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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in valuation allowance | $ 14,100,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesPeriodIncreaseDecrease | $ 8,500,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesPeriodIncreaseDecrease | $ (800,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Pretax net losses | (38,560,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments | (43,119,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments | (15,675,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Operating loss carryforwards related to windfall tax deductions | 2,200,000 cers_OperatingLossCarryforwardsRelatedToWindfallStockOptionDeductions |  |
Research and development tax credit carryforwards | 33,800,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch | 32,100,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards | 416,000,000 us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember |  |
Research and development tax credit carryforwards | 22,500,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember |  |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Minimum |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards, expiration year | 2015 |  |
Research and development tax credit carryforwards, expiration year | 2018 |  |
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Maximum |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards, expiration year | 2034 |  |
Research and development tax credit carryforwards, expiration year | 2034 |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards | 255,000,000 us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember |  |
Research and development tax credit carryforwards | 17,100,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsResearch / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction | Minimum |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards, expiration year | 2015 |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction | Maximum |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards, expiration year | 2034 |  |
Cerus Europe B.V. |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |
Undistributed earning of foreign subsidiary | 4,600,000 us-gaap_UndistributedEarnings / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember |  |
Unrecognized deferred tax liability for unrepatriated earnings | $ 1,700,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember |  |

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- Definition Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible research tax credit carryforwards. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32621-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32632-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 + Details
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