Hansen Medical (HNSN) 10-Q 6 Nov 14 2014 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Document Information [Line Items]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Trading Symbol	'HNSN	'
Entity Registrant Name	'HANSEN MEDICAL INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001276591	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	132,516,598

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$34,224	$27,995
Short-term investments	1,931	1,945
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $21 and $554, as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	4,308	5,114
Inventories	11,687	12,203
Prepaids and other current assets	2,033	1,914
Total current assets	54,183	49,171
Property and equipment, net	2,811	3,641
Restricted cash	5,390	5,394
Other assets	1,281	2,953
Total assets	63,665	61,159
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	2,535	3,337
Accrued liabilities	4,593	3,934
Current portion of deferred revenue	2,820	2,912
Total current liabilities	9,948	10,183
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	154	203
Long-term debt	34,123	33,358
Other long-term liabilities	498	539
Total liabilities	44,723	44,283
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)	'	'
Stockholders' equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, par value $0.0001: Authorized: 10,000 shares; issued and outstanding: none	'	'
Common stock, par value $0.0001: Authorized: 200,000 shares; issued and outstanding: 132,672 and 99,014 shares at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	13	10
Additional paid-in capital	413,599	369,170
Accumulated other comprehensive income	323	360
Accumulated deficit	-394,993	-352,664
Total stockholders' equity	18,942	16,876
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$63,665	$61,159

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
Accounts receivable, allowance	$21	$554
Preferred stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000	10,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000	200,000
Common stock, shares issued	132,672	99,014
Common stock, shares outstanding	132,672	99,014

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues:	'	'	'	'
Product	$2,620	$3,834	$10,490	$7,494
Service	1,257	1,234	3,973	3,868
Total revenues	3,877	5,068	14,463	11,362
Cost of revenues:	'	'	'	'
Product	2,462	3,226	9,489	7,193
Service	714	502	1,973	1,784
Total cost of revenues	3,176	3,728	11,462	8,977
Gross profit	701	1,340	3,001	2,385
Operating expenses:	'	'	'	'
Research and development	4,905	3,827	14,129	12,417
Selling, general and administrative	7,158	7,703	24,465	23,718
Loss on settlement of litigation	'	'	'	4,500
Total operating expenses	12,063	11,530	38,594	40,635
Loss from operations	-11,362	-10,190	-35,593	-38,250
Warrant exchange	-2,914	'	-2,914	'
Loss on extinguishment of debt	'	-1,935	'	-1,935
Interest and other expense, net	-1,313	-1,036	-3,784	-3,556
Loss before income taxes	-15,589	-13,161	-42,291	-43,741
Income tax expense	-5	-40	-38	-93
Net loss	($15,594)	($13,201)	($42,329)	($43,834)
Basic and diluted net loss per share	($0.13)	($0.16)	($0.38)	($0.60)
Weighted average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share	120,228	84,145	111,917	73,081

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Net loss	($15,594)	($13,201)	($42,329)	($43,834)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net:	'	'	'	'
Change in unrealized gains and losses on investments	14	180	-27	248
Amount reclassified to other income (expense)	'	'	'	586	[1]
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-28	31	-10	11
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	-14	211	-37	845
Comprehensive loss	($15,608)	($12,990)	($42,366)	($42,989)
[1]	Reflects a $0.6 million other-than-temporary impairment loss on the Company's investment in Luna common stock as discussed in Note 3. This amount was reclassified in the quarter ended March 31, 2013, to interest and other expense, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Parenthetical) (Luna Innovations Incorporated, USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Luna Innovations Incorporated	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, other than temporary impairment recorded loss in interest and other expense	$0.60	$0.60

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014
			Series B and Series C
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'	'
Net loss	($42,329)	($43,834)	'
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:	'	'	'
Loss on settlement of litigation	'	4,500	'
Depreciation and amortization	2,029	2,309	'
Stock-based compensation	2,295	3,609	'
Warrant exchange	2,914	'	'
Amortization of common stock warrants	'	195	'
Payment-in-kind interest on loan	765	105	'
Net realized losses on investments	'	677	'
Loss on extinguishment of debt	'	1,935	'
Recovery of doubtful accounts	-100	'	'
Loss on sale of financing receivable	19	'	'
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'	'
Accounts receivable	906	941	'
Inventories	-264	-2,666	'
Deferred cost of revenues	27	-407	'
Prepaids and other current assets	-154	-65	'
Other assets	1,653	-50	'
Accounts payable	-802	226	'
Accrued liabilities	659	705	'
Deferred revenue	-141	626	'
Other long-term liabilities	-41	277	'
Net cash used in operating activities	-32,564	-30,917	'
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'	'
Purchase of property and equipment	-420	-430	'
Proceeds from sales and maturities of short-term investments	'	6,704	'
Change in restricted cash	5	-5,065	'
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	-415	1,209	'
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'	'
Net proceeds from exercise of warrants	'	'	23,100
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants	'	39,268	'
Proceeds from White Oak loans	'	33,000	'
Total repayments of Oxford loan	'	-32,058	'
Costs related to issuance of common stock and warrants	-151	-1,944	'
Costs related to loan financing	'	-1,538	'
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options	2,586	114	'
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	293	287	'
Withholding taxes paid on vested restricted stock units	-620	-16	'
Net cash provided by financing activities	39,208	37,113	'
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	6,229	7,405	'
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	27,995	32,749	'
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	34,224	40,154	'
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:	'	'	'
Equity issuance costs not yet paid	'	$197	'

The_Company

The Company	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
The Company	'
	1	The Company
	Nature of Operations
	Hansen Medical, Inc. (the “Company”) develops, manufactures and markets a new generation of medical robotics designed for accurate positioning, manipulation and stable control of catheters and catheter-based technologies. The Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware on September 23, 2002. The Company is headquartered in Mountain View, California. In March 2007, the Company established Hansen Medical UK Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary located in the United Kingdom and, in May 2007, the Company established Hansen Medical, GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary located in Germany. Both subsidiaries are engaged in marketing the Company’s products in Europe.
	Need to Raise Additional Capital
	From inception to September 30, 2014, the Company has incurred losses totaling approximately $395.0 million and has not generated positive cash flows from operations. The Company expects such losses to continue through at least the year ending December 31, 2014 as it continues to commercialize its technologies and develop new applications and technologies. The Company faces uncertainty related to the commercialization of its Magellan™ Robotic System and its projected revenue is heavily dependent on a successful commercialization of this system. The Company anticipates that its existing cash, cash equivalents, short-term investment and restricted cash balances as of September 30, 2014 and the estimated amounts received through the sale of its products and services will not be sufficient to meet its anticipated cash requirements for the next twelve months. In order to continue operations, the Company will need to raise additional funding and may attempt to do so at any time by selling equity or debt securities, licensing core or non-core intellectual property assets, entering into future research and development funding arrangements, refinancing or restructuring existing debt arrangements or entering into a credit facility in order to meet its continuing cash needs. The Company cannot guarantee that future equity or debt financing or credit facilities will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to it, if at all, nor can the Company guarantee that it will be able to license core or non-core intellectual property assets or enter into future research and development funding arrangements. If such financing, licensing, funding or credit arrangements do not meet the Company’s current and longer term needs or if future sales do not meet the Company’s current forecast, the Company may be required to extend its existing cash and liquidity by adopting cost-cutting measures, including reductions in its work force, reducing the scope of, delaying or eliminating some or all of its planned research, development and commercialization activities and/or reducing marketing, customer support or other resources devoted to the Company’s products. Any of these factors could harm the Company’s financial condition. Failure to meet projected revenue levels, raise additional funding or manage spending may adversely impact the Company’s ability to achieve its long term intended business objectives. The Company will continue to evaluate its financial condition based upon changing future economic conditions and the achievement of estimated revenue, and will consider the implementation of cost reductions if and as circumstances warrant.
	Going Concern
	These condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis that contemplates the realization of assets and discharge of liabilities in the normal course of business. As of September 30, 2014, the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted cash balances were $41.5 million. The Company incurred a net loss of $42.3 million and negative cash flows from operations of $32.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. In addition, the Company is also subject to minimum liquidity requirements under its existing borrowing arrangements with White Oak Global Advisors, LLC which require the Company to maintain $15.0 million in liquidity at all times, consisting of at least $13.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments, of which $5.0 million is required to be restricted subject to lenders’ control, and $2.0 million in accounts receivable. Based on the Company’s current operating projections, the Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its anticipated cash requirements through the next twelve months. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. In order to continue its operations, the Company will need to either obtain sufficient additional financing or adopt cost-cutting measures to sufficiently extend its cash and liquidity. There can be no assurance, however, that such a financing will be successfully completed on terms acceptable to the Company or that the Company can implement cost cutting measures sufficient to extend its cash and liquidity. Management is currently considering various financing alternatives. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	2	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (the “condensed consolidated financial statements”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and therefore do not contain all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for annual financial statements. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013 was derived from audited financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, these unaudited statements include all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year or any other interim period. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 as filed with the SEC.
	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates relate to the recognition of revenue, the evaluation of customer credit risk, the valuation of investments, inventory valuations, the determination of impairment of assets, stock-based compensation, loss contingencies and the valuation of its warrants, deferred tax assets, among others. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from the sale of the Sensei system and the Magellan Robotic System and the associated catheters as well as the sale of customer service contracts, which includes post-contract customer support (“PCS”). The Company sells its products directly to customers as well as through distributors. Under the Company’s revenue recognition policy, revenues are recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title and risk of loss has passed, delivery to the customer has occurred or the services have been fully rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is probable.
		•		Persuasive Evidence of an Arrangement. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement for sales of systems is generally determined by a sales contract signed and dated by both the customer and the Company, including approved terms and conditions and the receipt of an approved purchase order. Evidence of an arrangement for the sale of disposable products is determined through an approved purchase order from the customer. Evidence of an arrangement for the sale of customer service is determined through either a signed sales contract or an approved purchase order from the customer. Sales to customers are generally not subject to any performance, cancellation, termination or return rights.
		•		Delivery.
		•		Systems and Disposable Products. Typically, ownership of systems, catheters and other disposable products passes to customers upon shipment, at which time delivery is deemed to be complete.
		•		Customer Service Revenue. The Company recognizes customer service revenue from the sale of its PCS contracts which includes planned and corrective maintenance services, software updates, bug fixes, and warranty. Revenue from customer services, whether sold individually or as a separate unit of accounting in a multi-element arrangement, is deferred and amortized over the service period, which is typically one year.
		•		Multiple-element Arrangements. It is common for the sale of Sensei and Magellan systems to include multiple elements which have standalone value and qualify as separate units of accounting. These elements commonly include the sale of the system and a product maintenance plan, in addition to installation of the system and initial training. Less commonly, these elements may include the sale of certain disposable products or other elements. For multiple-element arrangements revenue is allocated to each element based on their relative selling prices. Relative selling prices are based first on vendor specified objective evidence (“VSOE”), then on third-party evidence of selling price (“TPE”) when VSOE does not exist, and then on management’s best estimate of the selling price (“ESP”) when VSOE and TPE do not exist. Because the Company has neither VSOE nor TPE for its system, the allocation of revenue is based on ESP for the systems sold. The objective of ESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale, had the product been sold on a stand-alone basis. The Company determines ESP for its systems by considering multiple factors, including, but not limited to, features and functionality of the system, geographies, type of customer, and market conditions. The Company regularly reviews ESP and maintains internal controls over the establishment and updates of these estimates.
		•		Sales Price Fixed or Determinable. The Company assesses whether the sales price is fixed or determinable at the time of the transaction. Sales prices are documented in the executed sales contract or purchase order received prior to shipment The Company’s standard terms do not allow for contingencies, such as trial or evaluation periods, refundable orders, payments contingent upon the customer obtaining financing or other contingencies which would impact the customer’s obligation. In situations where these or other contingencies are included, all related revenue is deferred until the contingency is resolved. In the third quarter of 2012, the Company began shipping systems under a limited commercial evaluation program to allow certain strategic accounts to install and utilize systems for a limited trial period of three to six months while the purchase opportunity is being evaluated by the hospital. Systems under this program remain the property of the Company and are recorded in inventory and a sale only occurs upon the issuance of a purchase order from the customer.
		•		Collectability. The Company assesses whether collection is probable based on a number of factors, including the customer’s past transaction history and credit worthiness. If collection of the sales price is not deemed probable, the revenue is deferred and recognized at the time collection becomes probable, which is usually upon receipt of cash. The Company’s sales contracts generally do not allow the customer the right of cancellation, refund or return, except as provided under the Company’s standard warranty. If such rights were allowed, all related revenues would be deferred until such rights expired.
	Significant management judgments and estimates are made in connection with the determination of revenue to be recognized and the period in which it is recognized. If different judgments and estimates were utilized, the amount of revenue to be recognized and the period in which it is recognized could differ materially from the amounts reported.
	Concentration of Credit Risk
	The Company had three customers who constituted 15%, 14% and 13%, respectively, of the Company’s accounts receivable at September 30, 2014. The Company had three customers who constituted 26%, 22%, and 10%, respectively of the Company’s net accounts receivable at December 31, 2013. As of September 30, 2014, the Company has not experienced any significant losses on its accounts receivable.
	Three customers accounted for 19%, 14% and 11%, respectively of total revenues during the three months ended September 30, 2014. One customer accounted for 18% of revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2014. Two customers accounted for 35% and 12%, respectively of total revenues during the three months ended September 30, 2013. One customer accounted for 16% of revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2013.
	Fair Value Measurements
	GAAP defines fair value as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, authoritative guidance establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
	•    Level 1 Inputs		Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	•    Level 2 Inputs		Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly.
	•    Level 3 Inputs		Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the Company to develop its own assumptions.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In August 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The ASU provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if “conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The ASU applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. The Company has been assessing the going concern issue since 2010 on an interim and annual basis and will continue to assess whether the financial conditions based on this new guidance have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or footnotes.
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. This new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of ASU2014-09 on its consolidated financial statements.
	In July 2013, FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. The standard became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2014. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2014. The adoption of ASU 2013-11 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Fair_Value_of_Assets_and_Liabi

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities	'
	3	Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities
	Cash, Cash Equivalents, Investments and Restricted Cash
	The following table summarize the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses, and fair value of the Company’s cash and available-for-sale securities by investment category that are recorded as cash and cash equivalents, or short-term investments or restricted cash as of September 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
			Amortized		Gross		Gross		Fair		Balance Sheet Classification
			Cost		Unrealized		Unrealized		Value
					Gains		Losses				Cash and		Short-term		Restricted
											cash		Investments		Cash
											Equivalents
	September 30, 2014:
	Cash		$	798	$	—	$	—	$	798	$	798	$	—	$	—
	Level 1
	Money market funds			38,816		—		—		38,816		33,426		—		5,390
	Corporate equity securities			1,572		359		—		1,931		—		1,931		—
	Total assets measured at fair value		$	40,388	$	359	$	—	$	40,747	$	33,426	$	1,931	$	5,390
			$	41,186	$	359	$	—	$	41,545	$	34,224	$	1,931	$	5,390
	December 31, 2013:
	Cash		$	1,665	$	—	$	—	$	1,665	$	1,665	$	—	$	—
	Level 1
	Money market funds			31,724		—		—		31,724		26,330		—		5,394
	Corporate equity securities			1,572		373		—		1,945		—		1,945		—
	Total assets measured at fair value		$	33,296	$	373	$	—	$	33,669	$	26,330	$	1,945	$	5,394
			$	34,961	$	373	$	—	$	35,334	$	27,995	$	1,945	$	5,394
	This hierarchy requires the use of observable market data when available and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value. Investment instruments valued using Level 1 inputs include money market securities and certain of the corporate equity securities which were obtained by the Company as part of the Luna litigation settlement and are currently marketable.
	The Company periodically assesses whether significant facts and circumstance have arisen to indicate that an other than temporary impairment of the fair value of any underlying investment has occurred. In fiscal year 2013, the Company determined that there was an other than temporary impairment of its investment in Luna Innovations’, or Luna, which the Company received as part of a litigation settlement entered into in January 2010 and had recorded as a corporate equity security. As such, the Company wrote down the value of that investment and recorded a loss of $0.6 million in other expense in the consolidated statement of operations. No investments have been in an unrealized loss position for longer than twelve months.
	Long-term Debt
	The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt was estimated to be $34.0 million as of September 30, 2014 and $33.1 million as of December 31, 2013 based on an internal valuation model that utilized the then-current rates available to the Company for debt of a similar term and remaining maturity, which constitutes Level 2 inputs under the fair value hierarchy and there were no changes in the valuation technique used. Considerable judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop estimates of fair value. Accordingly, the fair value estimate presented herein is not necessarily indicative of the amount that the Company or holders of the instruments could realize in a current market exchange. The use of different assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on the estimated fair value. See Note 8 for further information regarding the Company’s long-term debt.

Inventories

Inventories	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventories	'
	4	Inventories (in thousands)
			September 30,		December 31,
			2014		2013
	Raw materials		$	4,912	$	4,167
	Work in process			4,188		5,285
	Finished goods			2,587		2,751
	Total Inventories		$	11,687	$	12,203

Agreements_with_Intuitive_Surg

Agreements with Intuitive Surgical	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Agreements with Intuitive Surgical	'
	5	Agreements with Intuitive Surgical
	In October 2012, the Company signed an updated license agreement with Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (collectively, “Intuitive Surgical”), under which Intuitive Surgical paid the Company a $20 million licensing fee, and a stock purchase agreement to sell 5,291,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to Intuitive Surgical for an aggregate purchase price of $10 million. The amendment of the license agreement is an update to the co-exclusive cross license agreement signed by the companies in 2005. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Intuitive Surgical’s existing co-exclusive rights to the Company’s patent portfolio to certain non-vascular procedures have been extended to include patents filed or conceived by the Company subsequent to the original 2005 agreement up to and including the period three years subsequent to the amendment. However, the Company has no obligations to conduct any research activities under the amendment. The Company retains the right to use its intellectual property for all clinical applications, both vascular and non-vascular. The Company has minimum royalty obligations of $200,000 per year under the terms of its cross license agreement with Intuitive Surgical. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred cost in the amount of $0.04 million and $0.2 million, respectively related to the royalty obligation to Intuitive Surgical.

Agreements_with_Philips

Agreements with Philips	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Agreements with Philips	'
	6	Agreements with Philips
	In February 2011, the Company entered, directly and through a wholly-owned subsidiary, into patent and technology license, sublicense and purchase agreements with Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V, or Philips, to allow them to develop and commercialize the non-robotic applications of the Company’s Fiber Optic Shape Sensing and Localization (“FOSSL”) technology. Under the terms of the agreements, Philips has the exclusive right to develop and commercialize the FOSSL technology in the non-robotic vascular, endoluminal and orthopedic fields. Philips also receives non-exclusive rights in other non-robotic medical device fields, but not to any multi-degree of freedom robotic applications. If Philips does not meet certain specified commercialization obligations, the Company has the rights to re-acquire the licenses granted to Philips for pre-determined payments, which payments in the aggregate would be greater than the upfront payment amounts received by the Company from Philips in connection with the agreements related to the FOSSL technology.
	Also in February 2011, the Company amended its extended joint development agreement with Philips, increasing the amount of funding provided by Philips for the development of the Vascular System and potentially extending and increasing certain royalty fees to be paid to Philips based on sales of the Company’s Magellan Robotic System, subject to caps based on the amounts Philips contributes to the development of the system. Under the amendment, the Company will be eligible to receive up to an additional $78.0 million in future payments associated with the successful commercialization by Philips or its collaborators of products containing FOSSL technology. Approximately two-thirds of these potential future payments could arise from Philips’ sublicensing the FOSSL technology and approximately one-third of the potential future payments are based on Philips’ royalty obligations on any of its sales of products containing the FOSSL technology. The Company would receive less than half of Philips’ proceeds for its sublicensing FOSSL technology, if and following Philips entering into an applicable sublicensing transaction. Philips’ FOSSL-related royalty obligations are calculated on a consistent annual basis between 2014 and 2020 and arise in any year only to the extent that Philips achieves a substantial number of commercial placements of FOSSL-enabled products in the calendar year. The Company has royalty obligations under the amended joint development agreement with Philips which provides for the payment of royalties to Philips through October 2017. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company has no minimum obligation with Philips, the royalty obligation is based on per unit sales of the Magellan systems and vascular catheters. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred cost in the amount of $0.1 million and $0.8 million, respectively related to the royalty obligations to Philips.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	7	Commitments and Contingencies
	Operating Commitments
	The Company leases its office and laboratory facilities in Mountain View, California under an operating lease which expires in January 2020, with an option to extend the lease for another five years. The Company also leases approximately 3,300 square feet of office space in London, England, under an operating lease that ends in June 2020, but the Company has an option to exit the lease in 2015.
	As of September 30, 2014, future minimum payments under the leases are as follows (in thousands):
	Years ending December 31,		Future Minimum
			Lease Payments
	2014 (remainder of year)		$	536
	2015			1,977
	2016			2,141
	2017			2,205
	Thereafter			4,415
	Total		$	11,274
	Rent expense on a straight-line basis was $0.7 million and $2.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, and was $0.6 million and $1.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively.
	Other
	The Company has minimum royalty obligations of $100,000 per year under a license agreement with Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. which reduces to $55,000 per year if the license becomes non-exclusive. The royalty obligation expires in 2018. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred cost in the amount of $0.02 million and $0.1 million, respectively related to the royalty obligations to Mitsubishi.
	Legal Proceedings
	From time to time, the Company is involved in litigation that it believes is of the type common to companies engaged in its line of business, including commercial disputes and employment issues. As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company was not involved in any pending legal proceedings that it believes could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. From time to time, the Company may pursue litigation to assert its legal right and such litigation may be costly and divert the efforts and attention of its management and technical personnel which could adversely affect its business.

Longterm_Debt

Long-term Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Long-term Debt	'
	8	Long-term Debt
	Oxford Loan
	In December 2011, the Company entered into a $30.0 million loan and security agreement with Oxford Finance LLC and Silicon Valley Bank (the “Oxford Loan”). Under the agreement, the Company was obligated to pay interest only payments on the Oxford Loan through June 30, 2013, following which time the Oxford Loan required interest and principal payments through January 1, 2016. The Oxford Loan accrued interest at a stated rate of 9.45% and included an additional final interest payment of 3.95% of the original principal amount. The Oxford Loan provided for a prepayment option that allowed the Company to prepay all of the outstanding principal balance, subject to a pre-payment fee. In connection with the Oxford Loan, the Company issued warrants to purchase 660,793 shares of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $2.27 per share and expire in December 2018.
	In August 2013, the Oxford Loan was fully repaid and extinguished under the loan agreement’s prepayment option. The Company paid a final interest balloon of $1.2 million plus accrued interest and a prepayment penalty. Following the repayment of the Oxford Loan, the Company recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $1.9 million, which included $0.9 million prepayment penalty, $0.5 million additional end of term payment and $0.5 million unamortized discount from warrants and issuance costs.
	White Oak Loan
	In July 2013, the Company executed a secured term loan agreement with White Oak Global Advisors, LLC (“White Oak”), as a lender and agent for several lenders. On August 23, 2013, the loan agreement was amended and restated and the loan was funded. The amended loan agreement provides for term loan debt financing of $33.0 million with a single principal balloon payment due at maturity on December 30, 2017. Cash interest accrues at an 11.0% per annum rate and is payable quarterly. Additionally, a 3.0% per annum payment-in-kind accrues quarterly and is accretive to the principal amount owed under the agreement. Substantially all of the proceeds from the loan were used to fully repay and extinguish the Oxford Loan. In connection with the loan, the Company incurred costs of approximately $1.5 million including payments to the lender agent totaling $0.7 million and the placement agent totaling $0.3 million that in aggregate are accounted for as debt issuance costs and amortized to interest expense over the life of the loan. Under the amended loan agreement, the Company is obligated to pay White Oak certain servicing, administration and monitoring fees of $32,000 annually. The Company may prepay all or a portion of the outstanding principal balance, subject to paying a prepayment fee of 3.5% of the principal amount of the loan prepaid if the prepayment is made on or before the third anniversary of the funding of the loan or 1.0% of the principal amount of the loan prepaid if the prepayment is made after the third anniversary and on or before the fourth anniversary of the funding of the loan. The Company is also required to make mandatory prepayments upon certain events of loss and certain dispositions of the Company’s assets as described in the amended loan agreement. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized expense of $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively, for the amortization of debt issuance costs related to the White Oak loan.
	The loan is collateralized by substantially all of the Company’s assets then owned or thereafter acquired, other than its intellectual property, and all proceeds and products thereof. Two of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, AorTx, Inc. and Hansen Medical International, Inc., have entered into agreements to guarantee the Company’s obligations under the amended loan agreement and have granted first priority security interests in their assets, excluding any of their intellectual property, to secure their guarantee obligations. Under the amended loan agreement, neither the Company nor AorTx, Inc. and Hansen Medical International, Inc. may grant a lien on any intellectual property to third parties. The Company additionally agreed to pledge to lenders shares of each of its direct and indirect subsidiaries as collateral for the loan. Pursuant to the loan agreement, the Company is subject to certain affirmative and negative covenants and also to minimum liquidity requirements which require the Company to maintain $15.0 million in liquidity at all times, consisting of at least $13.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments, of which $5.0 million is required to be restricted subject to lenders’ control, and $2.0 million in accounts receivable. The loan also limits the Company’s ability to (a) undergo certain change of control events; (b) convey, sell, lease, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of any of its assets; (c) create, incur, assume, or be liable with respect to certain indebtedness, not including, among other items, subordinated debt; (d) grant liens; (e) pay dividends and make certain other restricted payments; (f) make certain investments; (g) make payments on any subordinated debt; or (h) enter into transactions with any of its affiliates outside of the ordinary course of business, or permit its subsidiaries to do the same. The Company is also required to make mandatory prepayments upon certain events of loss and certain dispositions of its assets described in the amended loan agreement. In the event the Company were to violate any covenants or if White Oak has reason to believe that the Company has violated any covenants including a significant adverse event clause, and such violations are not cured pursuant to the terms of the loan and security agreement, the Company would be in default under the loan and security agreement, which would entitle lenders to exercise their remedies, including the right to accelerate the debt, upon which the Company may be required to repay all amounts then outstanding under the loan and security agreement. As of September 30, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants.
	Future annual payments due on the debt (including interest) outstanding as of September 30, 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
	Years ending December 31,
	2014 (remainder of year)		$	959
	2015			3,879
	2016			4,009
	2017			41,782
	Total remaining payments			50,629
	Less: Amount representing interest			(16,506	)
				34,123
	Less: Current portion of long-term debt			—
	Long-term debt, net of current portion		$	34,123

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Stockholders' Equity	'
	9	Stockholders’ Equity
	2013 Private Placement Transaction
	On July 30, 2013, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement to sell an aggregate of 28,455,284 shares of its common stock at a per share price of $1.23 and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 34,146,339 shares of common stock at a per warrant price of $0.125 in a private placement transaction. The warrants are comprised of the following three series: Series A warrants exercisable for an aggregate 11,382,117 shares of common stock, with an exercise price equal to $1.23 (the “Series A Warrants”); Series B warrants exercisable for an aggregate 11,382,111 shares of common stock, with an exercise price equal to $1.50 per share (the “Series B Warrants”); and Series C warrants exercisable for an aggregate 11,382,111 shares of common stock, with an exercise price equal to $2.00 per share (the “Series C Warrants”). The financing resulted in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $39.3 million prior to placement fees and offering costs of approximately $2.1 million. At the closing of the private placement financing, the Company entered into an investor rights agreement with the purchasers of the shares and warrants in which the Company agreed to file a registration statement covering resale of the shares (which occurred in November 2013) and the purchasers agreed not to transact in any shares of the Company’s common stock for a one-year period following the closing, subject to certain exceptions. In the first quarter of 2014, subsequent to the receipt of regulatory approval for the new Magellan 6Fr Robotic Catheter in the U.S., Series A warrants for 11.4 million shares of the Company’s common stock were exercised for total proceeds of $14.0 million in accordance with the terms and conditions of a securities purchase agreement dated July 30, 2013. All of the Series A Warrants were mandatorily exercised in the first quarter of 2014 pursuant to the Company’s achievement of a regulatory milestone as set forth in the Series A Warrants.
	2014 Warrant Exchange
	On July 30, 2014, the Company entered into a definitive agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with certain warrantholders to cancel and exchange (the “Exchange”) an aggregate of 10,221,173 of the Company’s outstanding Series B Warrants and an aggregate of 10,221,173 of the Company’s outstanding Series C Warrants. In exchange, the Company issued warrants (the “Exchange Warrants”) to purchase an aggregate of 26,728,369 shares of common stock. The Exchange was completed in August 2014.
	The Exchange Warrants are comprised of the following two tranches: (a) Series B/C Exchange Warrants (“Series B/C Exchange Warrants”) exercisable for an aggregate of 20,442,346 shares of common stock, with an exercise price equal to $1.13 per share, the NASDAQ consolidated closing bid price for the Common Stock on July 29, 2014, the last completed trading day before the Exchange Agreement was executed (the “Closing Bid Price”); and (b) Series D Warrants (“Series D Warrants”) exercisable for an aggregate of 6,286,023 shares of common stock, with an exercise price equal to the Closing Bid Price. The Series B/C Exchange Warrants were subject to mandatory exercise within 14 days of issuance and were exercised in August 2014, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $23.1 million. The Series D Warrants have an exercise period of five years, and if fully exercised, would result in additional gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $7.1 million. The Series B Warrants and Series C Warrants previously carried an expiration date of August 2015. The remaining Series B Warrants and Series C Warrants not included in the Exchange will remain outstanding until their exercise or expiration.
	As a result of a change in the terms and conditions of the Series B and C Warrants, the transaction was treated as a modification of the original award using the accounting guidance in ASC 718-20-35-3, this guidance implies that the entity repurchases the original instrument by issuing a new instrument of equal or greater value, incurring additional incremental value. Incremental cost shall be measured as the excess, if any, of the fair value of the modified award over the fair value of the original award immediately before its terms are modified, measured based on the share price, Black-Scholes options pricing model and other pertinent factors at that date. These variables include the Company’s expected stock price volatility over the term of the award, expected term, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate. The Company recorded $2.9 million warrant exchange charge in the condensed consolidated statement of operations during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 based upon the difference between the fair value of the Series B and C Warrants immediately prior to the exchange and the fair value of the newly issued Series B/C Exchange and Series D Warrants.

Stockbased_Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Stock-based Compensation	'
	10	Stock-based Compensation
	Total stock-based compensation expense consisted of the following (in thousands):
			Three months ended						Nine months ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2014			2013			2014		2013
	Cost of goods sold		$	294		$	45		$	375	$	308
	Research and development			254			325			656		1,012
	Selling, general and administrative			332			819			1,264		2,289
	Total		$	880		$	1,189		$	2,295	$	3,609
	The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options. The determination of the fair value of stock options on the date of grant is affected by our stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include the Company’s expected stock price volatility over the term of the award, expected term, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate. The Company estimates the expected term based on its historical experience of grants, exercise pattern and post-vesting cancellations. The Company considered its historical volatility over the expected term and implied volatility of traded stock options in developing its estimate of volatility. The estimated grant date fair values of the employee stock options issued under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan for the periods presented were calculated using the following assumptions:
	Employee Stock Options:		Three months ended			Nine months ended
			September 30,			September 30,
			2014		2013	2014		2013
	Expected volatility		82%		81%-83%	72%-74%		81%-89%
	Risk-free interest rate		0.5%-1.5%		1.1%-1.4%	1.1%-1.5%		0.6%-1.4%
	Expected term (in years)		4.38		4.45-4.48	4.34		4.38-4.48
	Expected dividend rate		0%		0%	0%		0%
	The estimated fair values of the shares issued under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan were calculated using the following assumptions:
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:		Three and nine months ended
			September 30,
			2014		2013
	Expected volatility		99%-111%		57%-72%
	Risk-free interest rate		0.10%		0.07%-0.1%
	Expected term (in years)		0.5		0.5
	Expected dividend rate		0%		0%
	Stock Option and Equity Incentive Plans
	The following table summarizes the Option activity under the Company’s equity incentive plans for the period ended September 30, 2014:
			Options			Weighted-			Weighted-		Aggregate
			Outstanding			Average			Average		Intrinsic Value
						Exercise Price			Remaining
									Contractual
									Term
			(In thousands)						(In years)		(In thousands)
	Balance at December 31, 2013			7,779		$	3.24			4.79	$	169
	Options granted			2,172		$	1.89
	Options exercised			(1,238	)	$	2.09				$	621
	Options cancelled			(3,252	)	$	3.99
	Balance at September 30, 2014			5,461		$	2.52			6.37	$	4
	Options vested at September 30, 2014			2,284		$	3.28			4.68	$	4
	Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014			5,418		$	2.53			6.36	$	4
	As of September 30, 2014, total unamortized stock-based compensation related to unvested stock options was $3.2 million, with a weighted-average recognition period of 2.48 years.
	Restricted stock unit activity under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan is as follows:
			Restricted Stock			Weighted-
			Units			Average Fair
			Outstanding			Value When
						Awarded
			(In thousands)
	Balance at December 31, 2013			1,318		$	1.99
	Awarded			500		$	1.85
	Vested			(624	)	$	2
	Cancelled			(452	)	$	2.04
	Balance at September 30, 2014			742		$	1.86
	As of September 30, 2014, total unamortized stock-based compensation related to unvested restricted stock units was $0.6 million, with a weighted-average remaining recognition period of 3.35 years.
	As of September 30, 2014, 6,210,123 shares of common stock were available for grant under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Taxes	'
	11	Income Taxes
	The Company’s tax provision for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $38,000, which primarily related to foreign taxes. The Company currently has uncertain tax positions related to research and development credits. If the Company is able to eventually recognize these uncertain tax positions, all of the unrecognized benefit would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company currently has a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax asset which would impact the timing of the effective tax rate benefit should any of these uncertain tax positions be favorably settled in the future.

Net_Loss_Per_Share

Net Loss Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Net Loss Per Share	'
	12	Net Loss Per Share
	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share (in thousands, except per share data):
			Three months ended						Nine months ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2014			2013			2014			2013
	Net loss		$	(15,594	)	$	(13,201	)	$	(42,329	)	$	(43,834	)
	Weighted average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share			120,228			84,145			111,917			73,081
	Basic and diluted net loss per share		$	(0.13	)	$	(0.16	)	$	(0.38	)	$	(0.60	)
	The following table sets forth potential shares of common stock equivalents that are not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share due to the anti-dilutive affect they would have for each period presented (in thousands):
			September 30,
			2014			2013
	Stock options outstanding			5,461			8,116
	Unvested restricted stock units			742			1,616
	Estimated shares issuable under the employee stock purchase plan			294			152
	Warrants			9,269			34,807

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	'
	13. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
	The component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2014								Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Unrealized		Foreign			Total			Unrealized			Foreign			Total
		Gains (Losses)		Currency						Gains (Losses)			Currency
		on Securities		Translation						on Securities			Translation
				Gains									Gains
				(Losses)									(Losses)
	Beginning balance	$	332	$	5		$	337		$	373		$	(13	)	$	360
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		14		(28	)		(14	)		(27	)		(10	)		(37	)
	Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—		—			—			—			—			—
	Net current-period other comprehensive loss		14		(28	)		(14	)		(27	)		(10	)		(37	)
	Ending balance	$	346	$	(23	)	$	323		$	346		$	(23	)	$	323
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013								Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Unrealized		Foreign			Total			Unrealized			Foreign			Total
		Gains (Losses)		Currency						Gains			Currency
		on Securities		Translation						(Losses)			Translation
				Gains						on Securities			Gains
				(Losses)									(Losses)
	Beginning balance	$	124	$	(68	)	$	56		$	(530	)	$	(48	)	$	(578	)
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		180		31			211			248			11			259
	Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—		—			—			586			—			586
	Net current-period other comprehensive income		180		31			211			834			11			845
	Ending balance	$	304	$	(37	)	$	267		$	304		$	(37	)	$	267
	The reclassification primarily relates to an other-than-temporary impairment loss of $0.6 million on the Company’s investment in Luna common stock as discussed in Note 3. This amount was reclassified in the quarter ended March 31, 2013, to interest and other expense, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (the “condensed consolidated financial statements”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and therefore do not contain all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for annual financial statements. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013 was derived from audited financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, these unaudited statements include all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year or any other interim period. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 as filed with the SEC.
	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates relate to the recognition of revenue, the evaluation of customer credit risk, the valuation of investments, inventory valuations, the determination of impairment of assets, stock-based compensation, loss contingencies and the valuation of its warrants, deferred tax assets, among others. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from the sale of the Sensei system and the Magellan Robotic System and the associated catheters as well as the sale of customer service contracts, which includes post-contract customer support (“PCS”). The Company sells its products directly to customers as well as through distributors. Under the Company’s revenue recognition policy, revenues are recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title and risk of loss has passed, delivery to the customer has occurred or the services have been fully rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is probable.
		•	Persuasive Evidence of an Arrangement. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement for sales of systems is generally determined by a sales contract signed and dated by both the customer and the Company, including approved terms and conditions and the receipt of an approved purchase order. Evidence of an arrangement for the sale of disposable products is determined through an approved purchase order from the customer. Evidence of an arrangement for the sale of customer service is determined through either a signed sales contract or an approved purchase order from the customer. Sales to customers are generally not subject to any performance, cancellation, termination or return rights.
		•	Delivery.
		•	Systems and Disposable Products. Typically, ownership of systems, catheters and other disposable products passes to customers upon shipment, at which time delivery is deemed to be complete.
		•	Customer Service Revenue. The Company recognizes customer service revenue from the sale of its PCS contracts which includes planned and corrective maintenance services, software updates, bug fixes, and warranty. Revenue from customer services, whether sold individually or as a separate unit of accounting in a multi-element arrangement, is deferred and amortized over the service period, which is typically one year.
		•	Multiple-element Arrangements. It is common for the sale of Sensei and Magellan systems to include multiple elements which have standalone value and qualify as separate units of accounting. These elements commonly include the sale of the system and a product maintenance plan, in addition to installation of the system and initial training. Less commonly, these elements may include the sale of certain disposable products or other elements. For multiple-element arrangements revenue is allocated to each element based on their relative selling prices. Relative selling prices are based first on vendor specified objective evidence (“VSOE”), then on third-party evidence of selling price (“TPE”) when VSOE does not exist, and then on management’s best estimate of the selling price (“ESP”) when VSOE and TPE do not exist. Because the Company has neither VSOE nor TPE for its system, the allocation of revenue is based on ESP for the systems sold. The objective of ESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale, had the product been sold on a stand-alone basis. The Company determines ESP for its systems by considering multiple factors, including, but not limited to, features and functionality of the system, geographies, type of customer, and market conditions. The Company regularly reviews ESP and maintains internal controls over the establishment and updates of these estimates.
		•	Sales Price Fixed or Determinable. The Company assesses whether the sales price is fixed or determinable at the time of the transaction. Sales prices are documented in the executed sales contract or purchase order received prior to shipment The Company’s standard terms do not allow for contingencies, such as trial or evaluation periods, refundable orders, payments contingent upon the customer obtaining financing or other contingencies which would impact the customer’s obligation. In situations where these or other contingencies are included, all related revenue is deferred until the contingency is resolved. In the third quarter of 2012, the Company began shipping systems under a limited commercial evaluation program to allow certain strategic accounts to install and utilize systems for a limited trial period of three to six months while the purchase opportunity is being evaluated by the hospital. Systems under this program remain the property of the Company and are recorded in inventory and a sale only occurs upon the issuance of a purchase order from the customer.
		•	Collectability. The Company assesses whether collection is probable based on a number of factors, including the customer’s past transaction history and credit worthiness. If collection of the sales price is not deemed probable, the revenue is deferred and recognized at the time collection becomes probable, which is usually upon receipt of cash. The Company’s sales contracts generally do not allow the customer the right of cancellation, refund or return, except as provided under the Company’s standard warranty. If such rights were allowed, all related revenues would be deferred until such rights expired.
	Significant management judgments and estimates are made in connection with the determination of revenue to be recognized and the period in which it is recognized. If different judgments and estimates were utilized, the amount of revenue to be recognized and the period in which it is recognized could differ materially from the amounts reported.
Concentration of Credit Risk	'
	Concentration of Credit Risk
	The Company had three customers who constituted 15%, 14% and 13%, respectively, of the Company’s accounts receivable at September 30, 2014. The Company had three customers who constituted 26%, 22%, and 10%, respectively of the Company’s net accounts receivable at December 31, 2013. As of September 30, 2014, the Company has not experienced any significant losses on its accounts receivable.
	Three customers accounted for 19%, 14% and 11%, respectively of total revenues during the three months ended September 30, 2014. One customer accounted for 18% of revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2014. Two customers accounted for 35% and 12%, respectively of total revenues during the three months ended September 30, 2013. One customer accounted for 16% of revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2013.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In August 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The ASU provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if “conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The ASU applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. The Company has been assessing the going concern issue since 2010 on an interim and annual basis and will continue to assess whether the financial conditions based on this new guidance have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or footnotes.
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. This new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of ASU2014-09 on its consolidated financial statements.
	In July 2013, FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. The standard became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2014. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2014. The adoption of ASU 2013-11 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Fair_Value_of_Assets_and_Liabi1

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Amortized Cost, Gross Unrealized Gains, Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Value of Cash and Available-for-Sale Securities by Investment Category	'
	The following table summarize the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses, and fair value of the Company’s cash and available-for-sale securities by investment category that are recorded as cash and cash equivalents, or short-term investments or restricted cash as of September 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
		Amortized		Gross		Gross		Fair		Balance Sheet Classification
		Cost		Unrealized		Unrealized		Value
				Gains		Losses				Cash and		Short-term		Restricted
										cash		Investments		Cash
										Equivalents
	September 30, 2014:
	Cash	$	798	$	—	$	—	$	798	$	798	$	—	$	—
	Level 1
	Money market funds		38,816		—		—		38,816		33,426		—		5,390
	Corporate equity securities		1,572		359		—		1,931		—		1,931		—
	Total assets measured at fair value	$	40,388	$	359	$	—	$	40,747	$	33,426	$	1,931	$	5,390
		$	41,186	$	359	$	—	$	41,545	$	34,224	$	1,931	$	5,390
	December 31, 2013:
	Cash	$	1,665	$	—	$	—	$	1,665	$	1,665	$	—	$	—
	Level 1
	Money market funds		31,724		—		—		31,724		26,330		—		5,394
	Corporate equity securities		1,572		373		—		1,945		—		1,945		—
	Total assets measured at fair value	$	33,296	$	373	$	—	$	33,669	$	26,330	$	1,945	$	5,394
		$	34,961	$	373	$	—	$	35,334	$	27,995	$	1,945	$	5,394

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Components of Inventories	'
		Inventories (in thousands)
			September 30,		December 31,
			2014		2013
	Raw materials		$	4,912	$	4,167
	Work in process			4,188		5,285
	Finished goods			2,587		2,751
	Total Inventories		$	11,687	$	12,203

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Future Minimum Payments under Operating Leases	'
	As of September 30, 2014, future minimum payments under the leases are as follows (in thousands):
	Years ending December 31,	Future Minimum
		Lease Payments
	2014 (remainder of year)	$	536
	2015		1,977
	2016		2,141
	2017		2,205
	Thereafter		4,415
	Total	$	11,274

Longterm_Debt_Tables

Long-term Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Future Annual (Including Interest) Payments Due on Amounts Outstanding	'
	Future annual payments due on the debt (including interest) outstanding as of September 30, 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
	Years ending December 31,
	2014 (remainder of year)	$	959
	2015		3,879
	2016		4,009
	2017		41,782
	Total remaining payments		50,629
	Less: Amount representing interest		(16,506	)
			34,123
	Less: Current portion of long-term debt		—
	Long-term debt, net of current portion	$	34,123

Stockbased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Total Stock-based Compensation	'
	Total stock-based compensation expense consisted of the following (in thousands):
		Three months ended						Nine months ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2014			2013			2014		2013
	Cost of goods sold	$	294		$	45		$	375	$	308
	Research and development		254			325			656		1,012
	Selling, general and administrative		332			819			1,264		2,289
	Total	$	880		$	1,189		$	2,295	$	3,609
Assumptions Used to Estimate Grant Date Fair Values of Stock Options	'
	The estimated grant date fair values of the employee stock options issued under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan for the periods presented were calculated using the following assumptions:
	Employee Stock Options:	Three months ended			Nine months ended
		September 30,			September 30,
		2014		2013	2014		2013
	Expected volatility	82%		81%-83%	72%-74%		81%-89%
	Risk-free interest rate	0.5%-1.5%		1.1%-1.4%	1.1%-1.5%		0.6%-1.4%
	Expected term (in years)	4.38		4.45-4.48	4.34		4.38-4.48
	Expected dividend rate	0%		0%	0%		0%
Assumptions Used to Estimate Grant Date Fair Values of Shares Issued Under the ESPP	'
	The estimated fair values of the shares issued under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan were calculated using the following assumptions:
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:	Three and nine months ended
		September 30,
		2014		2013
	Expected volatility	99%-111%		57%-72%
	Risk-free interest rate	0.10%		0.07%-0.1%
	Expected term (in years)	0.5		0.5
	Expected dividend rate	0%		0%
Summary of Option Activity Under Company's Equity Incentive Plan	'
	The following table summarizes the Option activity under the Company’s equity incentive plans for the period ended September 30, 2014:
		Options			Weighted-			Weighted-		Aggregate
		Outstanding			Average			Average		Intrinsic Value
					Exercise Price			Remaining
								Contractual
								Term
		(In thousands)						(In years)		(In thousands)
	Balance at December 31, 2013		7,779		$	3.24			4.79	$	169
	Options granted		2,172		$	1.89
	Options exercised		(1,238	)	$	2.09				$	621
	Options cancelled		(3,252	)	$	3.99
	Balance at September 30, 2014		5,461		$	2.52			6.37	$	4
	Options vested at September 30, 2014		2,284		$	3.28			4.68	$	4
	Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014		5,418		$	2.53			6.36	$	4
Summary of Restricted Stock Unit Activity	'
	Restricted stock unit activity under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan is as follows:
		Restricted Stock			Weighted-
		Units			Average Fair
		Outstanding			Value When
					Awarded
		(In thousands)
	Balance at December 31, 2013		1,318		$	1.99
	Awarded		500		$	1.85
	Vested		(624	)	$	2
	Cancelled		(452	)	$	2.04
	Balance at September 30, 2014		742		$	1.86

Net_Loss_Per_Share_Tables

Net Loss Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share	'
	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three months ended						Nine months ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Net loss	$	(15,594	)	$	(13,201	)	$	(42,329	)	$	(43,834	)
	Weighted average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share		120,228			84,145			111,917			73,081
	Basic and diluted net loss per share	$	(0.13	)	$	(0.16	)	$	(0.38	)	$	(0.60	)
Common Stock Equivalents that are Not Included In the Calculation of Diluted Net Loss Per Share	'
	The following table sets forth potential shares of common stock equivalents that are not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share due to the anti-dilutive affect they would have for each period presented (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014			2013
	Stock options outstanding		5,461			8,116
	Unvested restricted stock units		742			1,616
	Estimated shares issuable under the employee stock purchase plan		294			152
	Warrants		9,269			34,807

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	'
	The component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2014								Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
		Unrealized		Foreign			Total			Unrealized			Foreign			Total
		Gains (Losses)		Currency						Gains (Losses)			Currency
		on Securities		Translation						on Securities			Translation
				Gains									Gains
				(Losses)									(Losses)
	Beginning balance	$	332	$	5		$	337		$	373		$	(13	)	$	360
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		14		(28	)		(14	)		(27	)		(10	)		(37	)
	Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—		—			—			—			—			—
	Net current-period other comprehensive loss		14		(28	)		(14	)		(27	)		(10	)		(37	)
	Ending balance	$	346	$	(23	)	$	323		$	346		$	(23	)	$	323
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013								Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Unrealized		Foreign			Total			Unrealized			Foreign			Total
		Gains (Losses)		Currency						Gains			Currency
		on Securities		Translation						(Losses)			Translation
				Gains						on Securities			Gains
				(Losses)									(Losses)
	Beginning balance	$	124	$	(68	)	$	56		$	(530	)	$	(48	)	$	(578	)
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		180		31			211			248			11			259
	Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—		—			—			586			—			586
	Net current-period other comprehensive income		180		31			211			834			11			845
	Ending balance	$	304	$	(37	)	$	267		$	304		$	(37	)	$	267

The_Company_Additional_Informa

The Company - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Description of Business [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated net profit or loss from inception

($394,993,000)

'

($394,993,000)

'

($352,664,000)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted cash

41,500,000

'

41,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Operating loss

-15,589,000

-13,161,000

-42,291,000

-43,741,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Cash flows from operations

'

'

-32,564,000

-30,917,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Minimum liquidity requirement amount

'

'

'

'

'

$15,000,000

$15,000,000

$13,000,000

$13,000,000

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$2,000,000

$2,000,000

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Customer concentration risk

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Sales

Customer

Customer

Customer 1

Customer 1

Customer 2

Customer 2

Customer 3

Customer 3

Customer

Customer

Customer

Customer

Customer 1

Customer 1

Customer 1

Customer 1

Customer 2

Customer 2

Customer 3

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Deferred and amortized service period

'1 year

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of major customers

'

3

3

'

'

'

'

'

'

3

2

1

1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Concentration risk, percentage

'

'

'

15.00%

26.00%

14.00%

22.00%

13.00%

10.00%

'

'

'

'

19.00%

35.00%

18.00%

16.00%

14.00%

12.00%

11.00%

Amortized_Cost_Gross_Unrealize

Amortized Cost, Gross Unrealized Gains, Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Value of Cash and Available-for-Sale Securities by Investment Category (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Cash Cash Equivalents And Short Term Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	$41,186	$34,961	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	359	373	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	41,545	35,334	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	34,224	27,995	40,154	32,749
Short-term investments	1,931	1,945	'	'
Restricted cash	5,390	5,394	'	'
Level 1	'	'	'	'
Cash Cash Equivalents And Short Term Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	40,388	33,296	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	359	373	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	40,747	33,669	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	33,426	26,330	'	'
Short-term investments	1,931	1,945	'	'
Restricted cash	5,390	5,394	'	'
Cash	'	'	'	'
Cash Cash Equivalents And Short Term Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	798	1,665	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	798	1,665	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	798	1,665	'	'
Money Market Funds | Level 1	'	'	'	'
Cash Cash Equivalents And Short Term Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	38,816	31,724	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	38,816	31,724	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	33,426	26,330	'	'
Restricted cash	5,390	5,394	'	'
Corporate Equity Securities | Level 1	'	'	'	'
Cash Cash Equivalents And Short Term Investments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Amortized Cost	1,572	1,572	'	'
Gross Unrealized Gains	359	373	'	'
Gross Unrealized Losses	'	'	'	'
Fair Value	1,931	1,945	'	'
Short-term investments	$1,931	$1,945	'	'

Fair_Value_of_Assets_and_Liabi2

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Securities		Luna Innovations Incorporated	Luna Innovations Incorporated
Fair Value, Measurement Inputs, Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, other than temporary impairment recorded loss in other expense	'	'	$0.60	$0.60
Securities in loss position for longer than 12 months	0	'	'	'
Long term debt, fair value	$34	$33.10	'	'

Components_of_Inventories_Deta

Components of Inventories (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory [Line Items]	'	'
Raw materials	$4,912	$4,167
Work in process	4,188	5,285
Finished goods	2,587	2,751
Total Inventories	$11,687	$12,203

Agreements_with_Intuitive_Surg1

Agreements with Intuitive Surgical - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
				Intuitive Surgical Inc	Intuitive Surgical Inc	Intuitive Surgical Inc
						Minimum
Licenses Agreements [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Proceeds from licensing fees	'	$20,000,000	'	'	'	'
Stock purchase agreement to sell shares	28,455,284	5,291,000	'	'	'	'
Common stock agreement purchase price	'	10,000,000	'	'	'	'
Agreement amendment period	'	'	'3 years	'	'	'
Royalty obligations per year	'	'	'	'	'	200,000
Cost related to royalty obligations	'	'	'	$40,000	$200,000	'

Agreements_with_Philips_Additi

Agreements with Philips - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Feb. 28, 2011	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
			Koninklijke Philips Electronics Nv	Koninklijke Philips Electronics Nv	Koninklijke Philips Electronics Nv
					Minimum
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Technology commercialization cash payments to be received in future	'	$78,000,000	'	'	'
Potential future payment from sublicensing technology under agreement	'Two-thirds	'	'	'	'
Potential future payment based on royalty obligation under agreement	'One-third	'	'	'	'
FOSSL-related royalty obligations	'Between 2014 and 2020	'	'	'	'
Royalty payment obligation	'	'	'	'2017-10	'
Royalty obligations	'	'	'	'	0
Cost related to royalty obligations	'	'	$100,000	$800,000	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Other Commitments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Rent Expense	$700,000	$600,000	$2,000,000	$1,700,000
Mitsubishi	'	'	'	'
Other Commitments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Reduction royalty obligation	'	'	55,000	'
Royalty obligation expiration Year	'	'	'2018	'
Cost related to royalty obligations	20,000	'	100,000	'
Mitsubishi | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Other Commitments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Royalty obligations per year	$100,000	'	$100,000	'
Mountain View, California	'	'	'	'
Other Commitments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Operating lease expiration year	'	'	31-Jan-20	'
Operating lease extended period	'	'	'5 years	'
London, England	'	'	'	'
Other Commitments [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Operating lease expiration year	'	'	30-Jun-20	'
Operating lease area leased for office space	'	'	3,300	'
Operating lease expiration year	'	'	'2015	'

Future_Minimum_Payments_under_

Future Minimum Payments under Operating Leases (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'
2014 (remainder of year)	$536
2015	1,977
2016	2,141
2017	2,205
Thereafter	4,415
Total	$11,274

Long_Term_Debt_Additional_Info

Long - Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2013

Aug. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2011

Aug. 31, 2013

Aug. 31, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Aug. 23, 2013

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

White Oak Loan Agreement

Prepayment Penalty

Accrued Balloon Payment

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Interest Payment in Cash

Payment in Kind (PIK)

Payment to Lender Agent

Payment to Placement Agent

Principal Prepaid Before Third Anniversary

Principal Prepaid After Third Anniversary

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loan and security agreement

'

'

'

'

'

$30,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

$33,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest rate on pay off obligation

'

'

'

'

'

9.45%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest payment on the original principal

'

'

'

'

'

3.95%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock warrants issued

'

'

'

'

'

660,793

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Exercise price of common stock warrants

'

'

$0.13

'

'

$2.27

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Expiration date of warrants

'

'

'

'

'December 2018

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Payment of final interest balloon

'

'

'

1,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loss on extinguishment of debt

-1,935,000

-1,935,000

'

-1,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loss on extinguishment of debt before write-off of unamortized costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

-900,000

-500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Write-off of unamortized costs

'

'

'

500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loan and security agreement, due date

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

30-Dec-17

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loan and security agreement, interest rate

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

11.00%

3.00%

'

'

'

'

Capitalized debt issue costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

700,000

300,000

'

'

Administration and monitoring fee

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

32,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Prepayment fee of the principal

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3.50%

1.00%

Amortization of debt issuance costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100,000

300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Minimum liquidity requirement amount

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$15,000,000

$15,000,000

$15,000,000

$13,000,000

$13,000,000

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$2,000,000

$2,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Future_Annual_Payments_Due_on_

Future Annual Payments Due on Amounts Outstanding (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
2014 (remainder of year)	$959	'
2015	3,879	'
2016	4,009	'
2017	41,782	'
Total remaining payments	50,629	'
Less: Amount representing interest	-16,506	'
Long-term debt, Net Total	34,123	'
Total remaining payments	50,629	'
Less: Current portion of long-term debt	'	'
Long-term debt, net of current portion	$34,123	$33,358

Stockholders_Equity_Additional

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Jul. 30, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2013

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2014

Aug. 31, 2014

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2014

Jul. 30, 2014

Exchange Agreement

Series A Warrants

Series A Warrants

Series A Warrants

Series B Warrant

Series B Warrant

Series B Warrant

Series C Warrant

Series C Warrant

Series C Warrant

Series B/C Exchange Warrants

Series B/C Exchange Warrants

Series B/C Exchange Warrants

Series D Warrants

Series D Warrants

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Exchange Agreement

Share Based Compensation [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Securities purchase agreement to sell shares

28,455,284

5,291,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock per warrant price

'

'

'

'

'

$1.23

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common Stock issuable upon exercise of warrants

'

'

'

'

'

34,146,339

26,728,369

'

'

11,382,117

'

11,382,111

10,221,173

'

11,382,111

10,221,173

'

'

20,442,346

'

6,286,023

Common stock per warrant price

'

'

'

'

'

$0.13

'

'

'

$1.23

'

$1.50

'

'

$2

'

'

'

$1.13

'

$1.13

Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants

$39,300,000

'

'

'

$39,268,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Placement fees and offering costs related to issuance of common stock and warrants

2,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restricted period for resales of common stock

'1 year

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of warrants exercised

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

11,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Gross proceed from exercise of warrants

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

14,000,000

14,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

23,100,000

'

7,100,000

'

Period at which warrants subject to mandatory exercise after issuance

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'14 days

'

'

'

'

Warrants exercise period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'5 years

'

Expiration date of warrants

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'August 2015

'

'

'August 2015

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Warrant exchange

'

'

$2,914,000

$2,914,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total_StockBased_Compensation_

Total Stock-Based Compensation (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Total Stock-based Compensation	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	$880	$1,189	$2,295	$3,609
Cost of goods sold	'	'	'	'
Total Stock-based Compensation	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	294	45	375	308
Research and development	'	'	'	'
Total Stock-based Compensation	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	254	325	656	1,012
Selling, general and administrative	'	'	'	'
Total Stock-based Compensation	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	$332	$819	$1,264	$2,289

Assumptions_Used_to_Estimate_G

Assumptions Used to Estimate Grant Date Fair Values of Stock Options (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Stock Options	'	'	'	'
Estimated grant date fair values	'	'	'	'
Expected volatility, minimum	82.00%	81.00%	72.00%	81.00%
Expected volatility, maximum	'	83.00%	74.00%	89.00%
Risk-free interest rate, minimum	0.50%	1.10%	1.10%	0.60%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum	1.50%	1.40%	1.50%	1.40%
Expected term (in years)	'4 years 4 months 17 days	'	'4 years 4 months 2 days	'
Expected dividend rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Stock Options | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Estimated grant date fair values	'	'	'	'
Expected term (in years)	'	'4 years 5 months 12 days	'	'4 years 4 months 17 days
Stock Options | Maximum	'	'	'	'
Estimated grant date fair values	'	'	'	'
Expected term (in years)	'	'4 years 5 months 23 days	'	'4 years 5 months 23 days
Non-Employee Stock Options	'	'	'	'
Estimated grant date fair values	'	'	'	'
Expected volatility, minimum	99.00%	57.00%	99.00%	57.00%
Expected volatility, maximum	111.00%	72.00%	111.00%	72.00%
Risk-free interest rate	0.10%	'	0.10%	'
Risk-free interest rate, minimum	'	0.07%	'	0.07%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum	'	0.10%	'	0.10%
Expected term (in years)	'6 months	'6 months	'6 months	'6 months
Expected dividend rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Summary_of_Option_Activity_Und

Summary of Option Activity Under Company's Equity Incentive Plan (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Options Outstanding, Balance at December 31, 2013	7,779	'
Options Outstanding, Options granted	2,172	'
Options Outstanding, Options exercised	-1,238	'
Options Outstanding, Options cancelled	-3,252	'
Options Outstanding, Balance at September 30, 2014	5,461	7,779
Options Outstanding, Options vested at September 30, 2014	2,284	'
Options Outstanding, Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	5,418	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Balance at December 31, 2013	$3.24	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Options granted	$1.89	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Options exercised	$2.09	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Options cancelled	$3.99	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Balance at September 30, 2014	$2.52	$3.24
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Options vested at September 30, 2014	$3.28	'
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	$2.53	'
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term, Balance	'6 years 4 months 13 days	'4 years 9 months 15 days
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term, Options vested at September 30, 2014	'4 years 8 months 5 days	'
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term, Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	'6 years 4 months 10 days	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Options exercised	$621	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Balance at December 31, 2013	4	169
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Options vested at September 30, 2014	4	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2014	$4	'

Stockbased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Share Based Compensation [Line Items]	'
Total unamortized stock-based compensation related to unvested stock options	$3.20
Weighted-average recognition period, unvested stock options	'2 years 5 months 23 days
Shares of common stock were available for grant under 2006 Equity Incentive Plan	6,210,123
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	'
Share Based Compensation [Line Items]	'
Weighted-average recognition period, unvested stock options	'3 years 4 months 6 days
Unamortized stock-based compensation related to unvested restricted stock units	$0.60

Summary_of_Restricted_Stock_Un

Summary of Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Detail) (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Balance at December 31, 2013	1,318
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Awarded	500
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Vested	-624
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Cancelled	-452
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Balance at September 30, 2014	742
Weighted-Average Fair Value When Awarded, Balance at December 31, 2013	$1.99
Weighted-Average Fair Value When Awarded, Awarded	$1.85
Weighted-Average Fair Value When Awarded, Vested	$2
Weighted-Average Fair Value When Awarded, Cancelled	$2.04
Weighted-Average Fair Value When Awarded, Balance at September 30, 2014	$1.86

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Income tax provision	$5	$40	$38	$93

Computation_of_Basic_and_Dilut

Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share	'	'	'	'
Net loss	($15,594)	($13,201)	($42,329)	($43,834)
Weighted average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share	120,228	84,145	111,917	73,081
Basic and diluted net loss per share	($0.13)	($0.16)	($0.38)	($0.60)

Potential_Shares_of_Common_Sto

Potential Shares of Common Stock Not Included In Calculation of Diluted Net Loss per Share (Detail)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Stock Options	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	5,461	8,116
Unvested restricted stock units	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	742	1,616
Estimated shares issuable under the employee stock purchase plan	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	294	152
Warrants	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	9,269	34,807

Component_of_Accumulated_Other

Component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), beginning balance	$337	$56	$360	($578)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	-14	211	-37	259
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	'	'	'	586
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	-14	211	-37	845
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	323	267	323	267
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Securities	'	'	'	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), beginning balance	332	124	373	-530
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	14	180	-27	248
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	'	'	'	586
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	14	180	-27	834
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	346	304	346	304
Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses)	'	'	'	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), beginning balance	5	-68	-13	-48
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	-28	31	-10	11
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	-28	31	-10	11
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), ending balance	($23)	($37)	($23)	($37)

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Additional Information (Detail) (Luna Innovations Incorporated, USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Luna Innovations Incorporated	'	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]	'	'
Write down value of investments	$0.60	$0.60