Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Select Balance Sheet Information - Additional Information (Detail) € in Millions, shares in Millions				3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Jan. 08, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 20, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 20, 2015 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2010 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2006 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 10, 2015 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Available for sale investments						$ 0					$ 21,954,000	$ 0
Held-to-maturity debt securities						0					0	0
Depreciation expense											2,300,000	2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Impairment loss on investment											0
Gain on sale of investment							$ 500,000				514,000	492,000	842,000
Transfer to Investments											2,000
Amortization expense											2,400,000	800,000	700,000
Other impairment losses											0
Goodwill						8,010,000					26,555,000	8,010,000
Goodwill impairment charges											0
Goodwill subject to revaluation due to fluctuations in exchange rates											13,400,000
Impairment charges relating to long-lived assets											0	0	0
Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities											100,000	100,000	100,000
Current and non-current deferred revenue						300,000					400,000	300,000
Liability recorded for customer royalty overpayments						79,000					$ 881,000	79,000
Discontinued operations used operating cash												45,000	354,000
Cash generated from financing activities												$ 45,000	$ 354,000
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding excluded outstanding stock options | shares											0.7	0.5	0.5
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation plans												$ 432,000	$ 236,000
ASU 2016-09 [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation plans												$ 400,000	$ 200,000
SurModics Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Discontinued operations activity											$ 0
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Revenue [Member] | Medtronic [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue											25.00%	26.00%	19.00%
In Vitro Diagnostics [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill						8,010,000					$ 8,010,000	$ 8,010,000
Goodwill impairment charges												0	$ 0
Medical Device [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill											18,545,000
Customer Lists [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, acquired											12,600,000	300,000
Non-compete [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, acquired												200,000
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, acquired												100,000
Relationships, Developed Technology [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, acquired											8,700,000
In-Process Research and Development [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Intangible assets, acquired											$ 1,000,000
Creagh Medical Ltd [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of shares acquired		100.00%	100.00%								100.00%
Goodwill				$ 13,400,000							$ 13,440,000
Payments to acquire business				$ 32,100,000							$ 28,274,000
NorMedix, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of shares acquired	100.00%										100.00%
Goodwill											$ 4,452,000					$ 4,500,000
Payments to acquire business											10,425,000
Other Income, Net [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gain on sale of investment												500,000
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Impairment loss											100,000
ViaCyte, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Impairment loss on investment									$ 100,000						$ 4,700,000
Equity method investment											5,300,000
Cost method of investment											500,000
Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenue recognized from activity with companies in which it had strategic investment											$ 100,000	100,000	100,000
Product sales payment terms											45 days
Maximum [Member] | SurModics Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Discontinued operations used operating cash												100,000
Cash generated from financing activities												$ 100,000
Maximum [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Revenue [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue											10.00%
Maximum [Member] | Product Concentration Risk [Member] | Revenue [Member] | Medtronic [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue											6.00%
Maximum [Member] | Creagh Medical Ltd [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Payments to acquire business		$ 32,000,000	€ 30		€ 30
Maximum [Member] | NorMedix, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Payments to acquire business	$ 14,000,000
Maximum [Member] | ViaCyte, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Company's ownership percentage											1.00%
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Product sales payment terms											30 days
Minimum [Member] | Royalties [Member] | Revenue from Rights Concentration Risk [Member] | Revenue, Rights Granted [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of revenue											90.00%
CeloNova BioSciences, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gross value of business acquired																	$ 70,000,000
Impairment loss on investment						$ 1,500,000
CeloNova BioSciences, Inc. [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Company's ownership percentage											2.00%
ThermopeutiX, Inc. [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Impairment loss on investment								$ 1,200,000			$ 1,200,000
ThermopeutiX, Inc. [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Company's ownership percentage						20.00%						20.00%
Vessix Vascular Inc
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Impairment loss on investment														$ 2,400,000
Equity method investment											2,500,000
Gain on sale of investment										$ 1,200,000
Vessix Vascular Inc | Clinical milestone [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Milestone payment to be received													$ 700,000
Vessix Vascular Inc | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Potential proceeds on achievement of future milestones											$ 3,300,000