Acquisition value of transaction net of pro rata share currently owned.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The following items are included within acquisition-related items: The change in the fair value of the contingent milestone consideration for the reporting period, certain-related acquisition costs, such as banker fees, legal fees, severance, and other professional fees, and impairment losses of recently acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D).

+ References

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- Definition

The ownership percentage held in acquiree before business acquisition.

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No definition available.

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Business Combination, Consideration Transferred Per Share, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable

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Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issuable Issuable In Exchange For Each Share

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Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Non-cash

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- Definition

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, Assets, Including Goodwill

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Business Acquisition, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, In Process Research And Development

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No definition available.

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- Definition

The carrying amount as of the balance sheet date, of the identifiable tangible and intangible assets of an acquired entity to be used in the research and development activities of the combined enterprise.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Weighted average amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets acquired either individually or as part of a group of assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)(3)

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- Definition

The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (h)(2)-(3)

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- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

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-Publisher FASB

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- Definition

Amount of tangible or intangible assets, including a business or subsidiary of the acquirer transferred by the entity to the former owners of the acquiree. Excludes cash.

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-Publisher FASB

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-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)(2)

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- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the value of a contingent consideration liability, including, but not limited to, differences arising upon settlement.

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-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

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- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

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- Definition

Amount of liability recognized arising from contingent consideration in a business combination.

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- Definition

Amount of assets that are expected to be realized or consumed within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, acquired at the acquisition date.

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Amount of liabilities due within one year or within the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences due after one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date.

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- Definition

Amount of intangible assets, excluding goodwill, acquired at the acquisition date.

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Amount of liabilities assumed at the acquisition date.

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Amount of other liabilities due after one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date.

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Amount of other assets expected to be realized or consumed after one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, acquired at the acquisition date.

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- Definition

The amount of property, plant, and equipment recognized as of the acquisition date.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

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Amount recognized for assets, including goodwill, in excess of (less than) the aggregate liabilities assumed.

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Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

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- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

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- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks of a company.

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No definition available.

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Acquisitions and Acquisition-Related Items (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Jan. 23, 2015	Jan. 24, 2014	Jan. 23, 2015	Jan. 24, 2014	Jan. 26, 2015	Aug. 26, 2014	Aug. 25, 2014	Jul. 25, 2014	Jun. 20, 2014	Dec. 30, 2013	Dec. 19, 2014	Oct. 24, 2014	Apr. 25, 2014	Oct. 25, 2013	Apr. 26, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			$ 611,000,000	$ 369,000,000
Contingent Consideration	93,000,000	66,000,000	93,000,000	66,000,000								91,000,000	68,000,000	45,000,000	142,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Goodwill	10,950,000,000us-gaap_Goodwill		10,950,000,000us-gaap_Goodwill										10,593,000,000us-gaap_Goodwill
Acquisition-related items	80,000,000mdt_AcquisitionRelatedGainsCharges	200,000,000mdt_AcquisitionRelatedGainsCharges	182,000,000mdt_AcquisitionRelatedGainsCharges	104,000,000mdt_AcquisitionRelatedGainsCharges
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	(4,000,000)	(39,000,000)	1,000,000	(135,000,000)
Covidien PLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Pro forma net sales	7,004,000,000		21,065,000,000
Covidien PLC [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash Consideration Transferred Per Share					$ 35.19
Number of Securities Called by Each Share					0.956
Total consideration transferred					50,000,000,000
Share Price					$ 76.95
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					16,000,000,000
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Non-cash					34,000,000,000
NGC Medical SpA [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preexisting Relationship, Ownership Percentage						30.00%
Acquisition Net Value of Transaction						238,000,000
Total consideration transferred						340,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Current assets						55,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment						15,000,000
Intangible assets						177,000,000
Goodwill						184,000,000
Other assets						2,000,000
Total assets acquired						433,000,000
Current liabilities						34,000,000
Long-term deferred tax liabilities, net						55,000,000
Other long-term liabilities						4,000,000
Total liabilities assumed						93,000,000
Net assets acquired						340,000,000
NGC Medical SpA [Member] \| Trade Names and Customer-Related Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets						177,000,000
Other Disclosures
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life						20 years
Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total consideration transferred							203,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, In Process Research And Development							30,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Current assets							3,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment							1,000,000
IPR&D							30,000,000
Goodwill							170,000,000
Other assets							3,000,000
Total assets acquired							207,000,000
Current liabilities							4,000,000
Total liabilities assumed							4,000,000
Net assets acquired							203,000,000
Visualase [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total consideration transferred								97,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Goodwill								43,000,000
Visualase [Member] \| Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets								66,000,000
Other Disclosures
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life								10 years
Corventis [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total consideration transferred									131,000,000
Settlement of outstanding debt to Medtronic included in consideration									50,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Goodwill									48,000,000
Corventis [Member] \| Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets									80,000,000
Other Disclosures
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life									16 years
TYRX [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total consideration transferred										222,000,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired										159,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Current assets										6,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment										1,000,000
Intangible assets										94,000,000
Goodwill										132,000,000
Total assets acquired										233,000,000
Current liabilities										4,000,000
Long-term deferred tax liabilities, net										7,000,000
Total liabilities assumed										11,000,000
Net assets acquired										222,000,000
TYRX [Member] \| Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets										94,000,000
Other Disclosures
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life										14 years
TYRX [Member] \| Product Development Milestone [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration										25,000,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High										40,000,000
TYRX [Member] \| Revenue-based Payments
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration										35,000,000
Neuromodulation Division Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total consideration transferred											39,000,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											33,000,000
Neuromodulation Division Business [Member] \| In Process Research and Development [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets											39,000,000
Neuromodulation Division Business [Member] \| Revenue-based Payments
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High											6,000,000
Ardian \| Impairment of Long-Lived Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Acquisition-related items		$ 236,000,000		$ 236,000,000