Equity Investments for MTI Micro-Related Party	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments Disclosure [Text Block]	17. Equity Investments for MTI Micro – Related Party On September 18, 2008, MTI Micro executed a Convertible Note and Warrant Purchase Agreement, Secured Convertible Promissory Note Agreements (the Bridge Notes), Security Agreement (the Security Agreement) and Warrant Agreements (the Warrants). The investors (the Bridge Investors) included MTI, in the form of conversion of existing debt of $700 thousand, Dr. Walter L. Robb, a member of the Company’s and MTI Micro’s Boards of Directors, and Counter Point Ventures Fund II, LP (Counter Point). Counter Point is a venture capital fund sponsored and managed by Dr. Walter L. Robb. General Electric Pension Trust, an employee benefit plan trust, is a passive limited partner in Counter Point. The Bridge Notes allowed MTI Micro to borrow up to an aggregate of $2.2 million, including conversion of the outstanding debt totaling $700 thousand owed to the Company. Under this agreement, MTI Micro closed on $1.5 million of funding from Other Investors on September 18, 2008. On February 20, 2009, MTI Micro and the Investors agreed to, among other things, amend the Bridge Notes (Bridge Notes Amendment No. 1) to permit MTI Micro to sell additional Bridge Notes with an additional principal amount of up to $500 thousand to additional investors, and to extend the maturity date from March 31, 2009 to May 31, 2009 (the Maturity Date). No other terms of the Bridge Notes were amended. Following the effectiveness of Bridge Notes Amendment No. 1, MTI Micro borrowed an additional $500 thousand from Counter Point, bringing the aggregate outstanding principal amount borrowed under the Bridge Notes, as amended, to $2.7 million, including conversion of outstanding debt totaling $700 thousand owed to the Company. On April 15, 2009, MTI Micro and the Investors agreed to amend the Bridge Notes (Bridge Notes Amendment No. 2) to permit MTI Micro to sell additional Bridge Notes with an additional principal amount of up to $800 thousand to an additional investor and Counter Point, and to extend the maturity date from May 31, 2009 to March 31, 2010 (the Maturity Date). Effective December 4, 2009, MTI Micro had sold all additional Bridge Notes, as amended. The Bridge Notes had an interest rate of 10%, compounded annually. On December 9, 2009, MTI Micro entered into a Secured Convertible Promissory Note Negotiated Conversion Agreement (the Conversion Agreement) with the Company and the other Bridge Investors. The parties agreed to, among other things, convert the aggregate principal and accrued interest amount of $3.9 million outstanding under the Bridge Notes into an aggregate of 55,864,425 shares of Common Stock of MTI Micro using a conversion price per share of $0.07 (the Negotiated Conversion). Warrants to purchase MTI Micro common stock at $0.07 per share were issued to Bridge Investors for an aggregate of 5,081,237 shares. As an incentive for MTI Micro to agree to the terms of the Negotiated Conversion, MTI Micro, the Company and the Bridge Investors also agreed that immediately prior to the consummation of the Negotiated Conversion, MTI Micro would issue to each current MTI Micro stockholder (including the Company), without consideration, a warrant (MTI Micro Warrant) exercisable after one (1) year for up to 50% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock each such MTI Micro stockholder currently held in MTI Micro, at $0.07 per share and with a term of seven (7) years. Accordingly, immediately prior to the consummation of the Negotiated Conversion on December 9, 2009, MTI Micro issued MTI Micro Warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 32,779,310 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock. As a result of the Negotiated Conversion, the Company converted an aggregate principal and accrued interest amount of $787 thousand outstanding under the Bridge Notes into an aggregate of 11,241,666 shares of Common Stock of MTI Micro, and the Company’s ownership interest in MTI Micro decreased from approximately 97.3% to approximately 61.8%, or 67.8% on a fully-diluted basis including the MTI Micro Warrants issued to all current MTI Micro stockholders and the Bridge Warrants. The balance of the Bridge Note payable was $0 as of December 31, 2009. On January 11, 2010, MTI Micro entered into the Purchase Agreement with Counter Point. Counter Point is a venture capital fund sponsored and managed by Dr. Walter L. Robb, a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and MTI Micro, and a current stockholder of MTI Micro. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 28,571,429 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the MTI Micro Common Stock), at a purchase price per share of $0.07, over a period of twelve months, and warrants (MTI Micro Warrants) to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under the Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing). Nine Closings occurred through December 31, 2010, with MTI Micro raising $1.9 million from the sale of 26,952,386 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 5,390,477 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point. The final Closing occurred on January 5, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $113 thousand from the sale of 1,619,043 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 323,809 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point. On February 9, 2011, Amendment No. 1 was entered into between MTI Micro and Counter Point. Pursuant to Amendment No. 1, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 6,428,574 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock at a purchase price per share of $0.07, through December 31, 2011, and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under Amendment No. 1 at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing) occurring over four one-month closing periods (each, a Closing Period). Four Closings occurred through September 30, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $450 thousand from the sale of 6,428,574 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 1,285,715 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point. On September 23, 2011, Amendment No. 2 was entered into between MTI Micro and Counter Point. Pursuant to Amendment No. 2, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 1,200,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock at a purchase price per share of $0.07, through December 31, 2011, and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under Amendment No. 2 at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing) occurring over four one-month closing periods (each, a Closing Period). Four Closings occurred through December 31, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $84 thousand from the sale of 1,200,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 240,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned an aggregate of approximately 47.6% of the outstanding shares of MTI Micro or 53.3% of the outstanding common stock and warrants issued of MTI Micro, and Dr. Robb and Counter Point owned approximately 45.2% and 5.1%, respectively of the outstanding shares of MTI Micro or 40.3% and 4.3%, respectively of the outstanding common stock and warrants issued of MTI Micro. On December 9, 2011, MTI Instruments purchased laboratory and computer equipment from MTI Micro for a total of $84 thousand, which was funded by the Company.

Equity Investments for MTI Micro-Related Party

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Equity Method Investments Disclosure [Text Block]

17. Equity Investments for MTI Micro – Related Party

On September 18, 2008, MTI Micro executed a Convertible Note and Warrant Purchase Agreement, Secured Convertible Promissory Note Agreements (the Bridge Notes), Security Agreement (the Security Agreement) and Warrant Agreements (the Warrants). The investors (the Bridge Investors) included MTI, in the form of conversion of existing debt of $700 thousand, Dr. Walter L. Robb, a member of the Company’s and MTI Micro’s Boards of Directors, and Counter Point Ventures Fund II, LP (Counter Point). Counter Point is a venture capital fund sponsored and managed by Dr. Walter L. Robb. General Electric Pension Trust, an employee benefit plan trust, is a passive limited partner in Counter Point. The Bridge Notes allowed MTI Micro to borrow up to an aggregate of $2.2 million, including conversion of the outstanding debt totaling $700 thousand owed to the Company. Under this agreement, MTI Micro closed on $1.5 million of funding from Other Investors on September 18, 2008.

On February 20, 2009, MTI Micro and the Investors agreed to, among other things, amend the Bridge Notes (Bridge Notes Amendment No. 1) to permit MTI Micro to sell additional Bridge Notes with an additional principal amount of up to $500 thousand to additional investors, and to extend the maturity date from March 31, 2009 to May 31, 2009 (the Maturity Date). No other terms of the Bridge Notes were amended. Following the effectiveness of Bridge Notes Amendment No. 1, MTI Micro borrowed an additional $500 thousand from Counter Point, bringing the aggregate outstanding principal amount borrowed under the Bridge Notes, as amended, to $2.7 million, including conversion of outstanding debt totaling $700 thousand owed to the Company.

On April 15, 2009, MTI Micro and the Investors agreed to amend the Bridge Notes (Bridge Notes Amendment No. 2) to permit MTI Micro to sell additional Bridge Notes with an additional principal amount of up to $800 thousand to an additional investor and Counter Point, and to extend the maturity date from May 31, 2009 to March 31, 2010 (the Maturity Date). Effective December 4, 2009, MTI Micro had sold all additional Bridge Notes, as amended. The Bridge Notes had an interest rate of 10%, compounded annually.

On December 9, 2009, MTI Micro entered into a Secured Convertible Promissory Note Negotiated Conversion Agreement (the Conversion Agreement) with the Company and the other Bridge Investors. The parties agreed to, among other things, convert the aggregate principal and accrued interest amount of $3.9 million outstanding under the Bridge Notes into an aggregate of 55,864,425 shares of Common Stock of MTI Micro using a conversion price per share of $0.07 (the Negotiated Conversion). Warrants to purchase MTI Micro common stock at $0.07 per share were issued to Bridge Investors for an aggregate of 5,081,237 shares. As an incentive for MTI Micro to agree to the terms of the Negotiated Conversion, MTI Micro, the Company and the Bridge Investors also agreed that immediately prior to the consummation of the Negotiated Conversion, MTI Micro would issue to each current MTI Micro stockholder (including the Company), without consideration, a warrant (MTI Micro Warrant) exercisable after one (1) year for up to 50% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock each such MTI Micro stockholder currently held in MTI Micro, at $0.07 per share and with a term of seven (7) years. Accordingly, immediately prior to the consummation of the Negotiated Conversion on December 9, 2009, MTI Micro issued MTI Micro Warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 32,779,310 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock.

As a result of the Negotiated Conversion, the Company converted an aggregate principal and accrued interest amount of $787 thousand outstanding under the Bridge Notes into an aggregate of 11,241,666 shares of Common Stock of MTI Micro, and the Company’s ownership interest in MTI Micro decreased from approximately 97.3% to approximately 61.8%, or 67.8% on a fully-diluted basis including the MTI Micro Warrants issued to all current MTI Micro stockholders and the Bridge Warrants. The balance of the Bridge Note payable was $0 as of December 31, 2009.

On January 11, 2010, MTI Micro entered into the Purchase Agreement with Counter Point. Counter Point is a venture capital fund sponsored and managed by Dr. Walter L. Robb, a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and MTI Micro, and a current stockholder of MTI Micro. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 28,571,429 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the MTI Micro Common Stock), at a purchase price per share of $0.07, over a period of twelve months, and warrants (MTI Micro Warrants) to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under the Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing). Nine Closings occurred through December 31, 2010, with MTI Micro raising $1.9 million from the sale of 26,952,386 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 5,390,477 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point. The final Closing occurred on January 5, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $113 thousand from the sale of 1,619,043 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 323,809 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point.

On February 9, 2011, Amendment No. 1 was entered into between MTI Micro and Counter Point. Pursuant to Amendment No. 1, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 6,428,574 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock at a purchase price per share of $0.07, through December 31, 2011, and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under Amendment No. 1 at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing) occurring over four one-month closing periods (each, a Closing Period). Four Closings occurred through September 30, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $450 thousand from the sale of 6,428,574 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 1,285,715 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point.

On September 23, 2011, Amendment No. 2 was entered into between MTI Micro and Counter Point. Pursuant to Amendment No. 2, MTI Micro issued and sold to Counter Point 1,200,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock at a purchase price per share of $0.07, through December 31, 2011, and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase shares of MTI Micro Common Stock equal to 20% of the shares of MTI Micro Common Stock purchased under Amendment No. 2 at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. The sale and issuance of the MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants occurred over multiple closings (each, a Closing) occurring over four one-month closing periods (each, a Closing Period). Four Closings occurred through December 31, 2011, with MTI Micro raising $84 thousand from the sale of 1,200,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock and MTI Micro Warrants to purchase 240,000 shares of MTI Micro Common Stock to Counter Point.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned an aggregate of approximately 47.6% of the outstanding shares of MTI Micro or 53.3% of the outstanding common stock and warrants issued of MTI Micro, and Dr. Robb and Counter Point owned approximately 45.2% and 5.1%, respectively of the outstanding shares of MTI Micro or 40.3% and 4.3%, respectively of the outstanding common stock and warrants issued of MTI Micro.

On December 9, 2011, MTI Instruments purchased laboratory and computer equipment from MTI Micro for a total of $84 thousand, which was funded by the Company.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for equity investment, or group of investments, for which combined disclosure is appropriate, including: (a) the name of each investee and percentage of ownership of common stock, (b) accounting policies for investments in common stock, (c) difference between the amount at which the investment is carried and the amount of underlying equity in net assets and the accounting treatment of the difference, (d) the total fair value of each identified investment for which a market value is available, (e) summarized information as to assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the investees (for investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries, common stock of joint ventures, or other investments using the equity method), and (f) material effects of possible conversions, exercises, or contingent issuances of the investee. Other disclosures include (a) the names of any investee in which the investor owns 20 percent or more of the voting stock and investment is not accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why not, and (b) the names of any investee in which the investor owns less than 20 percent of the voting stock and the investment is accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why it is.

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