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- Definition

Collaborative Agreement, Accrued Cost

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Collaborative Agreement Period Of Contract

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- Definition

Exercise Price Of Common Stock Warrants

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Maximum Amount Of Royalties Payable, Ratio To License And Service Revenue

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nstg_ReimbursementOfCounterpartyCosts

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- Definition

Payments For Collaborative Agreement

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Reimbursement Of Counterparty Costs, Maximum Number Of Employees

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- Definition

Number of warrants or rights outstanding.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Amount of deferred revenue as of balance sheet date. Deferred revenue represents collections of cash or other assets related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Generally, an entity records deferred revenue when it receives consideration from a customer before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

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Amount of deferred revenue recognized for transactions arising during the current reporting period. Deferred revenue is a liability as of the balance sheet date related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Generally, an Entity records deferred revenue when it receives consideration from a customer before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

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The carrying amount of consideration received or receivable as of the balance sheet date on potential earnings that were not recognized as revenue in conformity with GAAP, and which are expected to be recognized as such within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, including sales, license fees, and royalties, but excluding interest income.

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Amount of liabilities classified as other, due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Cash received from collaborators during the current period.

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Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

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The amount of consideration recognized during the period for the milestone or milestones.

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Value of preferred stock and warrants for common stock issued.

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Collaboration Agreements - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			7 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	34 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) employee $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Revenue			$ 27,688,000	$ 23,085,000
Estimated deferred revenue recognized within one year			9,476,000						$ 9,890,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Celgene Corporation
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Revenue			1,300,000		$ 200,000
Proceeds from collaborators			200,000
Estimated deferred revenue recognized within one year			$ 3,600,000
Collaborative agreement period			1 year
Maximum success-based milestone payments	$ 19,000,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Celgene Corporation \| Maximum
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Maximum success-based milestone payments	24,800,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Celgene Corporation \| Upfront Payment Arrangement
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Collaboration agreement upfront payment	$ 5,800,000							$ 2,100,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Revenue				900,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. \| Upfront Payment Arrangement
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Revenue							$ 8,500,000
Proceeds from collaborators						$ 3,900,000	$ 12,000,000
Collaborative Arrangement \| Lam Research Corporation
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Maximum amount of royalties payable (ratio)		3
Maximum number of employees \| employee		10
Exercise price of warrants \| $ / shares		$ 16.75
Issued warrants, value		$ 6,700,000
Revenue			$ 4,800,000	4,200,000
Proceeds from collaborators			2,700,000	3,500,000
Deferred revenue recorded under collaboration agreement			1,600,000
Estimated deferred revenue recognized within one year			1,200,000
Customer deposits			4,800,000
nstg_ReimbursementOfCounterpartyCosts			200,000	$ 0
Amounts due for services provided			0
Payments for services provided			$ 0
Number of warrants exercised \| shares			0
Collaborative Arrangement \| Lam Research Corporation \| Maximum
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Number of warrants, outstanding \| shares		1,000,000
Revenue		$ 50,000,000