Investment In ValveXchange	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Investment In ValveXchange [Abstract]
Investment In ValveXchange	4. Investment in ValveXchange In July 2011 the Company purchased approximately 2.4 million shares of series A preferred stock of ValveXchange, Inc. ("ValveXchange") for approximately $3.5 million. ValveXchange is a private medical device company that was spun off from Cleveland Clinic to develop a lifetime heart valve replacement technology platform featuring exchangeable bioprosthetic leaflets. The Company's carrying value of this investment includes the purchase price and certain transaction costs. CryoLife's investment represents an approximate 19% equity ownership in ValveXchange. As ValveXchange's stock is not actively traded on any public stock exchange and as the Company's investment is in preferred stock, the Company accounted for this investment using the cost method. The Company recorded its investment as a long-term asset, investment in equity securities, on the Company's Summary Consolidated Balance Sheet. In July 2011 the Company entered into an agreement with ValveXchange to make available up to $2.0 million to ValveXchange in debt financing through a revolving credit facility ("ValveXchange Loan"). The ValveXchange Loan includes various affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenant requirements, and expires on July 30, 2018, unless terminated earlier. Amounts loaned under the ValveXchange Loan earn interest at an 8% annual rate and are secured by substantially all of the tangible and intangible assets of ValveXchange. The Company incurred loan origination costs, net of fees charged to ValveXchange, of approximately $117,000, which will be expensed on a straight-line basis over the life of the loan facility. The Company will record advances to ValveXchange as long-term notes receivable. As of September 30, 2011 there were no outstanding receivable balances under the ValveXchange Loan and the remaining availability was $2.0 million. Concurrently with the ValveXchange Loan described above, CryoLife entered into an option agreement with ValveXchange through which CryoLife obtained the right of first refusal to acquire ValveXchange during a period that extends through the completion of initial commercialization milestones and the right to negotiate with ValveXchange for European distribution rights.

Investment In ValveXchange

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Investment In ValveXchange [Abstract]

4. Investment in ValveXchange

In July 2011 the Company purchased approximately 2.4 million shares of series A preferred stock of ValveXchange, Inc. ("ValveXchange") for approximately $3.5 million. ValveXchange is a private medical device company that was spun off from Cleveland Clinic to develop a lifetime heart valve replacement technology platform featuring exchangeable bioprosthetic leaflets. The Company's carrying value of this investment includes the purchase price and certain transaction costs. CryoLife's investment represents an approximate 19% equity ownership in ValveXchange. As ValveXchange's stock is not actively traded on any public stock exchange and as the Company's investment is in preferred stock, the Company accounted for this investment using the cost method. The Company recorded its investment as a long-term asset, investment in equity securities, on the Company's Summary Consolidated Balance Sheet.

In July 2011 the Company entered into an agreement with ValveXchange to make available up to $2.0 million to ValveXchange in debt financing through a revolving credit facility ("ValveXchange Loan"). The ValveXchange Loan includes various affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenant requirements, and expires on July 30, 2018, unless terminated earlier. Amounts loaned under the ValveXchange Loan earn interest at an 8% annual rate and are secured by substantially all of the tangible and intangible assets of ValveXchange. The Company incurred loan origination costs, net of fees charged to ValveXchange, of approximately $117,000, which will be expensed on a straight-line basis over the life of the loan facility. The Company will record advances to ValveXchange as long-term notes receivable. As of September 30, 2011 there were no outstanding receivable balances under the ValveXchange Loan and the remaining availability was $2.0 million.

Concurrently with the ValveXchange Loan described above, CryoLife entered into an option agreement with ValveXchange through which CryoLife obtained the right of first refusal to acquire ValveXchange during a period that extends through the completion of initial commercialization milestones and the right to negotiate with ValveXchange for European distribution rights.