CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (USD $)	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] USD ($)	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] USD ($)	Accumulated Deficit [Member] USD ($)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] USD ($)	Total USD ($)
Balance at at Dec. 31, 2011		$ 57,000	$ 252,338,000	$ (242,449,000)	$ 0	$ 9,946,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Balance at (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011		56,594,683
Stock-based compensation expense		0	3,904,000	0	0	3,904,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan		0	1,157,000	0	0	1,157,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan (in shares)		450,512
Issuance of common stock under stock warrant agreement		0	256,000	0	0	256,000
Issuance of common stock under stock warrant agreement (in shares)		98,855
Sale of common stock, net		9,000	23,462,000	0	0	23,471,000
Sale of common stock, net (in shares)		8,770,000
Net loss for the year ended		0	0	(32,279,000)	0	(32,279,000)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Balance at at Dec. 31, 2012		66,000	281,117,000	(274,728,000)	0	6,455,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Balance at (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		65,914,050
Stock-based compensation expense		0	3,608,000	0	0	3,608,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan		0	225,000	0	0	225,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan (in shares)		338,325
Sale of common stock, net		5,000	17,811,000	0	0	17,816,000
Sale of common stock, net (in shares)		5,053,000
Allocation of fair value for debt-related warrants		0	949,000	0	0	949,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0	0	0	256,000	256,000
Net loss for the year ended		0	0	(26,177,000)	0	(26,177,000)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Balance at at Dec. 31, 2013		71,000	303,710,000	(300,905,000)	256,000	3,132,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Balance at (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	0	71,305,375				71,305,375us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
Stock-based compensation expense		0	3,101,000	0	0	3,101,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan		0	92,000	0	0	92,000
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan (in shares)		204,288
Issuance of common stock under stock warrant agreement		4,000	4,052,000	0	0
Issuance of common stock under stock warrant agreement (in shares)		4,042,733
Sale of common stock, net		8,000	18,582,000	0	0	18,590,000
Sale of common stock, net (in shares)		8,048,584
Issuance of Series A preferred stock 3.6% Convertible Preferred Stock, net		0	2,235,000	0	0	2,235,000cytx_IssuanceOfSeriesAPreferredStock
Issuance of Series A preferred stock 3.6% Convertible Preferred Stock, net (in shares)	13,500
Conversion of Series A 3.6% Convertible Preferred Stock into common stock		16,000	0	0	0	16,000
Conversion of Series A 3.6% Convertible Preferred Stock into common stock (in shares)	(8,189)	15,747,397
Issuance of common stock conversion of Series A preferred stock						4,056,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		0	0	0	444,000	444,000
Net loss for the year ended				(37,368,000)	0	(37,368,000)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Balance at at Dec. 31, 2014		$ 99,000	$ 331,772,000	$ (338,273,000)	$ 700,000	$ (5,702,000)us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Balance at (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	5,311	99,348,377				99,348,377us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding

Issuance of common stock for each share of convertible preferred stock that is converted.

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Number of common stock issued under stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan during the current period.

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Issuance of capital stock which provides for a specific dividend that is paid to the shareholders before any dividends to common stockholders and which takes precedence over common stockholders in the event of liquidation.

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This element represents the amount of recognized equity-based compensation during the period, that is, the amount recognized as expense in the income statement (or as asset if compensation is capitalized). Alternate captions include the words "stock-based compensation".

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Amount of increase in additional paid in capital (APIC) resulting from the issuance of warrants. Includes allocation of proceeds of debt securities issued with detachable stock purchase warrants.

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Number of shares of common stock outstanding. Common stock represent the ownership interest in a corporation.

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The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

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Amount after tax and reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

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Total of all stockholders' equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which are attributable to the parent. The amount of the economic entity's stockholders' equity attributable to the parent excludes the amount of stockholders' equity which is allocable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (noncontrolling interest, minority interest). This excludes temporary equity and is sometimes called permanent equity.

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Number of new stock issued during the period.

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Number of shares of stock issued during the period that is attributable to transactions involving issuance of stock not separately disclosed.

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The gross value of stock issued during the period upon the conversion of convertible securities.

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Equity impact of the value of new stock issued during the period. Includes shares issued in an initial public offering or a secondary public offering.

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Value of shares of stock issued during the period that is attributable to transactions involving issuance of stock not separately disclosed.

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Value of stock issued as a result of the exercise of stock options.

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