Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Reversal of deferred tax liabilities associated with unrecognized tax benefits related to international operations   $ 138,000biol_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefitGross
Tax benefit for federal alternative minimum tax credits and California R&D credits   107,000biol_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsAlternativeMinimumTaxAndResearchAndDevelopment
Tax benefit on reversed deferred tax liabilities and recognized AMT and R&D credits   245,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCredits
Valuation allowance 42,069,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 35,566,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Net operating loss carryforwards federal 93,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsDomestic  
Net operating loss carryforwards state 63,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal  
Cumulative unrealized excess tax deductions 6,900,000biol_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactAdditionalPaidInCapital 7,000,000biol_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactAdditionalPaidInCapital
Unrealized tax benefits, if realized, would increase in additional paid-in-capital 2,600,000biol_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsImpactAdditionalPaidInCapitalIfRealized 2,700,000biol_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsImpactAdditionalPaidInCapitalIfRealized
Valuation allowance percentage against the state deferred tax asset   100.00%biol_ValuationAllowanceStateDta
Undistributed earnings from foreign subsidiaries 0us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries  
Minimum    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration period 2018  
Maximum    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration period 2034  
Federal    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Research and development tax credit carryforwards 1,400,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember 		 
Federal | Minimum    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Research and development tax credit carryforwards, expiration period 2018  
Federal | Maximum    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Research and development tax credit carryforwards, expiration period 2034  
State | Indefinite Life    
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]    
Research and development tax credit carryforwards $ 1,100,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= biol_IndefiniteLifeMember