EQUITY PLANS AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION - Share-based compensation cost by line item and award type (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation cost	$ 150,796	$ 232,411	$ 708,776	$ 689,911
Stock options [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation cost	58,271	151,998	295,229	438,995
Restricted stock units and awards [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation cost	92,525	80,413	413,547	250,916
Research and development [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation cost	29,502	63,094	154,786	217,300
Selling, general, administrative [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation cost	$ 121,294	$ 169,317	$ 553,990	$ 472,611