Note 20 - Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Of Guarantor Subsidiaries (Detail) - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2012	Feb. 29, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Aug. 19, 2011	May 31, 2011	Feb. 28, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Aug. 31, 2010	May 31, 2012	May 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012	May 31, 2011	May 31, 2010
NET SALES	$ 86,019	$ 81,370	$ 83,035	$ 74,910	$ 84,555	$ 83,349	$ 81,546	$ 83,641		$ 261,814	$ 11,390	$ 333,091	$ 329,073
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				22,955						105,698		96,175	95,349
GROSS MARGIN	58,491	52,782	40,609	51,955	59,845	59,019	58,385	59,667		156,116	4,234	236,916	233,724
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development				4,895						13,929		15,900	15,437
Selling and marketing				10,510						32,913		36,431	36,995
Distribution				3,952						14,333		16,508	14,831
General and administrative				38,175						38,316		37,747	36,841
Amortization of intangibles				931						39,224		4,333	4,278
Certain litigation expenses									22,000	22,000
Total operating expenses				58,463						160,715		110,919	108,382
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	11,553	9,113	(24,713)	(6,508)	27,971	33,867	31,957	32,202		(4,599)	(552)	125,997	125,342
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income				142						7		706	454
Interest expense										77,048		70	33
Other, net				2,673						447		3,997	(551)
Total non-operating income (expense)				2,815						(76,594)		4,633	(130)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES				(3,693)						(81,193)		130,630	125,212
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES				2,681						(31,546)		41,303	42,629
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES	(7,895)	(9,131)	(30,179)	(6,374)	24,159	22,686	21,063	21,419		(49,647)	(2,442)	89,327	82,583
NET INCOME (LOSS)												89,327
Immucor Inc [Member] | Successor [Member]
NET SALES										195,377
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)										73,109
GROSS MARGIN										122,268
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development										7,724
Selling and marketing										17,868
Distribution										8,697
General and administrative										26,850
Amortization of intangibles										37,173
Certain litigation expenses										22,000
Total operating expenses										120,312
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS										1,956			123,832
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense										(77,066)
Other, net										406
Total non-operating income (expense)										(76,660)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES										(74,704)
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES										(29,426)
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES										(45,278)
Net Income (Loss) of consolidated subsidiaries										(4,369)
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(49,647)
Immucor Inc [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
NET SALES				55,063								244,339	249,162
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				17,070								67,726	70,433
GROSS MARGIN				37,993								176,613	178,729
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development				2,390								6,815	6,160
Selling and marketing				5,321								17,265	17,716
Distribution				2,331								9,932	8,839
General and administrative				33,903								24,899	21,643
Amortization of intangibles				117								539	539
Total operating expenses				44,062								59,450	54,897
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS				(6,069)								117,163
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income				46								279	220
Interest expense												(56)	(15)
Other, net				(246)								(103)	(469)
Total non-operating income (expense)				(200)								120	(264)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES				(6,269)								117,283	123,568
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES				1,497								42,051	42,969
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES				(7,766)								75,232	80,599
Net Income (Loss) of consolidated subsidiaries				1,392								14,095	1,984
NET INCOME (LOSS)				(6,374)								89,327	82,583
Guarantor [Member] | Successor [Member]
NET SALES										4,087
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)										3,844
GROSS MARGIN										243
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development										6,113
Selling and marketing										1,654
Distribution										137
General and administrative										1,682
Amortization of intangibles										161
Total operating expenses										9,747
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS										(9,504)			(17,970)
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES										(9,504)
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES										(3,275)
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES										(6,229)
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(6,229)
Guarantor [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
NET SALES				980								4,577	4,385
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				722								3,549	4,115
GROSS MARGIN				258								1,028	270
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development				2,471								8,925	9,114
Selling and marketing				568								1,919	1,674
Distribution				34								130	91
General and administrative				657								2,892	3,866
Amortization of intangibles				757								3,544	3,495
Total operating expenses				4,487								17,410	18,240
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS				(4,229)								(16,382)
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense													(3)
Other, net				14								4,168
Total non-operating income (expense)				14								4,168	(3)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES				(4,215)								(12,214)	(17,973)
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES				(1,598)								(8,721)	(6,434)
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES				(2,617)								(3,493)	(11,539)
NET INCOME (LOSS)				(2,617)								(3,493)	(11,539)
Non-Guarantors [Member] | Successor [Member]
NET SALES										97,528
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)										63,923
GROSS MARGIN										33,605
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development										92
Selling and marketing										13,391
Distribution										5,499
General and administrative										9,784
Amortization of intangibles										1,890
Total operating expenses										30,656
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS										2,949			19,480
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income										89
Interest expense										(64)
Other, net										41
Total non-operating income (expense)										66
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES										3,015
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES										1,155
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES										1,860
NET INCOME (LOSS)										1,860
Non-Guarantors [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
NET SALES				26,648								116,748	107,605
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				12,944								57,473	52,880
GROSS MARGIN				13,704								59,275	54,725
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development				34								160	163
Selling and marketing				4,621								17,247	17,605
Distribution				1,587								6,446	5,901
General and administrative				3,615								9,956	11,332
Amortization of intangibles				57								250	244
Total operating expenses				9,914								34,059	35,245
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS				3,790								25,216
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income				117								527	422
Interest expense				(21)								(114)	(203)
Other, net				2,905								(68)	(82)
Total non-operating income (expense)				3,001								345	137
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES				6,791								25,561	19,617
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES				2,782								7,973	6,094
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES				4,009								17,588	13,523
NET INCOME (LOSS)				4,009								17,588	13,523
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Successor [Member]
NET SALES										(35,178)
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)										(35,178)
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income										(82)
Interest expense										82
Net Income (Loss) of consolidated subsidiaries										4,369
NET INCOME (LOSS)										4,369
Intersegment Elimination [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
NET SALES				(7,781)								(32,573)	(32,079)
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				(7,781)								(32,573)	(32,079)
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income				(21)								(100)	(188)
Interest expense				21								100	188
Net Income (Loss) of consolidated subsidiaries				(1,392)								(14,095)	(1,984)
NET INCOME (LOSS)				(1,392)								(14,095)	(1,984)
Total [Member] | Successor [Member]
NET SALES										261,814
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)										105,698
GROSS MARGIN										156,116
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development										13,929
Selling and marketing										32,913
Distribution										14,333
General and administrative										38,316
Amortization of intangibles										39,224
Certain litigation expenses										22,000
Total operating expenses										160,715
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS										(4,599)			125,342
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income										7
Interest expense										(77,048)
Other, net										447
Total non-operating income (expense)										(76,594)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES										(81,193)
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES										(31,546)
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES										(49,647)
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(49,647)
Total [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
NET SALES				74,910								333,091	329,073
COST OF SALES (exclusive of amortization shown separately below)				22,955								96,175	95,349
GROSS MARGIN				51,955								236,916	233,724
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Research and development				4,895								15,900	15,437
Selling and marketing				10,510								36,431	36,995
Distribution				3,952								16,508	14,831
General and administrative				38,175								37,747	36,841
Amortization of intangibles				931								4,333	4,278
Total operating expenses				58,463								110,919	108,382
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS				(6,508)								125,997
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income				142								706	454
Interest expense												(70)	(33)
Other, net				2,673								3,997	(551)
Total non-operating income (expense)				2,815								4,633	(130)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES				(3,693)								130,630	125,212
PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES				2,681								41,303	42,629
NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE EARNINGS OF CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES				(6,374)								89,327	82,583
NET INCOME (LOSS)				(6,374)								89,327	82,583
Successor [Member]
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(49,647)
Predecessor [Member]
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE):
NET INCOME (LOSS)				$ (6,374)									$ 82,583