Special Charges (Summary Of Activity Related To Special Charge Restructuring Accrual) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Intangible Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, intangible asset impairment charges					$ 52
CV/AF [Member] | Intangible Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, intangible asset impairment charges		5		5
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	67	72	73	73	0
Special charges				95	163
Non-cash charges used	0	(7)	(9)		(47)
Cash payments	(24)	(28)	(35)		(42)
Foreign exchange rate impact	2	(3)	1		(1)
Balance at ending	65	67	72	65	73
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	48	51	54	54	0
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	7			36	82
Non-cash charges used	0	0	0		0
Cash payments	(15)	(14)	(20)		(27)
Foreign exchange rate impact	2	(2)	1		(1)
Balance at ending	42	48	51	42	54
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0	0	0	0	0
Non-cash charges used	0
Cash payments	0	0	0		0
Foreign exchange rate impact	0	0	0		0
Balance at ending	0	0	0	0	0
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0	0	0	0	0
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges					26
Non-cash charges used	0	0	0		(26)
Cash payments	0	0	0		0
Foreign exchange rate impact	0	0	0		0
Balance at ending	0	0	0	0	0
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	19	21	19	19	0
Special charges, other	13			47	35
Non-cash charges used	0	(4)	0		(1)
Cash payments	(9)	(14)	(15)		(15)
Foreign exchange rate impact	0	(1)	0		0
Balance at ending	23	19	21	23	19
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Cardiac Rhythm Management [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges					12
2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Cardiac Rhythm Management [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, other				33
2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0
Special charges	74
Non-cash charges used	(20)
Cash payments	(17)
Foreign exchange rate impact	1
Balance at ending	38			38
2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	52
Non-cash charges used	0
Cash payments	(16)
Foreign exchange rate impact	1
Balance at ending	37			37
2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0
Non-cash charges used	(2)
Cash payments	0
Foreign exchange rate impact	0
Balance at ending	0			0
2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0
Non-cash charges used	(18)
Cash payments	0
Foreign exchange rate impact	0
Balance at ending	0			0
2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance at beginning	0
Non-cash charges used	0
Cash payments	(1)
Foreign exchange rate impact	0
Balance at ending	1			1
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges	4	15	23	42	48
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	0	5	5		9
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, inventory obsolescence charges	0	3	9	12	20
Non-cash charges used		(3)	(9)		(20)
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges	0	0	0		9
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, other	4	7	9		10
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges	3
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	1
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, inventory obsolescence charges	2
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges	0
Cost of Sales [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, other	0
Operating Expense [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges	16	18	19		115
Operating Expense [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	7	8	11		73
Operating Expense [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, inventory obsolescence charges	0	0	0		0
Operating Expense [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges	0	0	0		17
Operating Expense [Member] | 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, other	9	10	8		25
Operating Expense [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges	71
Operating Expense [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Employee Termination Costs [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, severance and benefit costs	51
Operating Expense [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Inventory Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, inventory obsolescence charges	0
Operating Expense [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Fixed Asset Charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, fixed asset impairment charges	18
Operating Expense [Member] | 2012 Business Realignment Restructuring Plan [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Special charges, other	$ 2