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Stock Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Fair value of stock options vested   3,500,000us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsVestedInPeriodFairValue1    
Options, granted   1,553,581us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod    
Weighted-average grant date fair value   9.45us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 5.30us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue 1.59us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
Exercised, aggregate intrinsic value   2,200,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 681,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 161,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
Unrecognized compensation cost   12,800,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized    
Unrecognized compensation cost, weighted-average recognized period   3 years    
Stock compensation expense   4,533,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation 1,145,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation 745,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Exercise Prices that Were Less than the Estimated per Share Value [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Options, granted     101,487us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= nstg_GroupOneMember
988,268us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis
= nstg_GroupOneMember
2004 Stock Option Plan and 2013 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Number of common shares authorized for issuance   4,533,326us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nstg_TwoThousandFourStockOptionPlanAndTwoThousandThirteenEquityIncentiveStockPlanMember
   
Stock options grant period, years   10 years    
Stock options vesting period and exercisable period, years   4 years    
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Stock compensation expense     $ 400,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
 
Offering period description   The offering periods generally start with the first trading day on or after March 1 and September 1 of each year and end on the first trading day on or after March 1 and September 1 of the following year, approximately 12 months later. Within each offering period, shares will be purchased each 6 months on an exercise date. The first offering period began in August 2013.    
Length of offering period, in months 12 months      
Length of purchase periods, in months 6 months      
Shares issued   141,386us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
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0us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
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= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
0us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
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= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
Common stock reserved for issuance   427,448us-gaap_CommonStockCapitalSharesReservedForFutureIssuance
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
   
Shares available for issuance   286,062us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
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Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Contribution percentage of purchase shares on participants eligible compensation   0.00%nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanContributionPercentage
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= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Contribution percentage of purchase shares on participants eligible compensation   10.00%nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanContributionPercentage
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | First Trading Day of Offering Period [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Purchase price percentage of fair market value of shares   85.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent
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= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
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Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] | Exercise Date [Member]        
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]        
Purchase price percentage of fair market value of shares   85.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nstg_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= nstg_ExerciseDateMember