Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Fair value of notes payable $ 37,900,000us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure $ 29,900,000us-gaap_NotesPayableFairValueDisclosure  
Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs 94,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts 309,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts 296,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts
Deferred debt issuance costs 90,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNoncurrentNet 691,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNoncurrentNet  
General Electric Capital Corporation [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Debt issuance costs $ 120,000us-gaap_DebtIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= navb_GeneralElectricCapitalCorporationMember 		$ 881,000us-gaap_DebtIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= navb_GeneralElectricCapitalCorporationMember 		 
Cardinal Health [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Receivables percentage 99.00%navb_ReceivablesPercentage
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= navb_CardinalHealthMember 		   
Minimum [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Estimated useful lives, patent costs 5 years    
Maximum [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Estimated useful lives, patent costs 15 years    
The 2014 Plan [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Shares authorized under share-based compensation plan 5,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= navb_StockIncentivePlanTwoThousandFourteenMember 		   
The 2002 Plan [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Shares authorized under share-based compensation plan 12,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= navb_FourthAmendedAndRestatedTwentyZeroTwoStockIncentivePlanMember 		   
Stock Incentive Plan 2002 and 2014 [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Stock options granted under share-based compensation plan expiration term 10 years    
Stock options granted under share-based compensation plan expiration term in certain cases 90 days    
Stock Incentive Plan 2002 and 2014 [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Stock options granted under share-based compensation plan vesting period 1 year    
Stock Incentive Plan 2002 and 2014 [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Stock options granted under share-based compensation plan vesting period 4 years    
Cira Biosciences Inc [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Ownership percentage 90.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= navb_CiraBiosciencesIncMember 		   
Navidia Biopharmaceuticals Limited [Member]      
Organization And Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Ownership percentage 100.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= navb_NavidiaBiopharmaceuticalsLimitedMember