Note 20 - Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Of Guarantor Subsidiaries (Detail) - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	May 31, 2012	Aug. 19, 2011	May 31, 2011	May 31, 2010	May 31, 2009
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 18,578	$ 322,963	$ 302,603	$ 202,649	$ 136,461
Accounts receivable, net	66,392		63,324
Inventories	33,370		32,914
Deferred income tax assets, current portion	5,489		15,884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	11,738		11,164
Total current assets	135,567		425,889
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net	64,662		58,216
GOODWILL	966,338		93,767
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net	735,522		54,133
DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	38,769
OTHER ASSETS	8,295		1,122
Total assets	1,949,153		633,127
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	12,734		10,790
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,276		1,166
Income taxes payable	3,654		8,294
Deferred revenue, current portion	2,606		7,495
Current portion of long term debt, net of debt discounts	3,922		0
Total current liabilities	64,272		46,910
LONG TERM DEBT, NET OF DEBT DISCOUNTS	986,361		0
DEFERRED REVENUE	431		6,080
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES	245,496		9,264
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	15,215		2,001
Total liabilities	1,311,775		64,255
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	637,378		568,872	456,123
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,949,153		633,127
Immucor Inc [Member] | Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	8,093
Accounts receivable, net	27,542
Intercompany receivable	46,856
Inventories	21,697
Deferred income tax assets, current portion	4,168
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	6,336
Total current assets	114,692
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net	44,103
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	162,895
GOODWILL	903,512
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net	682,187
DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	38,769
OTHER ASSETS	7,817
Total assets	1,953,975
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	9,816
Intercompany payable	190
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	31,250
Income taxes payable	30,719
Deferred revenue, current portion	1,270
Current portion of long term debt, net of debt discounts	3,922
Total current liabilities	77,167
LONG TERM DEBT, NET OF DEBT DISCOUNTS	986,361
DEFERRED REVENUE	391
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES	238,582
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	14,096
Total liabilities	1,316,597
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	637,378
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,953,975
Immucor Inc [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents			250,386
Accounts receivable, net			25,914
Intercompany receivable			310
Inventories			20,756
Deferred income tax assets, current portion			11,118
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			8,723
Total current assets			317,207
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net			39,101
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES			247,571
GOODWILL			17,803
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net			1,050
OTHER ASSETS			1,691
Total assets			624,423
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable			6,324
Intercompany payable			630
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			9,824
Income taxes payable			29,035
Deferred revenue, current portion			4,778
Total current liabilities			50,591
DEFERRED REVENUE			4,183
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES			777
Total liabilities			55,551
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity			568,872
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			624,423
Guarantor [Member] | Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Accounts receivable, net	489
Intercompany receivable	23
Inventories	1,438
Deferred income tax assets, current portion	531
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	31,227
Total current assets	33,708
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net	1,407
GOODWILL	6,659
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net	10,438
OTHER ASSETS	5,558
Total assets	57,770
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	1,145
Intercompany payable	39,177
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	1,421
Deferred revenue, current portion	20
Total current liabilities	41,763
Total liabilities	41,763
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	16,007
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	57,770
Guarantor [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Accounts receivable, net			377
Inventories			1,253
Deferred income tax assets, current portion			4,466
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			24,895
Total current assets			30,991
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net			856
GOODWILL			53,143
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net			45,695
OTHER ASSETS			99
Total assets			130,784
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable			1,463
Intercompany payable			25,227
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			1,568
Deferred revenue, current portion			31
Total current liabilities			28,289
DEFERRED REVENUE			22
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES			9,973
Total liabilities			38,284
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity			92,500
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			130,784
Non-Guarantors [Member] | Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	10,629
Accounts receivable, net	38,361
Intercompany receivable	7,610
Inventories	10,235
Deferred income tax assets, current portion	790
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,784
Total current assets	72,409
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net	19,152
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	4
GOODWILL	56,167
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net	42,897
OTHER ASSETS	370
Total assets	190,999
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	1,773
Intercompany payable	15,122
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	8,829
Income taxes payable	3,544
Deferred revenue, current portion	1,316
Total current liabilities	30,584
DEFERRED REVENUE	40
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES	12,364
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	1,119
Total liabilities	44,107
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	146,892
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	190,999
Non-Guarantors [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents			52,297
Accounts receivable, net			37,033
Intercompany receivable			5,925
Inventories			10,905
Deferred income tax assets, current portion			300
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			2,100
Total current assets			108,560
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net			18,259
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES			5
GOODWILL			22,821
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net			7,388
OTHER ASSETS			825
Total assets			157,858
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable			3,083
Intercompany payable			11,829
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			8,939
Income taxes payable			3,813
Deferred revenue, current portion			2,686
Total current liabilities			30,350
DEFERRED REVENUE			1,875
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES			784
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES			1,224
Total liabilities			34,233
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity			123,625
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			157,858
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	(144)
Intercompany receivable	(54,489)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(30,609)
Total current assets	(85,242)
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(162,899)
OTHER ASSETS	(5,450)
Total assets	(253,591)
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Intercompany payable	(54,489)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(144)
Income taxes payable	(30,609)
Total current liabilities	(85,242)
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES	(5,450)
Total liabilities	(90,692)
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	(162,899)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	(253,591)
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents			(80)
Intercompany receivable			(6,235)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(24,554)
Total current assets			(30,869)
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES			(247,576)
OTHER ASSETS			(1,493)
Total assets			(279,938)
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable			(80)
Intercompany payable			(37,686)
Income taxes payable			(24,554)
Total current liabilities			(62,320)
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES			(1,493)
Total liabilities			(63,813)
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity			(216,125)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			(279,938)
Total [Member] | Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	18,578
Accounts receivable, net	66,392
Inventories	33,370
Deferred income tax assets, current portion	5,489
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	11,738
Total current assets	135,567
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net	64,662
GOODWILL	966,338
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net	735,522
DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	38,769
OTHER ASSETS	8,295
Total assets	1,949,153
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	12,734
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	41,356
Income taxes payable	3,654
Deferred revenue, current portion	2,606
Current portion of long term debt, net of debt discounts	3,922
Total current liabilities	64,272
LONG TERM DEBT, NET OF DEBT DISCOUNTS	986,361
DEFERRED REVENUE	431
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES	245,496
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	15,215
Total liabilities	1,311,775
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	637,378
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,949,153
Total [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents			302,603
Accounts receivable, net			63,324
Inventories			32,914
Deferred income tax assets, current portion			15,884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			11,164
Total current assets			425,889
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, Net			58,216
GOODWILL			93,767
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, Net			54,133
OTHER ASSETS			1,122
Total assets			633,127
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable			10,790
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			20,331
Income taxes payable			8,294
Deferred revenue, current portion			7,495
Total current liabilities			46,910
DEFERRED REVENUE			6,080
DEFERRED INCOME TAX LIABILITIES			9,264
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES			2,001
Total liabilities			64,255
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity			568,872
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity			633,127
Successor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Inventories	33,370
GOODWILL	966,338
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity	637,378
Predecessor [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS:
Inventories			32,914
GOODWILL		94,065	93,767	94,336
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Total shareholders’ equity		$ 576,646	$ 568,872		$ 384,578