4. Goodwill and other Purchased Intangible Assets Intangible Assets, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended																	0 Months Ended						1 Months Ended								3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member] Licensing Agreements [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Jan. 10, 2013 AbD Serotec [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 CellSorter [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 CellSorter [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 CellSorter [Member] Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 CellSorter [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Jul. 30, 2012 Benelux [Member]	Jul. 30, 2012 Benelux [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Jul. 30, 2012 Benelux [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Jan. 18, 2012 Portland [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Clinical Diagnostics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Clinical Diagnostics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Clinical Diagnostics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Clinical Diagnostics [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Customer Relationships [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Know how [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Developed Technology Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Licensing Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Trade Names [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Noncompete Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired																			100.00%										100.00%
Goodwill, net	$ 517,770,000	$ 517,770,000	$ 495,418,000	$ 468,900,000															$ 14,900,000						$ 17,400,000				$ 3,000,000			$ 1,100,000	$ 336,000,000	$ 329,000,000	$ 329,000,000	$ 319,300,000
Consideration for sale of building																																		6,400,000
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit	0	0	1,000,000	0																													0	1,000,000	1,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Remaining Amortization Period																																					1 year	1 year	2 years	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year	5 years	1 year	0 years	1 year	11 years	12 years	12 years	13 years	13 years	10 years	12 years	8 years	9 years	10 years	9 years	10 years	0 years	1 year
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	458,600,000	458,600,000	414,700,000		99,800,000	102,800,000	194,600,000	189,300,000	109,500,000	74,600,000	44,900,000	35,600,000	4,300,000	7,400,000	4,900,000	4,900,000	600,000	100,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year One	42,000,000	42,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Accumulated Amortization	(192,400,000)	(192,400,000)	(153,800,000)		(41,100,000)	(38,400,000)	(89,300,000)	(67,100,000)	(36,200,000)	(25,100,000)	(22,400,000)	(18,700,000)	(2,100,000)	(4,300,000)	(700,000)	(200,000)	(600,000)	0
Net Carrying Amount	266,188,000	266,188,000	260,939,000		58,700,000	64,400,000	105,300,000	122,200,000	73,300,000	49,500,000	22,500,000	16,900,000	2,200,000	3,100,000	4,200,000	4,700,000	0	100,000
Amortization [Abstract]
Amortization expense		45,000,000	42,800,000	39,100,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Two	39,000,000	39,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Three	35,600,000	35,600,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Four	27,000,000	27,000,000
Future Amortization Expense, Year Five	24,100,000	24,100,000
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired																			44,000,000	1,300,000	33,000,000	8,800,000	400,000	500,000	32,100,000	27,300,000	4,700,000	100,000	4,900,000	3,800,000	1,100,000	5,100,000
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life																			13 years 8 months	12 years	13 years 11 months	13 years	2 years	1 year
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, after Year Five	$ 98,500,000	$ 98,500,000