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Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Accumulated depreciation $ 10,281,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment $ 8,742,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Depreciation and amortization 1,539,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 1,777,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 1,947,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
Lease and Loaner Instruments [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Accumulated depreciation $ 128,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= nstg_LeaseAndLoanerInstrumentsMember
$ 0us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= nstg_LeaseAndLoanerInstrumentsMember