Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Segment Customer	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Customer	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) Customer	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Allowance for doubtful accounts			$ 96,600	$ 63,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts, additions			33,600	63,000	$ 0
Write-offs of uncollectible accounts			0	0	0
Inventory reserves	$ 2,100,000	$ 2,100,000	2,200,000	2,200,000	2,100,000	$ 3,500,000
Inventory reserves additions			200,000	200,000	400,000
Write-offs of inventory reserves			300,000	100,000	1,800,000
Impairment losses on long-lived assets			0
Deferred offering costs			$ 181,000	0
Number of reportable segments | Segment	1	2	1
Extended warranties description			The Company offers service agreements on its nCounter Analysis System for periods ranging from 12 to 36 months after the end of the standard 12-month warranty period.
Standard warranty period			12 months
Percentage used to determine discount for stand-alone sales			15.00%
Product warranty accrual period			1 year
Advertising costs			$ 2,600,000	5,100,000	$ 3,300,000
Guarantees and indemnifications liabilities			$ 0	$ 0
Manufacturing Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			5 years
Prototype Systems [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			2 years
Computer Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			3 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			5 years
Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful live of leasehold improvements			Life of the related assets or the term of the lease, whichever is shorter
Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Extended warranty period			12 months
Minimum [Member] | Lease and Loaner Instruments [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			1 year
Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Extended warranty period			36 months
Maximum [Member] | Lease and Loaner Instruments [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of the assets			5 years
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Total revenue [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of customer that individually represented more than 10% of total revenue and accounts receivable | Customer			0	0	0
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Total revenue [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage			10.00%	10.00%	10.00%
Credit Concentration Risk [Member] | Total accounts receivable [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of customer that individually represented more than 10% of total revenue and accounts receivable | Customer			0	1
Credit Concentration Risk [Member] | Total accounts receivable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage			10.00%	21.00%