Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	9. Income Taxes Income Tax Expense The Company’s effective income tax rate was a benefit of approximately 27% for the three months ended March 31, 2017, as compared to an expense of 58% for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The Company’s income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was favorably affected by excess tax benefits, primarily related to the exercise of non-qualified stock options and the vesting of stock awards, as discussed in Note 1 above, which decreased income tax expense by approximately $1.1 million. The Company’s income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was unfavorably impacted by the tax treatment of certain expenses related to the On-X acquisition and by book-to-tax basis differences related to the HeRO Sale. Deferred Income Taxes The Company generates deferred tax assets primarily as a result of write-downs of inventory and deferred preservation costs; accruals for product and tissue processing liability claims; investment and asset impairments; and, in prior periods, due to operating losses. The Company acquired significant deferred tax assets, primarily net operating loss carryforwards, from its acquisitions of On-X in 2016, Hemosphere in 2012, and Cardiogenesis in 2011. The Company recorded significant deferred tax liabilities in 2016 related to the intangible assets acquired in the On-X acquisition. As of March 31, 2017 the Company maintained a total of $2.2 million in valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, related to state net operating loss carryforwards, and had a net deferred tax liability of $67,000. As of December 31, 2016 the Company had a total of $2.2 million in valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, related to state net operating loss carryforwards, and a net deferred tax liability of $7,000.

Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

9. Income Taxes

Income Tax Expense

The Company’s effective income tax rate was a benefit of approximately 27% for the three months ended March 31, 2017, as compared to an expense of 58% for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The Company’s income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was favorably affected by excess tax benefits, primarily related to the exercise of non-qualified stock options and the vesting of stock awards, as discussed in Note 1 above, which decreased income tax expense by approximately $1.1 million.

The Company’s income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was unfavorably impacted by the tax treatment of certain expenses related to the On-X acquisition and by book-to-tax basis differences related to the HeRO Sale.

Deferred Income Taxes

The Company generates deferred tax assets primarily as a result of write-downs of inventory and deferred preservation costs; accruals for product and tissue processing liability claims; investment and asset impairments; and, in prior periods, due to operating losses. The Company acquired significant deferred tax assets, primarily net operating loss carryforwards, from its acquisitions of On-X in 2016, Hemosphere in 2012, and Cardiogenesis in 2011. The Company recorded significant deferred tax liabilities in 2016 related to the intangible assets acquired in the On-X acquisition.

As of March 31, 2017 the Company maintained a total of $2.2 million in valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, related to state net operating loss carryforwards, and had a net deferred tax liability of $67,000. As of December 31, 2016 the Company had a total of $2.2 million in valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, related to state net operating loss carryforwards, and a net deferred tax liability of $7,000.