NanoString (NSTG) 10-Q 8 Nov 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 04, 2013
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Trading Symbol	'NSTG	'
Entity Registrant Name	'NANOSTRING TECHNOLOGIES INC	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001401708	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Non-accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	14,616,510

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$19,292	$21,692
Short-term investments	32,922	'
Accounts receivable, net	6,792	3,322
Inventory	5,716	5,380
Prepaid expenses and other	2,820	1,320
Total current assets	67,542	31,714
Restricted cash	180	180
Deferred offering costs	'	1,765
Property and equipment, net	3,223	3,674
Other assets	348	73
Total assets	71,293	37,406
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	2,874	2,865
Accrued liabilities	6,419	4,481
Deferred revenue, current portion	1,192	878
Deferred rent, current portion	598	764
Long-term debt, current portion	4,405	2,789
Total current liabilities	15,488	11,777
Deferred revenue, net of current portion	604	362
Deferred rent, net of current portion	1,502	1,903
Long-term debt, net of current portion	13,808	9,970
Preferred stock warrant liability	'	3,532
Total liabilities	31,402	27,544
Mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share, 8,979 shares authorized; none and 8,118 shares issued and outstanding, respectively	'	103,622
Stockholders' deficit	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 15,000 shares authorized; none issued	'	'
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 150,000 shares authorized; 14,616 and 411 shares issued and outstanding, respectively	1	'
Additional paid-in-capital	157,890	'
Other comprehensive income	5	'
Accumulated deficit	-118,005	-93,760
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	39,891	-93,760
Total liabilities, mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' equity (deficit)	$71,293	$37,406

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock, par value	$0.10	$0.10
Mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares authorized	8,979	8,979
Mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued	0	8,118
Mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	8,118
Preferred stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	15,000	15,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	150,000	150,000
Common stock, shares issued	14,616	411
Common stock, shares outstanding	14,616	411

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, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$8,389	$6,035	$21,283	$16,480
Costs and expenses:	'	'	'	'
Cost of revenue	3,784	3,086	10,188	9,076
Research and development	3,784	3,085	10,469	8,253
Selling, general and administrative	7,988	4,170	20,822	10,588
Total costs and expenses	15,556	10,341	41,479	27,917
Loss from operations	-7,167	-4,306	-20,196	-11,437
Other income (expense):	'	'	'	'
Interest income	22	4	28	17
Interest expense	-538	-219	-1,412	-551
Other expense	-17	-198	-30	-26
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability	'	53	1,156	150
Total other income (expense)	-533	-360	-258	-410
Net loss	-7,700	-4,666	-20,454	-11,847
Accretion of mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock	'	-1,878	-4,653	-5,515
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	($7,700)	($6,544)	($25,107)	($17,362)
Net loss per share - basic and diluted	($0.53)	($18.28)	($4.74)	($51.06)
Shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share	14,616	358	5,292	340

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net loss	($7,700)	($4,666)	($20,454)	($11,847)
Unrealized gain on short-term investments	5	'	5	'
Comprehensive loss	($7,695)	($4,666)	($20,449)	($11,847)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating activities	'	'
Net loss	($20,454)	($11,847)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	1,360	1,467
Amortization of debt discount	162	113
Stock-based compensation	766	566
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability	-1,156	-150
Net amortization of premium on short-term investments	89	'
Interest accrued on long-term notes	182	63
Loss on disposal of property and equipment	1	1
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	'	'
Accounts receivable	-3,470	-999
Inventory	-336	-409
Prepaid expenses and other	-1,500	-1,443
Other assets	-275	-7
Accounts payable	1,121	628
Accrued liabilities	2,038	1,379
Deferred revenue	556	31
Deferred rent	-567	-533
Net cash used in operating activities	-21,483	-11,140
Investing activities	'	'
Purchases of property and equipment	-500	-312
Purchase of short-term investments	-33,006	'
Net cash used in investing activities	-33,506	-312
Financing activities	'	'
Net proceeds from initial public offering	47,374	'
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	5,000	7,500
Repayment of long-term debt	-163	-1,654
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	378	99
Net cash provided by financing activities	52,589	5,945
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-2,400	-5,507
Cash and cash equivalents	'	'
Beginning of period	21,692	10,868
End of period	$19,292	$5,361

Description_of_Business

Description of Business	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Description of Business	'
	1	Description of Business
	NanoString Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware in June 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
	The Company’s technology enables direct detection, identification and quantification of individual target molecules in a biological sample by attaching a unique color coded fluorescent reporter to each target molecule of interest. The Company markets its proprietary nCounter Analysis System, consisting of instruments and consumables, to academic, government, biopharmaceutical and clinical laboratories.
	The Company has incurred losses to date and expects to incur additional losses in the foreseeable future. The Company continues to devote the majority of its resources to the growth of the Company’s business in accordance with its business plan. The Company’s activities have been financed primarily through the sale of equity securities and incurrence of indebtedness, and to a lesser extent, capital leases and other borrowings.
	Reverse Stock Split
	On June 12, 2013, the Company effected a 1-for-32 reverse stock split of its common stock and preferred stock. All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect this reverse stock split.
	Initial Public Offering
	On June 25, 2013, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 was declared effective related to its initial public offering, in which the Company sold 5,400,000 shares of common stock at a price of $10.00 per share. The shares began trading on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 26, 2013. The $50.2 million in proceeds from the initial public offering, which is net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before offering expenses, were received at closing on July 1, 2013. All outstanding shares of the Company’s mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock converted into shares of common stock in connection with the initial public offering. Following the initial public offering, there were no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

Basis_of_Presentation_and_Summ

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	2	Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, NanoString Technologies International, Inc., NanoString Technologies Asia Pacific Limited, NanoString Technologies Europe Limited and NanoString Technologies SAS. The condensed consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2012 were derived from audited financial statements not included in this report. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for unaudited condensed consolidated financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position and results of its operations, as of and for the periods presented.
	Unless indicated otherwise, all amounts presented in financial tables are presented in thousands, except for per share and par value amounts.
	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the prospectus that forms a part of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188704), which prospectus was filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on June 26, 2013.
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of the Company’s operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other period.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company recognizes revenue when (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the price to the customer is fixed or determinable and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. The Company generates revenue from the sale of products and services. The Company’s products consist of its proprietary nCounter Analysis System and related consumables. Services consist of extended warranties and service fees for assay processing. A delivered product or service is considered to be a separate unit of accounting when it has value to the customer on a stand-alone basis. Products or services have value on a stand-alone basis if they are sold separately by any vendor or the customer could resell the delivered product.
	Systems product revenue is recognized upon installation and calibration in geographic regions where such services are only available from specialized Company technicians. In these regions, systems and related installation and calibration are considered to be one unit of accounting, as systems are required to be professionally installed and calibrated before use. In certain geographic regions, installation and calibration services are available from other vendors, and in such regions they are considered separate revenue elements. Consumables are considered to be separate units of accounting as they are sold separately. Consumables product revenue is recognized upon shipment.
	Service revenue is recognized when earned, which is generally upon the rendering of the related services. Extended warranties and service fees for assay processing are each considered separate units of accounting as they are sold separately. The Company offers extended warranties on its nCounter Analysis System for periods ranging from 12 to 36 months after the end of the standard 12-month warranty period. Extended warranties are generally separately priced. Revenue from extended warranties are deferred and recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the warranty period.
	The Company allocates the contract consideration at the inception of the contract to the deliverables based upon their relative selling prices. To date, selling prices have been established by reference to vendor specific objective evidence based on stand-alone sales transactions for each deliverable. Vendor specific objective evidence is considered to have been established when a substantial majority of individual sales transactions within the previous 12 month period fall within a reasonably narrow range, which the Company has defined to be plus or minus 15% of the median sales price of actual stand-alone sales transactions. The Company uses its best estimate of selling price for individual deliverables when vendor specific objective evidence or third-party evidence is unavailable. Allocated revenue is only recognized for each deliverable when the revenue recognition criteria have been met.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued “ASU 2013-02 Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” that revises the disclosure requirements related to significant reclassifications of items out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into the line items included in net income. The Company adopted this standard in the third quarter of 2013 and its adoption did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Net_Loss_Per_Share

Net Loss Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Net Loss Per Share	'
	3	Net Loss Per Share
	Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share is computed by dividing the net loss allocable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Outstanding stock options, warrants and preferred stock have not been included in the calculation of the diluted net loss attributable to common stockholders per share because to do so would be anti-dilutive. Accordingly, the numerator and the denominator used in computing both basic and diluted net loss per share for each period are the same.
	The following outstanding options, warrants and preferred stock were excluded from the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share for the nine month periods presented because their effect would have been anti-dilutive (in thousands):
			2013		2012
	Options to purchase common stock			1,874		1,605
	Convertible preferred stock (as converted)			—		7,567
	Convertible preferred stock warrants (as converted)			—		554
	Common stock warrant			618		2

Comprehensive_Loss

Comprehensive Loss	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Comprehensive Loss	'
	4	Comprehensive Loss
	Comprehensive loss includes certain changes in equity that are excluded from net loss. Specifically, unrealized gains and losses on investments are included in comprehensive loss.

Concentration_of_Risks

Concentration of Risks	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Risks And Uncertainties [Abstract]	'
Concentration of Risks	'
	5	Concentration of Risks
	Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. Cash is invested in accordance with the Company’s investment policy, which includes guidelines intended to minimize and diversify credit risk. Most of the Company’s investments are not federally insured. The Company has credit risk related to the collectability of its accounts receivable. The Company performs initial and ongoing evaluations of its customers’ financial position and generally extends credit on account without collateral. The Company has not experienced any significant credit losses to date as a result of credit risk concentration.
	The Company had no customers that individually represented more than 10% of total revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. The Company had no customers that individually represented more than 10% of total revenue during the three months ended September 30, 2013 and one customer in 2012. In addition, the Company had two customers that represented more than 10% of total accounts receivable as of September 30, 2013 and none as of December 31, 2012.
	The Company is also subject to supply chain risks related to the outsourcing of the manufacturing and production of its instruments to sole suppliers. Although there are a limited number of manufacturers for instruments of this type, the Company believes that other suppliers could provide similar products on comparable terms. A change in suppliers, however, could cause a delay in manufacturing and a possible loss of sales, which would adversely affect operating results.

Deferred_Offering_Costs

Deferred Offering Costs	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Text Block [Abstract]	'
Deferred Offering Costs	'
	6	Deferred Offering Costs
	Deferred offering costs represent legal, accounting and other direct costs related to the Company’s efforts to raise capital through an initial public offering of the Company’s common stock. These costs of approximately $3.4 million were deferred through the completion of the initial public offering and, upon closing of the initial public offering on July 1, 2013, were reclassified to additional paid-in capital as a reduction of the proceeds.

Shortterm_Investments

Short-term Investments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Short-term Investments	'
	7	Short-term Investments
	Short-term investments consisted of available-for-sale securities as follows (in thousands):
	Type of security as of September 30, 2013		Amortized		Gross		Gross			Fair value
			cost		unrealized		unrealized
					gains		losses
	U.S. government-related debt securities		$	1,581	$	2	$	—		$	1,583
	Corporate debt securities			31,336		11		(8	)		31,339
	Total available-for-sale securities		$	32,917	$	13	$	(8	)	$	32,922
	The Company did not have available-for-sale securities at December 31, 2012.
	The fair values of available-for-sale securities by contractual maturity were as follows (in thousands):
	Contractual maturity		September 30,		December 31,
			2013		2012
	Maturing in one year or less		$	20,093	$	—
	Maturing after one year through three years			12,829		—
	Total available-for-sale securities		$	32,922	$	—

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	8	Fair Value Measurements
	The Company establishes the fair value of its assets and liabilities using the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a financial liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy is used to measure fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
		Level 1	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
		Level 2	Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets.
		Level 3	Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs and significant value drivers are unobservable.
	The recorded amounts of certain financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value due to their relatively short-term maturities. The recorded amount of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value because the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to the Company.
	The Company’s available-for-sale securities by level within the fair value hierarchy were as follows (in thousands):
			Fair value measurement using:
	As of September 30, 2013		Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
			active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
			for identical				inputs (Level 3)
			assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund		$	18,734	$	—	$	—	$	18,734
	Short-term investments:
	U.S. government-related debt securities			—		1,583		—		1,583
	Corporate debt securities			—		31,339		—		31,339
	Total		$	18,734	$	32,922	$	—	$	51,656
			Fair value measurement using:
	As of December 31, 2012		Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
			active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
			for identical				inputs (Level 3)
			assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund		$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510
	Total		$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510
	Prior to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company had mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock which contained certain redemption provisions which precluded equity classification. Accordingly, warrants to purchase this mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock were classified as liabilities for the periods presented. These preferred stock warrants were subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date and any change in fair value was recognized as a component of other income (expense).
	The Company’s preferred stock warrants were categorized as Level 3 because they were valued based on unobservable inputs and management judgment due to the absence of quoted market prices, inherent lack of liquidity and the long-term nature of such financial instruments. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the preferred stock warrant inputs on a quarterly basis using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model are inherently subjective and involve significant judgment. Any change in fair value was recognized as a component of other income (expense) in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering, all warrants to purchase preferred stock were converted to warrants to purchase common stock and these warrants are no longer remeasured to fair value at each reporting date.

Inventory

Inventory	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventory	'
	9	Inventory
	Inventory consisted of the following as of the date indicated (in thousands):
			September 30,		December 31,
			2013		2012
	Raw materials		$	1,608	$	2,120
	Work in process			1,824		962
	Finished goods			2,284		2,298
			$	5,716	$	5,380

Reserve_for_Product_Warranties

Reserve for Product Warranties	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Guarantees [Abstract]	'
Reserve for Product Warranties	'
	10	Reserve for Product Warranties
	The Company generally provides a one-year warranty on its nCounter Analysis Systems and establishes an accrual based on historical product failure rates and actual warranty costs incurred. Warranty expense is recorded as a component of cost of revenue in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
	The following information reconciles changes in the Company’s warranty reserve and related costs (in thousands):
	Warranty reserve, December 31, 2012		$	248
	Cost of warranty claims			(130	)
	Warranty accrual			173
	Warranty reserve, September 30, 2013		$	291

Longterm_Debt_and_Obligations

Long-term Debt and Obligations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-term Debt and Obligations	'
	11	Long-term Debt and Obligations
	In March 2012, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “credit facility”), pursuant to which it incurred $13.0 million in term loan borrowings in 2012 and subsequently incurred an additional $5.0 million in term loan borrowings in April 2013, for an aggregate principal amount of $18.0 million. All of such borrowings accrue interest at a rate of 8.89%. Through January 2014, the Company is required to pay interest only on such term loan borrowings. Following the expiration of the interest only payment period, the Company is required to pay principal and interest in 30 equal monthly installments, plus an end of term payment equal to 5.5% of the amount borrowed, or $990,000, at maturity in July 2016. The Company may at its option prepay all of the term loan borrowings by paying the lender, among other things, all principal and accrued interest, the end of term payment plus a premium of up to 3% of the amount borrowed. Pursuant to the credit facility, from time to time the Company can also incur revolver borrowings of up to the lesser of $2.0 million or a borrowing base tied to the amount of eligible accounts receivable. Interest on revolver borrowings accrues at a floating rate equal to the prime rate plus 3.70% (subject to a floor of 6.95%) and is payable monthly. The Company is also required to pay a fee of 0.075% per month on the unused portion of the revolver borrowings.
	The credit facility contains customary conditions to borrowing, events of default and covenants, including covenants that restrict the Company’s ability to dispose of assets, merge with or acquire other entities, incur indebtedness, incur encumbrances, make distributions to holders of the Company’s capital stock, make investments or engage in transactions with its affiliates. In addition, the Company must comply with a financial covenant based on life sciences revenue. This financial covenant is measured monthly on a trailing three month basis. The Company is in compliance with all covenants as of September 30, 2013. The Company’s obligations under the credit facility are secured by substantially all of its assets other than intellectual property.
	In August 2013, the Company entered into an equipment lease of hardware, software and capitalized installation costs over a lease term of three years expiring July 2016. The amount financed totaled approximately $410,000 and is being repaid over the term of the lease. The lease is interest free and ownership of the property transfers to the Company at the end of the term.
	Pursuant to an office building lease, the owner of the building financed a portion of tenant improvements. The amount financed totaled $843,000 and is being repaid over a five-year term. Interest accrues on the unpaid balance at a rate of 10% per annum.
	Borrowings, including current portion, consisted of the following (in thousands):
			September 30,			December 31,
			2013			2012
	Landlord payable		$	98		$	235
	Capital lease			410			25
	Term loans payable			18,271			13,090
				18,779			13,350
	Less: Unamortized debt discount			(566	)		(591	)
	Current portion			(4,405	)		(2,789	)
	Non-current portion		$	13,808		$	9,970
	Scheduled future payments for principal obligations under outstanding debt facilities were as follows at September 30, 2013 (in thousands):
	Long-term debt:
	2013		$	48
	2014			6,342
	2015			7,458
	2016			4,931
			$	18,779

Segment_Reporting

Segment Reporting	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Reporting	'
	12	Segment Reporting
	Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance.
	The Company develops, manufactures and sells products that unlock genetic information from very small amounts of tissue. The Company is organized as, and operates in, two reportable segments: life sciences segment and diagnostics segment. The life sciences business provides instruments, consumables and services to researchers in the life sciences industry. The diagnostics business provides instruments and molecular diagnostic kits to pathology labs enabling complex molecular testing on a distributed basis.
	The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the chief executive officer. The chief operating decision maker reviews financial information presented on a total Company basis, accompanied by information about segment revenue and certain direct sales and marketing expenses by segment. The chief operating decision maker does not review segment information related to cost of revenue, research and development or other selling, general and administrative expenses. The Company’s chief operating decision maker evaluates performance based on these two measures.
	Operating results for each segment and a reconciliation of segment profit to loss from operations are as follows (in thousands):
			Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2013			2012			2013			2012
	Product revenue:
	Instruments		$	3,267		$	2,183		$	7,226		$	6,262
	Consumables			4,376			3,568			12,380			9,325
	Service revenue			420			284			1,148			893
	Total life sciences segment			8,063			6,035			20,754			16,480
	Diagnostics segment
	Instruments			285			—			488			—
	Consumables			41			—			41			—
	Total diagnostics segment			326			—			529			—
	Total revenue			8,389			6,035			21,283			16,480
	Selling, general, and administrative expenses:
	Life sciences segment			3,024			1,900			7,869			5,174
	Diagnostics segment			1,313			969			3,993			1,486
	Life sciences segment profit			5,039			4,135			12,885			11,306
	Diagnostics segment loss			(987	)		(969	)		(3,464	)		(1,486	)
	Total segment profit			4,052			3,166			9,421			9,820
	Adjustments:
	Cost of revenue			(3,784	)		(3,086	)		(10,188	)		(9,076	)
	Research and development expenses			(3,784	)		(3,085	)		(10,469	)		(8,253	)
	Unallocated selling, general and administrative expenses			(3,651	)		(1,301	)		(8,960	)		(3,928	)
	Loss from operations		$	(7,167	)	$	(4,306	)	$	(20,196	)	$	(11,437	)
	The following table is based on the geographic location of distributors or end users who purchased products and services. For sales to distributors, their geographic location may be different from the geographic locations of the ultimate end user. Revenue by geography was as follows (in thousands):
			Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
			September 30,						September 30,
			2013			2012			2013			2012
	North America		$	5,333		$	4,749		$	15,028		$	11,809
	Europe & Middle East			1,592			865			3,702			2,863
	Asia Pacific			1,464			421			2,553			1,808
	Total revenue		$	8,389		$	6,035		$	21,283		$	16,480
	All diagnostic segment revenue was realized for Europe and the Middle East for both the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013.
	Total revenue in the United States was $5.0 million, $4.5 million, $13.0 million and $11.2 million for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	The Company’s assets are primarily located in the United States and not allocated to any specific segment or geographic region. Substantially all of the Company’s long-lived assets are located in the United States.

Description_of_Business_Polici

Description of Business (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Description of Business	'
	1	Description of Business
	NanoString Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware in June 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
	The Company’s technology enables direct detection, identification and quantification of individual target molecules in a biological sample by attaching a unique color coded fluorescent reporter to each target molecule of interest. The Company markets its proprietary nCounter Analysis System, consisting of instruments and consumables, to academic, government, biopharmaceutical and clinical laboratories.
	The Company has incurred losses to date and expects to incur additional losses in the foreseeable future. The Company continues to devote the majority of its resources to the growth of the Company’s business in accordance with its business plan. The Company’s activities have been financed primarily through the sale of equity securities and incurrence of indebtedness, and to a lesser extent, capital leases and other borrowings.
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, NanoString Technologies International, Inc., NanoString Technologies Asia Pacific Limited, NanoString Technologies Europe Limited and NanoString Technologies SAS. The condensed consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2012 were derived from audited financial statements not included in this report. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for unaudited condensed consolidated financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position and results of its operations, as of and for the periods presented.
	Unless indicated otherwise, all amounts presented in financial tables are presented in thousands, except for per share and par value amounts.
	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the prospectus that forms a part of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188704), which prospectus was filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on June 26, 2013.
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of the Company’s operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other period.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company recognizes revenue when (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the price to the customer is fixed or determinable and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. The Company generates revenue from the sale of products and services. The Company’s products consist of its proprietary nCounter Analysis System and related consumables. Services consist of extended warranties and service fees for assay processing. A delivered product or service is considered to be a separate unit of accounting when it has value to the customer on a stand-alone basis. Products or services have value on a stand-alone basis if they are sold separately by any vendor or the customer could resell the delivered product.
	Systems product revenue is recognized upon installation and calibration in geographic regions where such services are only available from specialized Company technicians. In these regions, systems and related installation and calibration are considered to be one unit of accounting, as systems are required to be professionally installed and calibrated before use. In certain geographic regions, installation and calibration services are available from other vendors, and in such regions they are considered separate revenue elements. Consumables are considered to be separate units of accounting as they are sold separately. Consumables product revenue is recognized upon shipment.
	Service revenue is recognized when earned, which is generally upon the rendering of the related services. Extended warranties and service fees for assay processing are each considered separate units of accounting as they are sold separately. The Company offers extended warranties on its nCounter Analysis System for periods ranging from 12 to 36 months after the end of the standard 12-month warranty period. Extended warranties are generally separately priced. Revenue from extended warranties are deferred and recognized in income on a straight-line basis over the warranty period.
	The Company allocates the contract consideration at the inception of the contract to the deliverables based upon their relative selling prices. To date, selling prices have been established by reference to vendor specific objective evidence based on stand-alone sales transactions for each deliverable. Vendor specific objective evidence is considered to have been established when a substantial majority of individual sales transactions within the previous 12 month period fall within a reasonably narrow range, which the Company has defined to be plus or minus 15% of the median sales price of actual stand-alone sales transactions. The Company uses its best estimate of selling price for individual deliverables when vendor specific objective evidence or third-party evidence is unavailable. Allocated revenue is only recognized for each deliverable when the revenue recognition criteria have been met.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued “ASU 2013-02 Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” that revises the disclosure requirements related to significant reclassifications of items out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into the line items included in net income. The Company adopted this standard in the third quarter of 2013 and its adoption did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Net Loss Per Share, policy	'
	Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share is computed by dividing the net loss allocable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Outstanding stock options, warrants and preferred stock have not been included in the calculation of the diluted net loss attributable to common stockholders per share because to do so would be anti-dilutive. Accordingly, the numerator and the denominator used in computing both basic and diluted net loss per share for each period are the same.
Fair Value Measurements, policy	'
	The Company establishes the fair value of its assets and liabilities using the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a financial liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy is used to measure fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
		Level 1	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
		Level 2	Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets.
		Level 3	Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs and significant value drivers are unobservable.
	The recorded amounts of certain financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value due to their relatively short-term maturities. The recorded amount of the Company’s long-term debt approximates fair value because the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to the Company.
	The Company’s available-for-sale securities by level within the fair value hierarchy were as follows (in thousands):
			Fair value measurement using:
	As of September 30, 2013		Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
			active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
			for identical				inputs (Level 3)
			assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund		$	18,734	$	—	$	—	$	18,734
	Short-term investments:
	U.S. government-related debt securities			—		1,583		—		1,583
	Corporate debt securities			—		31,339		—		31,339
	Total		$	18,734	$	32,922	$	—	$	51,656
			Fair value measurement using:
	As of December 31, 2012		Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
			active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
			for identical				inputs (Level 3)
			assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund		$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510
	Total		$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510
	Prior to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company had mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock which contained certain redemption provisions which precluded equity classification. Accordingly, warrants to purchase this mandatorily redeemable convertible preferred stock were classified as liabilities for the periods presented. These preferred stock warrants were subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date and any change in fair value was recognized as a component of other income (expense).
	The Company’s preferred stock warrants were categorized as Level 3 because they were valued based on unobservable inputs and management judgment due to the absence of quoted market prices, inherent lack of liquidity and the long-term nature of such financial instruments. The Company performed a fair value assessment of the preferred stock warrant inputs on a quarterly basis using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model are inherently subjective and involve significant judgment. Any change in fair value was recognized as a component of other income (expense) in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering, all warrants to purchase preferred stock were converted to warrants to purchase common stock and these warrants are no longer remeasured to fair value at each reporting date.
Reserve for Product Warranties, policy	'
	The Company generally provides a one-year warranty on its nCounter Analysis Systems and establishes an accrual based on historical product failure rates and actual warranty costs incurred. Warranty expense is recorded as a component of cost of revenue in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Segment Reporting, policy	'
	Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance.
	The Company develops, manufactures and sells products that unlock genetic information from very small amounts of tissue. The Company is organized as, and operates in, two reportable segments: life sciences segment and diagnostics segment. The life sciences business provides instruments, consumables and services to researchers in the life sciences industry. The diagnostics business provides instruments and molecular diagnostic kits to pathology labs enabling complex molecular testing on a distributed basis.

Net_Loss_Per_Share_Tables

Net Loss Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Outstanding Options, Warrants and Preferred Stock Excluded from Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Share	'
	The following outstanding options, warrants and preferred stock were excluded from the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share for the nine month periods presented because their effect would have been anti-dilutive (in thousands):
		2013		2012
	Options to purchase common stock		1,874		1,605
	Convertible preferred stock (as converted)		—		7,567
	Convertible preferred stock warrants (as converted)		—		554
	Common stock warrant		618		2

Shortterm_Investments_Tables

Short-term Investments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Summary of Available-for-Sale Securities	'
	Short-term investments consisted of available-for-sale securities as follows (in thousands):
	Type of security as of September 30, 2013	Amortized		Gross		Gross			Fair value
		cost		unrealized		unrealized
				gains		losses
	U.S. government-related debt securities	$	1,581	$	2	$	—		$	1,583
	Corporate debt securities		31,336		11		(8	)		31,339
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	32,917	$	13	$	(8	)	$	32,922
Summary of Fair Values of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity	'
	The fair values of available-for-sale securities by contractual maturity were as follows (in thousands):
	Contractual maturity	September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Maturing in one year or less	$	20,093	$	—
	Maturing after one year through three years		12,829		—
	Total available-for-sale securities	$	32,922	$	—

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Available-for-Sale Securities by Level within Fair Value Hierarchy	'
	The Company’s available-for-sale securities by level within the fair value hierarchy were as follows (in thousands):
		Fair value measurement using:
	As of September 30, 2013	Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
		active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
		for identical				inputs (Level 3)
		assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund	$	18,734	$	—	$	—	$	18,734
	Short-term investments:
	U.S. government-related debt securities		—		1,583		—		1,583
	Corporate debt securities		—		31,339		—		31,339
	Total	$	18,734	$	32,922	$	—	$	51,656
		Fair value measurement using:
	As of December 31, 2012	Quoted prices in		Other observable		Significant		Total
		active markets		inputs (Level 2)		unobservable
		for identical				inputs (Level 3)
		assets (Level 1)
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market fund	$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510
	Total	$	20,510	$	—	$	—	$	20,510

Inventory_Tables

Inventory (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Inventory	'
	Inventory consisted of the following as of the date indicated (in thousands):
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Raw materials	$	1,608	$	2,120
	Work in process		1,824		962
	Finished goods		2,284		2,298
		$	5,716	$	5,380

Reserve_for_Product_Warranties1

Reserve for Product Warranties (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Guarantees [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Changes in Company's Warranty Reserve and Related Costs	'
	The following information reconciles changes in the Company’s warranty reserve and related costs (in thousands):
	Warranty reserve, December 31, 2012	$	248
	Cost of warranty claims		(130	)
	Warranty accrual		173
	Warranty reserve, September 30, 2013	$	291

Longterm_Debt_and_Obligations_

Long-term Debt and Obligations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Components of Borrowings, Including Current Portion	'
	Borrowings, including current portion, consisted of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Landlord payable	$	98		$	235
	Capital lease		410			25
	Term loans payable		18,271			13,090
			18,779			13,350
	Less: Unamortized debt discount		(566	)		(591	)
	Current portion		(4,405	)		(2,789	)
	Non-current portion	$	13,808		$	9,970
Scheduled Future Payments for Principal Obligations under Outstanding Debt Facilities	'
	Scheduled future payments for principal obligations under outstanding debt facilities were as follows at September 30, 2013 (in thousands):
	Long-term debt:
	2013	$	48
	2014		6,342
	2015		7,458
	2016		4,931
		$	18,779

Segment_Reporting_Tables

Segment Reporting (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Operating Results and Reconciliation of Segment Profit to Loss from Operations	'
	Operating results for each segment and a reconciliation of segment profit to loss from operations are as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	Product revenue:
	Instruments	$	3,267		$	2,183		$	7,226		$	6,262
	Consumables		4,376			3,568			12,380			9,325
	Service revenue		420			284			1,148			893
	Total life sciences segment		8,063			6,035			20,754			16,480
	Diagnostics segment
	Instruments		285			—			488			—
	Consumables		41			—			41			—
	Total diagnostics segment		326			—			529			—
	Total revenue		8,389			6,035			21,283			16,480
	Selling, general, and administrative expenses:
	Life sciences segment		3,024			1,900			7,869			5,174
	Diagnostics segment		1,313			969			3,993			1,486
	Life sciences segment profit		5,039			4,135			12,885			11,306
	Diagnostics segment loss		(987	)		(969	)		(3,464	)		(1,486	)
	Total segment profit		4,052			3,166			9,421			9,820
	Adjustments:
	Cost of revenue		(3,784	)		(3,086	)		(10,188	)		(9,076	)
	Research and development expenses		(3,784	)		(3,085	)		(10,469	)		(8,253	)
	Unallocated selling, general and administrative expenses		(3,651	)		(1,301	)		(8,960	)		(3,928	)
	Loss from operations	$	(7,167	)	$	(4,306	)	$	(20,196	)	$	(11,437	)
Classification of Revenue by Geography	'
	The following table is based on the geographic location of distributors or end users who purchased products and services. For sales to distributors, their geographic location may be different from the geographic locations of the ultimate end user. Revenue by geography was as follows (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 30,						September 30,
		2013			2012			2013			2012
	North America	$	5,333		$	4,749		$	15,028		$	11,809
	Europe & Middle East		1,592			865			3,702			2,863
	Asia Pacific		1,464			421			2,553			1,808
	Total revenue	$	8,389		$	6,035		$	21,283		$	16,480

Description_of_Business_Additi

Description of Business - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 25, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Equity [Abstract]	'	'	'
Reverse stock split of common stock and preferred stock	'	'1-for-32	'
Initial public offering, shares sold	5,400,000	'	'
Common stock price per share	$10	$0.00	$0.00
Proceeds from the initial public offering	$50.20	'	'

Basis_of_Presentation_and_Summ1

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (Total revenue [Member])	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Total revenue [Member]	'
Cash Equivalents And Investments [Line Items]	'
Sales transactions variation percentage	15.00%

Net_Loss_Per_Share_Outstanding

Net Loss Per Share - Outstanding Options, Warrants and Preferred Stock Excluded from Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Share (Detail)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Options to purchase common stock [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti-dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	1,874	1,605
Convertible preferred stock (as converted) [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti-dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	'	7,567
Convertible preferred stock warrants (as converted) [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti-dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	'	554
Common stock warrant [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti-dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	618	2

Concentration_of_Risks_Additio

Concentration of Risks - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	Total revenue [Member]	Total revenue [Member]	Total revenue [Member]	Total revenue [Member]	Total accounts receivable [Member]	Total accounts receivable [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Number of customers represented more than 10%	'0	'1	'0	'0	'2	'0

Deferred_Offering_Costs_Additi

Deferred Offering Costs - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred Costs Capitalized Prepaid And Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Deferred offering costs	'	$3,400	$1,765

Shortterm_Investments_Summary_

Short-term Investments - Summary of Available-for-Sale Securities (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Amortized cost	$32,917	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Gross unrealized gains	13	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Gross unrealized losses	-8	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Fair value	32,922	'
U.S. government-related debt securities [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Amortized cost	1,581	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Gross unrealized gains	2	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Fair value	1,583	'
Corporate debt securities [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Amortized cost	31,336	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Gross unrealized gains	11	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Gross unrealized losses	-8	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Fair value	$31,339	'

Shortterm_Investments_Summary_1

Short-term Investments - Summary of Fair Values of Available-for-Sale Securities by Contractual Maturity (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]	'	'
Maturing in one year or less	$20,093	'
Maturing after one year through three years	12,829	'
Total available-for-sale securities, Fair value	$32,922	'

Fair_Value_Measurements_Schedu

Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Available-for-Sale Securities by Level within Fair Value Hierarchy (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	$51,656	$20,510
Money market fund [Member] | Cash equivalents [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	18,734	20,510
U.S. government-related debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	1,583	'
Corporate debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	31,339	'
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	18,734	20,510
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Money market fund [Member] | Cash equivalents [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	18,734	20,510
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | U.S. government-related debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	32,922	'
Other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Money market fund [Member] | Cash equivalents [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | U.S. government-related debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	1,583	'
Other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	31,339	'
Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Money market fund [Member] | Cash equivalents [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | U.S. government-related debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'
Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member] | Short-term investments [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Assets at fair value	'	'

Inventory_Schedule_of_Inventor

Inventory - Schedule of Inventory (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Raw materials	$1,608	$2,120
Work in process	1,824	962
Finished goods	2,284	2,298
Inventory net	$5,716	$5,380

Reserve_for_Product_Warranties2

Reserve for Product Warranties - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]	'
Product warranty accrual period	'1 year

Reserve_for_Product_Warranties3

Reserve for Product Warranties - Schedule of Changes in Company's Warranty Reserve and Related Costs (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]	'
Warranty reserve, Beginning balance	$248
Cost of warranty claims	-130
Warranty accrual	173
Warranty reserve, Ending balance	$291

Longterm_Debt_and_Obligations_1

Long-term Debt and Obligations - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013
	Installment		Office building lease [Member]	Equipment [Member]	Prime Rate [Member]	Term loan [Member]	Term loan [Member]	Accounts receivable [Member]
Proforma Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Borrowed term loan	'	'	'	'	'	$18,000,000	$13,000,000	'
Credit facility	'	'	'	'	'	5,000,000	'	2,000,000
Interest rate on log term loan	8.89%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Number of installments	30	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Percentage of principal at the end of term payment	5.50%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Principal at the end of term payment	990,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Principal due date	1-Jul-16	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Term loan borrowings date of required payments	1-Jan-14	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Accrued interest premium payment	3.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Interest rate	'	'	'	'	3.70%	'	'	'
Floor rate	'	'	'	'	6.95%	'	'	'
Percentage of fee payment on unused portion of revolver borrowings	0.08%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Term of lease	'	'	'5 years	'3 years	'	'	'	'
Lease expiration date	'	'	'	'2016-07	'	'	'	'
Amount financed under lease	$410,000	$25,000	$843,000	$410,000	'	'	'	'
Interest rate accrues on the unpaid balance	'	'	10.00%	'	'	'	'	'

Longterm_Debt_and_Obligations_2

Long-term Debt and Obligations - Components of Borrowings, Including Current Portion (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Landlord payable	$98	$235
Capital lease	410	25
Term loans payable	18,271	13,090
Long-term debt	18,779	13,350
Less: Unamortized debt discount	-566	-591
Current portion	-4,405	-2,789
Non-current portion	$13,808	$9,970

Longterm_Debt_and_Obligations_3

Long-term Debt and Obligations - Scheduled Future Payments for Principal Obligations under Outstanding Debt Facilities (Detail) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
2013	$48	'
2014	6,342	'
2015	7,458	'
2016	4,931	'
Long-term debt	$18,779	$13,350

Segment_Reporting_Additional_I

Segment Reporting - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
			Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Number of reportable segments	'	'	2	'
Total revenue	$8,389	$6,035	$21,283	$16,480
United States [Member] | Reportable Geographical Components [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Total revenue	$5,000	$4,500	$13,000	$11,200

Segment_Reporting_Operating_Re

Segment Reporting - Operating Results and Reconciliation of Segment Profit to Loss from Operations (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	$8,389	$6,035	$21,283	$16,480
Cost of revenue	-3,784	-3,086	-10,188	-9,076
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	7,988	4,170	20,822	10,588
Research and development expenses	-3,784	-3,085	-10,469	-8,253
Loss from operations	-7,167	-4,306	-20,196	-11,437
Operating Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Loss from operations	4,052	3,166	9,421	9,820
Operating Segments [Member] | Life sciences segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	8,063	6,035	20,754	16,480
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	3,024	1,900	7,869	5,174
Loss from operations	5,039	4,135	12,885	11,306
Operating Segments [Member] | Diagnostics segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	326	'	529	'
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	1,313	969	3,993	1,486
Loss from operations	-987	-969	-3,464	-1,486
Operating Segments [Member] | Service revenue [Member] | Life sciences segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	420	284	1,148	893
Operating Segments [Member] | Instruments [Member] | Diagnostics segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	285	'	488	'
Operating Segments [Member] | Instruments [Member] | Product revenue [Member] | Life sciences segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	3,267	2,183	7,226	6,262
Operating Segments [Member] | Consumables [Member] | Diagnostics segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	41	'	41	'
Operating Segments [Member] | Consumables [Member] | Product revenue [Member] | Life sciences segment [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Revenue	4,376	3,568	12,380	9,325
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Cost of revenue	-3,784	-3,086	-10,188	-9,076
Research and development expenses	-3,784	-3,085	-10,469	-8,253
Unallocated selling, general and administrative expenses	($3,651)	($1,301)	($8,960)	($3,928)

Segment_Reporting_Classificati

Segment Reporting - Classification of Revenue by Geography (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Total revenue	$8,389	$6,035	$21,283	$16,480
North America [Member] | Reportable Geographical Components [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Total revenue	5,333	4,749	15,028	11,809
Europe & Middle East [Member] | Reportable Geographical Components [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Total revenue	1,592	865	3,702	2,863
Asia Pacific [Member] | Reportable Geographical Components [Member]	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Total revenue	$1,464	$421	$2,553	$1,808