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Summary of significant accounting policies - Additional Information (Details) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended | |||
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2012
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Jul. 22, 2013
Revolving credit facility
Chief Executive Officer (John N. Hatsopoulos)
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Mar. 25, 2013
Revolving credit facility
Chief Executive Officer (John N. Hatsopoulos)
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
| Cash insured | $ 250,000 | |||
| Cash balances in bank accounts, uninsured amount | 7,410,000 | 1,070,000 | ||
| Short-term investments minimum maturity | 3 months | |||
| Short-term investments maximum maturity | 1 year | |||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts | 103,800 | 154,400 | ||
| Advertising expense | 242,200 | 187,500 | ||
| Research and development costs reimbursed by government agencies | 127,500 | 126,500 | ||
| Bank credit facility | 1,055,000 | 1,500,000 | ||
| Research and development expenditures | 867,000 | 431,000 | ||
| Reverse stock split | 4 | |||
| Reclassification common stock to additional paid in capital | $ 40,836 | |||
| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Reclassification, Common Stock to Additional Paid in Capital No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Research And Development Arrangements With Government Agencies, Customer Funding To Offset Costs Incurred No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Short-Term Investments, Maximum Maturity Term No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Short-Term Investments, Minimum Maturity Term No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
A valuation allowance for trade and other receivables due to an Entity within one year (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) that are expected to be uncollectible. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The amount of cash deposited in financial institutions as of the balance sheet date that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The amount of cash as of the balance sheet date that is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Details
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
This item represents the conversion ratio used in the calculation of a stock split. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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