Description	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Description	1. Description Surmodics, Inc. and subsidiaries (“Surmodics” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of medical device and in vitro diagnostic technologies to the healthcare industry. The Company derives its revenue from three primary sources: (1) royalties and license fees from licensing our proprietary surface modification and device drug delivery technologies to customers; the vast majority (typically in excess of 90%) of revenue in the “royalties and license fees” category is in the form of royalties; (2) product revenues from the sale of reagent chemicals to licensees, the sale of stabilization products, antigens, substrates and surface coatings to the diagnostic and biomedical research markets as well as the sale of medical devices and related products (such as balloons and catheters) to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) suppliers and distributors; and (3) research and commercial development fees generated on customer projects. Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include all accounts and wholly-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S.”) (“GAAP”). All inter-company transactions have been eliminated.

1. Description

Surmodics, Inc. and subsidiaries (“Surmodics” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of medical device and in vitro diagnostic technologies to the healthcare industry. The Company derives its revenue from three primary sources: (1) royalties and license fees from licensing our proprietary surface modification and device drug delivery technologies to customers; the vast majority (typically in excess of 90%) of revenue in the “royalties and license fees” category is in the form of royalties; (2) product revenues from the sale of reagent chemicals to licensees, the sale of stabilization products, antigens, substrates and surface coatings to the diagnostic and biomedical research markets as well as the sale of medical devices and related products (such as balloons and catheters) to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) suppliers and distributors; and (3) research and commercial development fees generated on customer projects.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include all accounts and wholly-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S.”) (“GAAP”). All inter-company transactions have been eliminated.