Segment, Customer and Geographical Reporting (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue		$ 10,028,000	$ 9,189,000
Gross profit		$ 3,692,000	$ 3,575,000
GM %		37.00%	39.00%
Operating expenses		$ 3,817,000	$ 3,744,000
Operating income (loss)		(125,000)	(169,000)
Depreciation and amortization		338,000	299,000
Capital expenditures		204,000	625,000
Intangibles, net		718,000	978,000	$ 755,000
Goodwill		5,864,000	5,951,000	5,900,000
Total assets		30,184,000	27,697,000	$ 31,532,000
Optics [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue		5,721,000	4,942,000
Gross profit		$ 1,879,000	$ 1,724,000
GM %		33.00%	35.00%
Operating expenses		$ 1,885,000	$ 1,576,000
Operating income (loss)		(6,000)	148,000
Depreciation and amortization		276,000	231,000
Capital expenditures		187,000	590,000
Intangibles, net		363,000	453,000
Goodwill		925,000	1,012,000
Total assets		21,870,000	18,969,000
Innovation and Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	[1]	4,307,000	4,247,000
Gross profit	[1]	$ 1,813,000	$ 1,851,000
GM %	[1]	42.00%	44.00%
Operating expenses	[1]	$ 1,879,000	$ 1,723,000
Operating income (loss)	[1]	(66,000)	128,000
Depreciation and amortization	[1]	59,000	65,000
Capital expenditures	[1]	17,000	19,000
Intangibles, net	[1]	154,000	188,000
Goodwill	[1]	4,939,000	4,939,000
Total assets	[1]	8,109,000	8,114,000
Biomedical [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue		0	0
Gross profit		$ 0	$ 0
GM %		0.00%	0.00%
Operating expenses		$ 53,000	$ 445,000
Operating income (loss)		(53,000)	(445,000)
Depreciation and amortization		3,000	3,000
Capital expenditures		0	16,000
Intangibles, net		201,000	337,000
Goodwill		0	0
Total assets		$ 205,000	$ 614,000

[1] Formerly Contract Research