach as required.  We have concluded that the adoption of this new standard will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements applicable to us are issued by the FASB, or other standards setting bodies, which we will adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Fair Value Measurements

Accounting standards use a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers are: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we held certain investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and certain equity securities. These investments, with the exception of mutual funds, are all considered Level 2 assets and the fair value of our investments were estimated using recently executed transactions and market price quotations (see Note 2). Our investments in mutual funds are considered Level 1 assets and the reported fair value of these investments is based on observable quoted prices from active markets.

The carrying values of our other financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, money market accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and accrued income and other taxes approximated fair value due to their liquid and short-term nature.  

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable.  

Our cash and cash equivalents are held in accounts with financial institutions that we believe are creditworthy. Certain of these amounts at times may exceed federally-insured limits. At December 31, 2017, approximately 98 percent of our cash and cash equivalents were uninsured. We have not experienced any credit losses in such accounts and do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds.

We have investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper and in certificates of deposit. As a result, we are exposed to potential loss from market risks that may occur as a result of changes in interest rates, changes in credit quality of the issuer and otherwise. These securities have a higher degree of, and a greater exposure to, credit or default risk and may be less liquid in times of economic weakness or market disruptions.

For accounts receivable, we perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and generally do not require collateral.  We maintain reserves for possible credit losses.  As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had allowances for doubtful accounts of approximately $28,000 and $71,000, respectively.  The carrying amount of the receivables approximates their fair value. One customer accounted for 15.5% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2017. This was the only customer that exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable at December 31, 2017 and no customer exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable as of December 31, 2016.

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2. Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Investments Schedule [Abstract]

Investments

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we held certain investments that were required to be measured for disclosure purposes at fair value on a recurring basis. These investments were considered Level 1 or Level 2 investments as detailed in the table below.

The amortized cost and fair value of our investments and the related gross unrealized gains and losses, were as follows as of the dates shown below (in thousands):

					Gross Unrealized
	Level		Cost		Gains		Losses			Fair value
As of December 31, 2017:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit		2	$	4,020	$	--	$	(3	)	$	4,017
Commercial paper		2	$	31,220	$	26	$	(38	)	$	31,208
Corporate bonds		2	$	6	$	--	$	--		$	6
Mutual funds		1	$	219	$	3	$	--		$	222
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds		2	$	5,000	$	--	$	(75	)	$	4,925
Equity investments		2	$	5,675	$	--	$	(1,539	)	$	4,136
As of December 31, 2016:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit		2	$	24,000	$	9	$	--		$	24,009
Corporate bonds		2	$	80	$	--	$	--		$	80
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds		2	$	5,000	$	--	$	(287	)	$	4,713
Equity investments		2	$	5,675	$	--	$	(730	)	$	4,945

The above certificates of deposit and commercial paper represents investments in multiple issuers at December 31, 2017, and are classified as held-to-maturity securities. The above equity investment represents an investment in one company at December 31, 2017 and is classified as available for sale. The above long-term corporate bond represents an investment in one issuer at December 31, 2017. The carrying value of our investments is reviewed quarterly for changes in circumstances or the occurrence of events that suggest an investment may not be recoverable. The unrealized loss for the long-term corporate bond is attributable to a rise in interest rates which resulted in a lower market price for that security. This investment has been in a loss position for more than 12 months due to the rise in interest rates. As of December 31, 2017 there were no changes in circumstances or events that would suggest our investments may not be recoverable. As a result, we recorded no impairment expense related to our investments during 2017. In 2015, one of our bonds experienced a significant decline in market value over a 12-month period due to a changed outlook for the issuer resulting from a major economic decline in its industry. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we determined, based upon disclosures by the issuer, that more likely than not, we would be required to sell or exchange the bond before recovery of its amortized cost. Therefore, we recorded an impairment loss on this bond of $2.4 million in 2015, reducing the carrying value of the bond to its market value at December 31, 2015. In 2016 after the issuer declared bankruptcy, we sold this bond that was previously intended to be held to maturity. We recorded an additional net loss of $311,000 on this bond in 2016 prior to and including its sale. These losses in 2015 and 2016 are reported as other income (loss) in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

At December 31, 2017, the length of time until maturity of the corporate bond we currently own was 41.5 months and the length of time until maturity of the certificates of deposit and commercial paper ranged from less than a monthto 11.2 months.

Our accumulated other comprehensive loss is comprised solely of unrealized losses on our above equity investments, net of tax.

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3. Patents and Licenses

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Patents and Licenses

Purchased patents and licenses paid for the use of other entities’ patents are amortized over the useful life of the patent or license. The following tables provide information regarding patents and licenses (dollars in thousands):

December 31, 2017						December 31, 2016
Weighted Average Original Life (years)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Weighted Average Original Life (years)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
	15.67	$	13,840	$	12,062		15.67	$	13,840	$	11,911

Aggregate amortization expense for patents and licenses was $151,000, $264,000 and $345,000 for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense for each of the years set forth below ending December 31 is as follows (in thousands):

2018	$	119
2019	$	119
2020	$	119
2021	$	119
2022	$	117

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4. Line of Credit

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Line of Credit

As of December 31, 2017 we had a $75.0 million revolving credit facility with a money center bank pursuant to which the lender is obligated to make advances until February 28, 2022. This credit facility, entered into on February 28, 2017, replaced a $40.0 million revolving credit facility with the same bank which was in place for several years prior to that date. The credit facility is secured by substantially all our inventories, equipment and accounts receivable. Interest under the credit facility is assessed at 30-day, 60-day or 90-day LIBOR, as selected by us, plus ..875 percent (2.35 percent at December 31, 2017) and is payable monthly. We had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at December 31, 2017 or the prior credit facility at December 31, 2016. Our ability to borrow funds under the credit facility from time to time is contingent on meeting certain covenants in the loan agreement, the most restrictive of which is the ratio of total debt to earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization. At December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.

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5. Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

The items comprising Provision for Income Taxes are as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
Current        —         Federal	$	6,244		$	10,706		$	11,848
—         State		877			1,226			1,528
		7,121			11,932			13,376
Deferred       —         Federal		(1,542	)		(92	)		(1,364	)
—         State		168			(155	)		(67	)
		(1,374	)		(247	)		(1,431	)
Provision for Income Taxes	$	5,747		$	11,685		$	11,945

Temporary differences and carryforwards which have given rise to deferred tax liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	2017			2016
Deferred tax liabilities (assets):
Property, plant and equipment	$	6,787		$	9,550
Patents and goodwill		1,740			2,833
Benefit plans		(854	)		(1,819	)
Inventories		(282	)		(519	)
Capital loss carryover		(572	)		(954	)
Other		(116	)		(338	)
		6,703			8,753
Plus: Valuation allowance		609			--
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	7,312		$	8,753

Total income tax expense differs from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to pretax earnings as illustrated below (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
Income tax expense at the statutory federal income tax rate	$	14,819		$	13,743		$	14,304
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
State income taxes		662			730			882
Section 199 manufacturing deduction		(630	)		(1,165	)		(1,383	)
R&D tax credits		(983	)		(1,070	)		(2,254	)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation		(5,782	)		(687	)		--
Impact from tax law rate change		(4,053	)		--			--
Change in valuation allowance		609			--			--
Uncertain tax positions		865			(120	)		(9	)
Other, net		240			254			405
Provision for Income Taxes	$	5,747		$	11,685		$	11,945

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, of 2017, enacted in December 2017, reduced the corporate federal income tax rate in the United States from 35% to 21% effective on January 1. 2018. This rate reduction reduced our net deferred tax liability, including adjustments to our net state deferred tax liabilities, by $4.1 million as of December 31, 2017. Based upon this tax law enactment, we recorded a corresponding benefit in our income tax provision of $4.1 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2017. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2017 we recorded a deferred tax valuation allowance of $609,000 primarily related to deferred tax assets for a $2.7 million capital loss carryover deduction which may not be realized by its expiration date in 2021. This charge partially offset the benefit recorded in our income tax provision as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We will continue to evaluate the tax reform impacts noting that the ultimate impact of tax reform may differ from the amounts recorded due to changes in our interpretations and assumptions, as well as additional regulatory guidance that may be issued.

An excess tax benefit is the realized tax benefit related to the amount of deductible compensation cost reported on an employer’s tax return for equity instruments in excess of the compensation cost for those instruments recognized for financial reporting purposes. The Company adopted ASU-2016-09 (see Note 1) effective January 1, 2016 eliminating the requirement for excess tax benefits to be recorded as additional paid-in capital when realized. An excess tax benefit in the amount of $156,000 was recognized as additional paid-in capital during 2015, resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. With the adoption of ASU 2016-09, excess tax benefits of $5,782,000 and $687,000 were recognized as a component of income tax expense in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

We recorded tax credits for our R&D expenditures totaling $2.3 million in 2015. This amount included an adjustment for recalculation of our R&D tax credits from prior years resulting from a regulation issued by the Treasury Department which favorably impacted the benefits provided to the Company under these rules.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits as required by ASC 740 is as follows (in thousands):

Gross unrecognized tax benefits at January 1, 2015	$	129
Increase in tax positions for prior years		122
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		(131	)
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2015	$	120
Decrease in tax positions for prior years		(120	)
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2016	$	0
Increase in tax positions for prior years		865
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2017	$	865

As of December 31, 2017 all of the unrecognized tax benefits, which were comprised of uncertain tax positions, would impact the effective tax rate if recognized. Unrecognized tax benefits that are affected by statutes of limitation that expire within the next 12 months are immaterial.

We are subject to United States federal income tax as well as to income tax of multiple state jurisdictions.  We have concluded all United States federal income tax matters for years through 2013. An audit of our federal income tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013 was completed in 2016 with no changes. All material state and local income tax matters have been concluded for years through 2013. 

We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits included accrued interest of $1,000 at December 31, 2017. Tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2017 included a net interest charge of $1,000. There were no tax expenses or tax benefits for interest and penalties in 2016. A net interest benefit of $9,000 was included in 2015.

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6. Stockholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Our Board of Directors has at various times authorized repurchases of our stock in open-market or privately-negotiated transactions at such times and at such prices as management may from time to time determine. On August 16, 2011, our Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program pursuant to which we repurchased 200,000 shares of our common stock from time to time in open market or privately-negotiated transactions, which was the maximum number of shares that could be repurchased. On May 21, 2015 our Board of Directors adopted a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 250,000 shares of our common stock in open market or privately-negotiated transactions. This program has no expiration date but may be terminated by the Board of Directors at any time. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 231,765 shares available for repurchase under this program. There were no stock repurchases during 2017. We repurchased 3,427 and 89,452 shares during 2016 and 2015, respectively.

We increased our quarterly cash dividend payments in September of each of the past three years. The quarterly dividend was increased to $.90 per share in September 2015, to $1.05 per share in September 2016 and to $1.20 per share in September 2017. Holders of our stock units earned non-cash dividend equivalents of $27,000 in 2017, $40,000 in 2016 and $46,000 in 2015.

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7. Income Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Income Per Share

The following is the computation of basic and diluted income per share:

	Year ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Net Income	$	36,593	$	27,581	$	28,925
Weighted average basic shares outstanding		1,846		1,824		1,846
Add: Effect of dilutive securities		11		33		24
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding		1,857		1,857		1,870
Net Income per share
Basic	$	19.82	$	15.12	$	15.67
Diluted	$	19.71	$	14.85	$	15.47

As required by ASC 260, Earnings per Share, unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are considered participating securities and, therefore, are included in the computation of basic income per share pursuant to the two-class method.

Incremental shares from stock options and restricted stock units were included in the calculation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding using the treasury stock method. Securities representing 148 shares of common stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 were excluded from the computation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding because their effect would have been anti-dilutive. There were no anti-dilutive shares excluded from the computation of weighted average diluted shares outstanding in 2016 and 2015.

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8. Stock Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Compensation Related Costs [Abstract]

Stock Plans

At December 31, 2017, we had three stock-based compensation plans which are described more fully below. We account for our plans under ASC 718, and the disclosures that follow are based on applying ASC 718.

Our Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2006 Plan, provides for awards to key employees, non-employee directors and consultants of incentive and nonqualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance shares and other stock-based awards. Under the 2006 Plan, 200,000 shares, in the aggregate, of common stock have been reserved for awards. The purchase price of shares issued on the exercise of options must be at least equal to the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant. The options granted become exercisable and expire as determined by the Compensation Committee. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 24,373 shares reserved for future stock-based awards under the 2006 Plan.

In May 2007, we adopted our Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (as amended, the “Deferred Compensation Plan”), and 2,500 shares of our common stock were initially reserved for issuance thereunder. This plan allows our non-employee directors to elect to receive stock units in lieu of all or part of the cash fees they are receiving for their services as directors. On the first business day of each calendar year, each participating non-employee director is credited with a number of stock units determined on the basis of the foregone cash fees and the closing price of our common stock on the next preceding date on which shares of our stock were traded. The stock units are converted to shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis at a future date as elected in advance by the director, but no later than the January following the year in which the director ceases to serve on the Board of Directors, and the shares are delivered to the director. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 1,548 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the conversion of stock units which may be credited in the future to non-employee directors.

In May 2007, we also adopted our Non-Employee Director Stock Purchase Plan, (as amended, the “Director Stock Purchase Plan”), and 2,500 shares of our common stock were initially reserved for issuance thereunder. Under this plan, our non-employee directors may elect to receive on the first business day of the calendar year fully-vested stock and restricted stock in lieu of some or all of their fees payable to them during such year. The foregone fees are converted into shares of fully-vested stock and restricted stock on the first business day of such calendar year based on the closing price of our common stock on the next preceding date on which shares of our stock were traded. The restricted stock vests in equal amounts on the first day of the next three succeeding calendar quarters provided the non-employee director is then serving on our Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2017, there remained 1,126 shares reserved for issuance under such plan.

A summary of stock option transactions for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:

Options	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at December 31, 2016		50,000		$	204.76
Granted		20,000		$	501.03
Exercised		(50,000	)	$	204.76
Outstanding at December 31, 2017		20,000		$	501.03	5.3 years
Exercisable at December 31, 2017		--			--	--

All nonvested options outstanding at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. None of our grants includes performance-based or market-based vesting conditions. We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula and a single option award approach. Our Black-Scholes valuation uses a volatility factor based on our historical stock trading history, a risk-free interest rate based on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury securities with an equivalent term, and a dividend yield based on our dividend history. Our expected life assumption represents the period that our stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and was determined based on historical experience of similar awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the stock-based awards, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior.

There were no options granted in 2016 and 2015. The fair value for the options granted in 2017 was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

	2017	2016	2015
Risk-free interest rate	2.13%	--	--
Dividend yield	0.85%	--	--
Volatility factor	25.45%	--	--
Expected life	5 years	--	--

The weighted average grant date fair value of the options granted in 2017 was $130.35. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2017 was $16.5 million. The total intrinsic value of options outstanding at December 31, 2017 was $2.6million. There were no exercisable options at December 31, 2017.

During 2017, we granted two awards of restricted stock under the 2006 Plan. Under the terms of our restricted stock awards, the restrictions usually lapse over a five-year period. Both awards include restrictions on transfer for a two-year period following vesting. During the vesting period, holders of restricted stock have voting rights and earn dividends, but the shares may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered. Nonvested shares are generally forfeited on termination of employment unless otherwise provided in the participant’s employment agreement or the termination is in connection with a change in control. We calculated the weighted average fair value per share of the restricted stock awarded in 2017 using the market value of our common stock on the date of the grant with a discount for post-vesting restrictions of 11.2%.   We estimated this discount using the Chaffe protective put method.  A summary of changes in nonvested restricted stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:

Nonvested Shares	Shares	Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Restricted stock at December 31, 2016	1,500	$ 228.08
Granted in 2017	5,900	$ 445.47
Vested in 2017	(1,500)	$ 228.08
Restricted stock at December 31, 2017	5,900	$ 445.47

All shares of nonvested restricted stock outstanding at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. The total fair value of restricted stock vested during 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $803,000, $1,177,000 and $1,086,000, respectively.

During 2017, restricted stock units were awarded to certain employees under the 2006 Plan. All of our restricted stock units are convertible to shares of stock on a one-for-one basis when the restrictions lapse, which is generally after a five-year period. Nonvested stock units are generally forfeited on termination of employment unless the termination is in connection with a change in control. During the vesting period, holders of all restricted stock units earn dividends in the form of additional units. During 2017, one non-employee director elected to receive stock units in lieu of a portion of his cash fees for his services as a member of the Board of Directors.

A summary of changes in stock units for the year ended December 31, 2017, is presented below:

Nonvested Stock Units	Restricted Stock Units			Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit		Director’s Stock Units			Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit
Nonvested at December 31, 2016		9,388		$	258.69		--
Granted		1,420		$	616.41		11		$	535.07
Vested		(4,608	)	$	230.90		(11	)	$	535.07
Nonvested at December 31, 2017		6,200		$	361.28		--

All nonvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2017 are expected to vest. The total intrinsic value of all outstanding stock units which were not convertible at December 31, 2017, including 468 stock units held for the accounts of non-employee directors, was $4,205,000. The total fair value of directors’ stock units that vested during 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $6,000, $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Stock awards that vested immediately were awarded under the 2006 Plan to non-employee directors totaling $312,000 in value in 2017 and $240,000 in value in each of 2016 and 2015. Compensation related to stock awards, restricted stock and stock units is based on the fair market value of the stock on the date of the award. These fair values are then amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the entire awards, which is generally the vesting period. Compensation related to stock options is based on the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula and a single option award approach.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense as a G&A expense in the amount of $1,602,000, $1,566,000 and $1,841,000, respectively, for all of the above mentioned stock-based compensation arrangements. The total tax benefit recognized in the income statement from stock-based compensation arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $6,342,000, $1,235,000 and $644,000, respectively. The 2017 and 2016 tax benefit amounts include $5,782,000 and $687,000, respectively, of excess tax benefits within income tax expense as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-09. Excess tax benefits of $156,000 were recognized during 2015 as additional paid-in capital and is shown as a financing activity in our consolidated statements of cash flows for such year.

Unrecognized compensation cost information for our various stock-based compensation types is shown below as of December 31, 2017:

	Unrecognized Compensation Cost		Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period
Stock options	$	2,246,000		4.3
Restricted stock		2,264,000		4.3
Restricted stock units		1,114,000		3.8
Total	$	5,624,000

We have a policy of utilizing treasury shares to satisfy stock option exercises, stock unit conversions and restricted stock awards.

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9. Industry Segment and Geographic Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Industry Segment and Geographic Information

We operate in one reportable industry segment: developing and manufacturing products primarily for medical applications and have no foreign operating subsidiaries. We have other product lines which include pressure relief valves and inflation systems, which are sold primarily to the aviation and marine industries. Due to the similarities in product technologies and manufacturing processes, these products are managed as part of our medical products segment. Our revenues from sales to customers outside the United States totaled approximately 37 percent of our net revenues in 2017 and 2016, and 35 percent in 2015. We have no assets located outside the United States.

A summary of revenues by geographic area, based on shipping destination, for 2017, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
United States	$	93,082	$	91,092	$	94,840
Germany		8,172		6,396		7,156
Other countries less than 5% of revenues		45,341		45,999		43,737
Total	$	146,595	$	143,487	$	145,733

A summary of revenues by product line for 2017, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands):

	2017		2016		2015
Fluid Delivery	$	65,053	$	60,889	$	60,630
Cardiovascular		48,073		47,064		46,463
Ophthalmology		13,537		15,427		18,253
Other		19,932		20,107		20,387
Total	$	146,595	$	143,487	$	145,733

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10. Employee Retirement and Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Retirement and Benefit Plans

We sponsor a defined contribution 401(k) plan for all employees. Each participant may contribute certain amounts of eligible compensation. We make a matching contribution to the plan. Our contributions under this plan were $720,000, $667,000 and $645,000 in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company adopted a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan effective September 1, 2017, for certain key management or highly-compensated employees. The plan allows for the deferral of salary and bonus compensation until retirement or other specified payment events occur. Employees’ deferred compensation amounts are deemed to be invested in certain investment funds, indexes or vehicles selected by our Compensation Committee and designated by each participant and their deferral balances are adjusted for earnings based upon the performance of these deemed investments. Our deferred compensation obligation under the plan at December 31, 2017 was $426,000 and is reflected in “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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11. Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time and in the ordinary course of business, we may be subject to various claims, charges and litigation. In some cases, the claimants may seek damages, as well as other relief, which, if granted, could require significant expenditures. We accrue the estimated costs of settlement or damages when a loss is deemed probable and such costs are estimable, and accrue for legal costs associated with a loss contingency when a loss is probable and such amounts are estimable. Otherwise, these costs are expensed as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss or defense costs is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had no ongoing litigation or arbitration for such matters.

We had a dispute which was favorably settled in the third quarter of 2007. This settlement was amended in December 2008.  The amended settlement agreement provides that we may receive annual payments from 2009 through 2024. We have not recorded $3.5 million in potential future payments under this settlement as of December 31, 2017 due to the uncertainty of payment.

We have arrangements with three of our executive officers pursuant to which the termination of their employment under certain circumstances would result in lump sum payments to them. Termination under such circumstances at December 31, 2017 could have resulted in payments aggregating $5.1million.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had purchase obligations with certain suppliers for the purchase of inventory for 2018. These contracts were commitments to purchase inventory used in the production of the Company’s products totaling $1.5 million.

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12. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

Quarter Ended		Operating Revenue		Operating Income		Net Income		Income  Per Basic Share		Income  Per Diluted Share
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
03/31/17		$	38,504	$	11,327	$	9,950	$	5.42	$	5.36
06/30/17			36,164		10,175		10,026		5.44		5.40
09/30/17			37,903		11,479		7,971		4.30		4.29
12/31/17			34,024		8,293		8,646		4.67		4.66
03/31/16		$	36,215	$	10,465	$	6,945	$	3.81	$	3.76
06/30/16			36,143		10,074		7,450		4.09		4.02
09/30/16			37,835		10,976		7,614		4.17		4.10
12/31/16			33,294		7,611		5,571		3.05		3.00

The quarterly information presented above reflects, in the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented.

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atrion Corporation and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and in the bank as well as money market accounts and debt securities with maturities at the time of purchase of 90 days or less.

Our investments consist of taxable corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit and equity securities. We classify our investment securities in one of three categories: held-to-maturity, available-for-sale, or trading. Securities that we have the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are reported at amortized cost and classified as held-to-maturity securities. We report available-for-sale securities at fair value, based on quoted market prices, with unrealized gains and, to the extent deemed temporary, unrealized losses recorded in stockholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We report trading securities at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded in investment income in the Consolidated Statement of Income. We consider as current assets our mutual fund investments and those investments which will mature in the next 12 months including interest receivable on long-term bonds. The remaining investments are considered non-current assets including our investment in equity securities which we intend to hold longer than 12 months. We periodically evaluate our investments for impairment.

The components of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents and our short and long-term investments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	2017		2016
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash deposits	$	12,730	$	10,724
Money market funds		17,406		9,298
Total cash and cash equivalents	$	30,136	$	20,022
Short-term investments:
Mutual funds (trading)	$	222		--
Commercial paper (held-to-maturity)		31,220		--
Certificates of deposit (held-to-maturity)		4,020	$	24,000
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)		6		80
Total short-term investments	$	35,468	$	24,080
Long-term investments:
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	$	5,000	$	5,000
Equity securities (available-for-sale)		4,136		4,945
Total long-term investments	$	9,136	$	9,945
Total cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments	$	74,740	$	54,047

Accounts Receivables

Accounts receivable are recorded at the original sales price to the customer. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect estimated losses resulting from the failure of customers to make required payments. On an ongoing basis, the collectability of accounts receivable is assessed based upon historical collection trends, current economic factors and the assessment of the collectability of specific accounts. We evaluate the collectability of specific accounts and determine when to grant credit to our customers using a combination of factors, including the age of the outstanding balances, evaluation of customers’ current and past financial condition, recent payment history, current economic environment, and discussions with appropriate Company personnel and with the customers directly. Accounts are written off when we determine the receivable will not be collected.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (including materials, direct labor and applicable overhead) or net realizable value. Cost is determined by using the first-in, first-out method. The following table details the major components of inventory (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Raw materials	$	13,545	$	12,984
Work in process		6,647		6,230
Finished goods		9,162		9,801
Total inventories	$	29,354	$	29,015

Accounts Payable

We reflect disbursements as trade accounts payable until such time as payments are presented to our bank for payment. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, disbursements totaling approximately $411,000 and $624,000, respectively, had not been presented for payment to our bank.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes utilizing Accounting Standards Codification (ASC 740), Income Taxes, or ASC 740. ASC 740 requires the asset and liability method for the recording of deferred income taxes, whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the tax effects of temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, as measured at current enacted tax rates. When appropriate, we evaluate the need for a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets.

ASC 740 also requires the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attributes of income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Under ASC 740, the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return must be recognized in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized in the financial statements unless it is more-likely-than-not of being sustained.

Our uncertain tax positions are recorded as “Other non-current liabilities.” We classify interest expense on underpayments of income taxes and accrued penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the income tax provision.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, we made quarterly payments in excess of federal income taxes due of approximately $920,000. This amount is recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Property Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Additions and improvements are capitalized, including all material, labor and engineering costs to design, install or improve the asset. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. The following table represents a summary of property, plant and equipment at original cost (in thousands):

	December 31,				Useful
	2017		2016		Lives
Land	$	5,511	$	5,260		—
Buildings		32,461		32,321	30-40 yrs
Machinery and equipment		129,108		122,832	3-15 yrs
Total property, plant and equipment	$	167,080	$	160,413

Depreciation expense of $8,526,000, $8,689,000 and $8,478,000 was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Depreciation expense is recorded in either cost of goods sold or operating expenses based on the associated assets’ usage.

Patents and Licenses

Costs for patents and licenses acquired are determined at acquisition date. Patents and licenses are amortized over the useful lives of the individual patents and licenses, which are from seven to 20 years. Patents and licenses are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible net assets acquired. Annual impairment testing for goodwill is performed in the fourth quarter using a qualitative assessment on goodwill impairment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the carrying value of our reporting units exceeds their fair value. If necessary, a two-step goodwill impairment analysis is performed. Goodwill is also reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a change in value may have occurred. We have identified three reporting units where goodwill was recorded for purposes of testing goodwill impairment annually: (1) Atrion Medical Products, Inc., (2) Halkey-Roberts Corporation and (3) Quest Medical, Inc. The total carrying amount of goodwill in each of the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $9,730,000. Our evaluation of goodwill during each year resulted in no impairment losses.

Current Accrued Liabilities

The items comprising current accrued liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Accrued payroll and related expenses	$	3,943	$	3,661
Accrued vacation		273		265
Other accrued liabilities		731		709
Total accrued liabilities	$	4,947	$	4,635

Revenues

We recognize revenue when our products are shipped to our customers, provided an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. All risks and rewards of ownership pass to the customer upon shipment. Net sales represent gross sales invoiced to customers, less certain related charges, including discounts, returns and other allowances. Revenues are recorded exclusive of sales and similar taxes. Returns, discounts and other allowances have been insignificant historically.

Shipping and Handling Policy

Shipping and handling fees charged to customers are reported as revenue and all shipping and handling costs incurred related to products sold are reported as cost of goods sold.

Research and Development Costs

R&D costs relating to the development of new products and improvements of existing products are expensed as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

We have stock-based compensation plans covering certain of our officers, directors and key employees. As explained in detail in Note 8, we account for stock-based compensation utilizing the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, or ASC 718.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2016-09 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Under this guidance all excess tax benefits (“windfalls”) and deficiencies (“shortfalls”) related to employee stock compensation are recognized within income tax expense. The Company early adopted this guidance using the prospective transition method in the second quarter of 2016 effective January 1, 2016. As a result of our adoption of this guidance, an excess tax benefit of $687,000 was recorded in 2016 resulting from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. In 2017 we recorded an excess tax benefit of $5,782,000 resulting from the exercise of employee stock options and the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. The excess tax benefits recorded in 2017 and 2016 were included in our consolidated statements of cash flows under operating activity rather than under financing activity as was done in prior years. There were no restatements to 2015. This guidance could create future volatility in our effective tax rate depending upon the extent of exercise or vesting activity in our stock based awards.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17) which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this guidance.  ASU 2015-17 was effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2017 on a retrospective basis. As of December 31, 2016, “Deferred Income Taxes” of $651,000 were reclassified from Current Assets to “Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, also known as ASC 606. This new standard requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASU 2014-09 replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles when it became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. ASU 2014-09 permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. We conducted and completed a comprehensive review of contracts and their associated business terms and conditions and performed detailed analysis on the impact of this standard to our current contracts. Based on our evaluation, we adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method and expect no material change to our financial statements and our internal controls over financial reporting as a result. Because accounting for revenue under contracts will not materially change for us under the new standard, prior period financial statements will not require adjustment.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Changes to the current guidance primarily affect the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The primary impact of this change relates to our available-for-sale equity investment and will result in unrecognized gains and losses from this investment being reflected in our income statement starting in 2018.  We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018, applying the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet by reclassifying Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet to Retained Earnings.  We do not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our financial statements.

On February 25, 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (ASC 842).  The main objective of this new standard is to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new leasing standard requires lessees to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet. Lessor accounting is updated to align with certain changes in the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard (ASC 606).  Atrion elected to early adopt this new standard as of January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach as required.  We have concluded that the adoption of this new standard will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements applicable to us are issued by the FASB, or other standards setting bodies, which we will adopt as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, we believe the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Fair Value Measurements

Accounting standards use a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers are: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we held certain investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and certain equity securities. These investments, with the exception of mutual funds, are all considered Level 2 assets and the fair value of our investments were estimated using recently executed transactions and market price quotations (see Note 2). Our investments in mutual funds are considered Level 1 assets and the reported fair value of these investments is based on observable quoted prices from active markets.

The carrying values of our other financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, money market accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and accrued income and other taxes approximated fair value due to their liquid and short-term nature.  

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable.  

Our cash and cash equivalents are held in accounts with financial institutions that we believe are creditworthy. Certain of these amounts at times may exceed federally-insured limits. At December 31, 2017, approximately 98 percent of our cash and cash equivalents were uninsured. We have not experienced any credit losses in such accounts and do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds.

We have investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper and in certificates of deposit. As a result, we are exposed to potential loss from market risks that may occur as a result of changes in interest rates, changes in credit quality of the issuer and otherwise. These securities have a higher degree of, and a greater exposure to, credit or default risk and may be less liquid in times of economic weakness or market disruptions.

For accounts receivable, we perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and generally do not require collateral.  We maintain reserves for possible credit losses.  As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had allowances for doubtful accounts of approximately $28,000 and $71,000, respectively.  The carrying amount of the receivables approximates their fair value. One customer accounted for 15.5% of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2017. This was the only customer that exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable at December 31, 2017 and no customer exceeded 10% of our accounts receivable as of December 31, 2016.

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Components of the Company's cash and cash equivalents and our short and long-term investments

	2017		2016
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash deposits	$	12,730	$	10,724
Money market funds		17,406		9,298
Total cash and cash equivalents	$	30,136	$	20,022
Short-term investments:
Mutual funds (trading)	$	222		--
Commercial paper (held-to-maturity)		31,220		--
Certificates of deposit (held-to-maturity)		4,020	$	24,000
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)		6		80
Total short-term investments	$	35,468	$	24,080
Long-term investments:
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	$	5,000	$	5,000
Equity securities (available-for-sale)		4,136		4,945
Total long-term investments	$	9,136	$	9,945
Total cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments	$	74,740	$	54,047

Major Components of Inventories

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Raw materials	$	13,545	$	12,984
Work in process		6,647		6,230
Finished goods		9,162		9,801
Total inventories	$	29,354	$	29,015

Summary of Property Plant and Equipment at Original Cost

	December 31,				Useful
	2017		2016		Lives
Land	$	5,511	$	5,260		—
Buildings		32,461		32,321	30-40 yrs
Machinery and equipment		129,108		122,832	3-15 yrs
Total property, plant and equipment	$	167,080	$	160,413

Current Accrued Liabilities

	December 31,
	2017		2016
Accrued payroll and related expenses	$	3,943	$	3,661
Accrued vacation		273		265
Other accrued liabilities		731		709
Total accrued liabilities	$	4,947	$	4,635

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2. Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Investments Schedule [Abstract]

Investments, Held-to-Maturity Securities

					Gross Unrealized
	Level		Cost		Gains		Losses			Fair value
As of December 31, 2017:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit		2	$	4,020	$	--	$	(3	)	$	4,017
Commercial paper		2	$	31,220	$	26	$	(38	)	$	31,208
Corporate bonds		2	$	6	$	--	$	--		$	6
Mutual funds		1	$	219	$	3	$	--		$	222
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds		2	$	5,000	$	--	$	(75	)	$	4,925
Equity investments		2	$	5,675	$	--	$	(1,539	)	$	4,136
As of December 31, 2016:
Short-term Investments:
Certificates of deposit		2	$	24,000	$	9	$	--		$	24,009
Corporate bonds		2	$	80	$	--	$	--		$	80
Long-term Investments:
Corporate bonds		2	$	5,000	$	--	$	(287	)	$	4,713
Equity investments		2	$	5,675	$	--	$	(730	)	$	4,945

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3. Patents and Licenses (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Information Regarding Patents and Licenses

December 31, 2017						December 31, 2016
Weighted Average Original Life (years)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Weighted Average Original Life (years)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
	15.67	$	13,840	$	12,062		15.67	$	13,840	$	11,911

Estimated Future Amortization Expense

2018	$	119
2019	$	119
2020	$	119
2021	$	119
2022	$	117

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5. Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Expense

	Year ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
Current        —         Federal	$	6,244		$	10,706		$	11,848
—         State		877			1,226			1,528
		7,121			11,932			13,376
Deferred       —         Federal		(1,542	)		(92	)		(1,364	)
—         State		168			(155	)		(67	)
		(1,374	)		(247	)		(1,431	)
Provision for Income Taxes	$	5,747		$	11,685		$	11,945

Deferred Income Tax Assets and Liabilities with Temporary Differences and Carryforwards

	2017			2016
Deferred tax liabilities (assets):
Property, plant and equipment	$	6,787		$	9,550
Patents and goodwill		1,740			2,833
Benefit plans		(854	)		(1,819	)
Inventories		(282	)		(519	)
Capital loss carryover		(572	)		(954	)
Other		(116	)		(338	)
		6,703			8,753
Plus: Valuation allowance		609			--
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	7,312		$	8,753

Illustration of Total Income Tax Expense Difference with Amount Provided by Applying Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate to Pretax Earnings

	Year ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
Income tax expense at the statutory federal income tax rate	$	14,819		$	13,743		$	14,304
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
State income taxes		662			730			882
Section 199 manufacturing deduction		(630	)		(1,165	)		(1,383	)
R&D tax credits		(983	)		(1,070	)		(2,254	)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation		(5,782	)		(687	)		--
Impact from tax law rate change		(4,053	)		--			--
Change in valuation allowance		609			--			--
Uncertain tax positions		865			(120	)		(9	)
Other, net		240			254			405
Provision for Income Taxes	$	5,747		$	11,685		$	11,945

Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Total Amounts of Gross Unrecognized Tax Benefits

Gross unrecognized tax benefits at January 1, 2015	$	129
Increase in tax positions for prior years		122
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		(131	)
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2015	$	120
Decrease in tax positions for prior years		(120	)
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2016	$	0
Increase in tax positions for prior years		865
Increase in tax positions for current year		0
Lapse in statutes of limitation		0
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2017	$	865

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7. Income Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Computation of Basic and Diluted Income Per Share

	Year ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Net Income	$	36,593	$	27,581	$	28,925
Weighted average basic shares outstanding		1,846		1,824		1,846
Add: Effect of dilutive securities		11		33		24
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding		1,857		1,857		1,870
Net Income per share
Basic	$	19.82	$	15.12	$	15.67
Diluted	$	19.71	$	14.85	$	15.47

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8. Stock Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Compensation Related Costs [Abstract]

Option Transaction

Options	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at December 31, 2016		50,000		$	204.76
Granted		20,000		$	501.03
Exercised		(50,000	)	$	204.76
Outstanding at December 31, 2017		20,000		$	501.03	5.3 years
Exercisable at December 31, 2017		--			--	--

Weighted Average Assumptions for Options Granted

	2017	2016	2015
Risk-free interest rate	2.13%	--	--
Dividend yield	0.85%	--	--
Volatility factor	25.45%	--	--
Expected life	5 years	--	--

Restricted Stock Activity

Nonvested Shares	Shares	Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Restricted stock at December 31, 2016	1,500	$ 228.08
Granted in 2017	5,900	$ 445.47
Vested in 2017	(1,500)	$ 228.08
Restricted stock at December 31, 2017	5,900	$ 445.47

Changes in Stock Units

Nonvested Stock Units	Restricted Stock Units			Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit		Director’s Stock Units			Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Unit
Nonvested at December 31, 2016		9,388		$	258.69		--
Granted		1,420		$	616.41		11		$	535.07
Vested		(4,608	)	$	230.90		(11	)	$	535.07
Nonvested at December 31, 2017		6,200		$	361.28		--

Unrecognized Compensation Cost

	Unrecognized Compensation Cost		Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period
Stock options	$	2,246,000		4.3
Restricted stock		2,264,000		4.3
Restricted stock units		1,114,000		3.8
Total	$	5,624,000

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9. Industry Segment and Geographic Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Revenues by Geographic Territory

	Year ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
United States	$	93,082	$	91,092	$	94,840
Germany		8,172		6,396		7,156
Other countries less than 5% of revenues		45,341		45,999		43,737
Total	$	146,595	$	143,487	$	145,733

Revenue by Product Line

	2017		2016		2015
Fluid Delivery	$	65,053	$	60,889	$	60,630
Cardiovascular		48,073		47,064		46,463
Ophthalmology		13,537		15,427		18,253
Other		19,932		20,107		20,387
Total	$	146,595	$	143,487	$	145,733

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12. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data

Quarter Ended		Operating Revenue		Operating Income		Net Income		Income  Per Basic Share		Income  Per Diluted Share
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)
03/31/17		$	38,504	$	11,327	$	9,950	$	5.42	$	5.36
06/30/17			36,164		10,175		10,026		5.44		5.40
09/30/17			37,903		11,479		7,971		4.30		4.29
12/31/17			34,024		8,293		8,646		4.67		4.66
03/31/16		$	36,215	$	10,465	$	6,945	$	3.81	$	3.76
06/30/16			36,143		10,074		7,450		4.09		4.02
09/30/16			37,835		10,976		7,614		4.17		4.10
12/31/16			33,294		7,611		5,571		3.05		3.00

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash deposits	$ 12,730	$ 10,724
Money market funds	17,406	9,298
Total cash and cash equivalents	30,136	20,022	$ 28,346	$ 20,775
Short-term investments:
Mutual funds (trading)	222	0
Commercial paper (held-to-maturity)	31,220	0
Certificates of deposit (held-to-maturity)	4,020	24,000
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	6	80
Total short-term investments	35,468	24,080
Long-term investments:
Corporate bonds (held-to-maturity)	5,000	5,000
Equity securities (available for sale)	4,136	4,945
Total long term investments	9,136	9,945
Total cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term investments	$ 74,740	$ 54,047

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials	$ 13,545	$ 12,984
Work in process	6,647	6,230
Finished goods	9,162	9,801
Total inventories	$ 29,354	$ 29,015

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Land	$ 5,511	$ 5,260
Buildings	32,461	32,321
Machinery and equipment	129,108	122,832
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 167,080	$ 160,413
Building And Building Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives	30 years
Building And Building Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives	40 years
Machinery And Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives	3 years
Machinery And Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives	15 years

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued payroll and related expenses	$ 3,943	$ 3,661
Accrued vacation	273	265
Other accrued liabilities	731	709
Total accrued liabilities	$ 4,947	$ 4,635

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1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Disbursements	$ 411	$ 624
Depreciation expense	8,526	8,689	$ 8,478
Goodwill, carrying amount	9,730	9,730	9,730
Goodwill, impairment loss	0	0	0
Allowances for doubtful accounts	$ 28	$ 71	$ 50
One Customer | Accounts Receivable
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Risk concentration	15.50%
Patent And License [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Patents and licenses, useful lives	7 years
Patent And License [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Patents and licenses, useful lives	20 years

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2. Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Equity Investments, Fair Value	$ 4,136	$ 4,945
Short Term Investments [Member] | Certificates of deposit [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Cost	4,020	24,000
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	9
Gross Unrealized Losses	(3)	0
Fair Value	4,017	24,009
Short Term Investments [Member] | Commercial Paper [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Cost	31,220
Gross Unrealized Gains	26
Gross Unrealized Losses	(38)
Fair Value	31,208
Short Term Investments [Member] | Corporate Bond Securities [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Cost	6	80
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	6	80
Short Term Investments [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Cost	219
Gross Unrealized Gains	3
Gross Unrealized Losses	0
Fair Value	222
Long Term Investments [Member] | Corporate Bond Securities [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Cost	5,000	5,000
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(75)	(287)
Fair Value	4,925	4,713
Long Term Investments [Member] | Equity Investments [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Equity Investment, Cost	5,675	5,675
Equity Investments, Unrealized Gains	0	0
Equity Investments, Unrealized Losses	(1,539)	(730)
Equity Investments, Fair Value	$ 4,136	$ 4,945

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2. Investments (Details Narrative)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Corporate Bond Securities [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Securities maturity length	41 months 15 days
Certificates of deposit [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Securities maturity length	1 month
Certificates of deposit [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Securities maturity length	11 months 6 days

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3. Patents and Licenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Accumulated Amortization	$ 12,062	$ 11,911
Patent And License [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Original Life (years)	15 years 8 months 1 day	15 years 8 months 1 day
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 13,840	$ 13,840
Accumulated Amortization	$ 12,062	$ 11,911

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3. Patents and Licenses (Details 1) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2018	$ 119
2019	119
2020	119
2021	119
2022	$ 117

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3. Patents and Licenses (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Patent And License [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Aggregate amortization expense	$ 151	$ 264	$ 345

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4. Line of Credit (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Revolving line of credit, maximum principal amount	$ 75,000
Revolving line of credit, interest plus LIBOR	2.35%
Line of credit	$ 0	$ 0

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5. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal income tax, current	$ 6,244	$ 10,706	$ 11,848
State income tax, current	877	1,226	1,528
Income tax, current	7,121	11,932	13,376
Federal income tax, deferred	(1,542)	(92)	(1,364)
State income tax, deferred	168	(155)	(67)
Income tax, deferred	(1,374)	(247)	(1,431)
Total income tax expense	$ 5,747	$ 11,685	$ 11,945

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5. Income Taxes (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Deferred tax liabilities (assets):
Property, plant and equipment	$ 6,787	$ 9,550
Patents and goodwill	1,740	2,833
Benefit plans	(854)	(1,819)
Inventories	(282)	(519)
Capital loss carryover	(572)	(954)
Other	(116)	(338)
Deferred tax liabilities (assets)	6,703	8,753
Plus: Valuation allowance	609	0
Total deferred tax liabilities	$ 7,312	$ 8,753

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5. Income Taxes (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax expense at the statutory federal income tax rate	$ 14,819	$ 13,743	$ 14,304
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
State income taxes	662	730	882
Section 199 manufacturing deduction	(630)	(1,165)	(1,383)
R&D tax credits	(983)	(1,070)	(2,254)
Excess tax benefit from stock compensation	(5,782)	(687)	0
Impact from tax law rate change	(4,053)	0	0
Change in valuation allowance	609	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	865	(120)	(9)
Other, net	240	254	405
Total income tax expense	$ 5,747	$ 11,685	$ 11,945

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5. Income Taxes (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Gross unrecognized tax benefits beginning balance	$ 0	$ 120	$ 129
Increase in tax positions for prior years	865		122
Decreases in tax positions for prior years		(120)
Increase in tax positions for current year	0	0	0
Lapse in statutes of limitation	0	0	(131)
Gross unrecognized tax benefits ending balance	$ 865	$ 0	$ 120

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5. Income Taxes (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Unrecognized tax benefits, net interest benefit	$ 1	$ 0	$ 9

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6. Stockholders’ Equity (Details Narrative) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Stockholders Equity Details Narrative
Stock repurchase program, shares authorized to be repurchased	250,000
Stock repurchase program, shares remained eligible for repurchase	231,765
Stock repurchase program, number of shares repurchased	0	3,427	89,452

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7. Income Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income	$ 8,646	$ 7,971	$ 10,026	$ 9,950	$ 5,571	$ 7,614	$ 7,450	$ 6,945	$ 36,593	$ 27,581	$ 28,925
Weighted Average Basic Shares Outstanding									1,846	1,824	1,846
Add: Effect of dilutive securities									11	33	24
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding									1,857	1,857	1,870
Net Income per share
Basic	$ 4.67	$ 4.3	$ 5.44	$ 5.42	$ 3.05	$ 4.17	$ 4.09	$ 3.81	$ 19.82	$ 15.12	$ 15.67
Diluted	$ 4.66	$ 4.29	$ 5.40	$ 5.36	$ 3.00	$ 4.10	$ 4.02	$ 3.76	$ 19.71	$ 14.85	$ 15.47

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8. Stock Plans (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares shares
Shares
Outstanding at December 31, 2016 | shares	50,000
Granted | shares	20,000
Exercised | shares	(50,000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2017 | shares	20,000
Exercisable at December 31, 2017 | shares	0
Weighted Average, Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2016 | $ / shares	$ 204.76
Granted | $ / shares	501.03
Exercised | $ / shares	204.76
Outstanding at December 31, 2017 | $ / shares	501.03
Exercisable at December 31, 2017 | $ / shares	$ 0.00
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	5 years 3 months 18 days
Exercisable at December 31, 2017	0 years

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8. Stock Plans (Details 1)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Stock Plans Details 1
Risk-free interest rate	2.13%	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend yield	0.85%	0.00%	0.00%
Volatility factor	25.45%	0.00%	0.00%
Expected life	5 years	0 years	0 years

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8. Stock Plans (Details 2)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares shares
Restricted Stock Units R S U [Member]
Shares
Beginning Balance | shares	9,388
Granted | shares	1,420
Vested | shares	(4,608)
Ending Balance | shares	6,200
Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Beginning Balance | $ / shares	$ 258.69
Granted | $ / shares	616.41
Vested | $ / shares	230.90
Ending Balance | $ / shares	$ 361.28
Director’s Stock Units [Member]
Shares
Beginning Balance | shares	0
Granted | shares	11
Vested | shares	(11)
Ending Balance | shares	0
Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Beginning Balance | $ / shares	$ 0.00
Granted | $ / shares	535.07
Vested | $ / shares	535.07
Ending Balance | $ / shares	$ 0.00
2006 Equity Incentive Plan | Restricted Stock [Member]
Shares
Beginning Balance | shares	1,500
Granted | shares	5,900
Vested | shares	(1,500)
Ending Balance | shares	5,900
Weighted Average Award Date Fair Value Per Share
Beginning Balance | $ / shares	$ 228.08
Granted | $ / shares	445.47
Vested | $ / shares	228.08
Ending Balance | $ / shares	$ 445.47

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8. Stock Plans (Details 3) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total Unrecognized Compensation Cost	$ 5,624
Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized Compensation Cost, stock options	$ 2,246
Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period	4 years 3 months 18 days
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized Compensation Cost, other than options	$ 2,264
Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period	4 years 3 months 18 days
Restricted Stock Units R S U [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized Compensation Cost, other than options	$ 1,114
Weighted Average Remaining Years in Amortization Period	3 years 9 months 18 days

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8. Stock Plans (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock compensation plan, total intrinsic values of options outstanding	$ 2,600
Fair value restricted stock awards vested	803	$ 1,177	$ 1,086
Stock-based compensation expense	1,602	1,566	1,841
Stock-based compensation expense, total tax benefit recognized	6,342	1,235	644
General And Administrative Expense [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 1,602	$ 1,566	$ 1,841
2006 Equity Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock compensation plan, remaining number of common stock shares reserved	24,373
Deferred Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock compensation plan, remaining number of common stock shares reserved	1,548
Director Stock Purchase Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock compensation plan, remaining number of common stock shares reserved	1,126

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9. Industry Segment and Geographic Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 34,024	$ 37,903	$ 36,164	$ 38,504	$ 33,294	$ 37,835	$ 36,143	$ 36,215	$ 146,595	$ 143,487	$ 145,733
U S
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									93,082	91,092	94,840
Canada
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									8,172	6,396	7,156
Other Countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 45,341	$ 45,999	$ 43,737

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9. Industry Segment and Geographic Information (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 34,024	$ 37,903	$ 36,164	$ 38,504	$ 33,294	$ 37,835	$ 36,143	$ 36,215	$ 146,595	$ 143,487	$ 145,733
Fluid Delivery [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenues									65,053	60,889	60,630
Cardiovascular [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenues									48,073	47,064	46,463
Ophthalmology [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenues									13,537	15,427	18,253
Other Products [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 19,932	$ 20,107	$ 20,387

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10. Employee Retirement and Benefit Plans (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Defined contribution plan, employer contribution	$ 720	$ 667	$ 645
Deferred compensation obligation	$ 426

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11. Commitments and Contingencies (Details Narrative) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Gain contingency, potential future payment receivable under settlement	$ 3,500
Loss contingency, estimated payment from termination of executive officers	5,100
Purchase obligations for inventory	$ 1,500

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12. Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating Revenue	$ 34,024	$ 37,903	$ 36,164	$ 38,504	$ 33,294	$ 37,835	$ 36,143	$ 36,215	$ 146,595	$ 143,487	$ 145,733
Operating Income	8,293	11,479	10,175	11,327	7,611	10,976	10,074	10,465	41,274	39,126	42,510
Net Income	$ 8,646	$ 7,971	$ 10,026	$ 9,950	$ 5,571	$ 7,614	$ 7,450	$ 6,945	$ 36,593	$ 27,581	$ 28,925
Income Per Basic Share	$ 4.67	$ 4.3	$ 5.44	$ 5.42	$ 3.05	$ 4.17	$ 4.09	$ 3.81	$ 19.82	$ 15.12	$ 15.67
Income Per Diluted Share	$ 4.66	$ 4.29	$ 5.40	$ 5.36	$ 3.00	$ 4.10	$ 4.02	$ 3.76	$ 19.71	$ 14.85	$ 15.47