8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  August 12, 2003

Medtronic, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Minnesota
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
1-7707	41-0793183
(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
710 Medtronic Parkway
Minneapolis, Minnesota  55432-5604
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)
(763) 514-4000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Item 5.                    Other Events

                On August 12, 2003, the Registrant issued a press release announcing that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has overturned a decision by the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, DE that certain Medtronic stent products did not infringe the Palmaz-Schatz patents owned by Johnson & Johnson/Cordis.  In December 2000, a jury found that certain now-obsolete stents infringed the Palmaz-Schatz patents and awarded Johnson & Johnson $271 million in damages.  Medtronic plans to petition the Federal Circuit Court for a rehearing in this matter.   The full text of the press release is set forth in Exhibit 99 attached hereto and is incorporated in this Report as if fully set forth herein.

Item 7.                    Financial Statements and Exhibits

                Exhibit 99               Press release dated August 12, 2003.

SIGNATURES

                Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	MEDTRONIC, INC.
	By	/s/ David J. Scott
Date:  August 12, 2003		David J. Scott, Senior Vice President,
		General Counsel and Secretary

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Medtronic, Inc.

Form 8-K Current Report

Dated August 12, 2003

Exhibit Number	Description
99	Press release dated August 12, 2003

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EX-99

Exhibit 99

Contact:
Rachael Scherer	Bob Hanvik
Investor Relations	Public Relations
763-505-2694	763-505-2635

F O R   I M M E D I A T E   R E L E A S E

MEDTRONIC TO SEEK REHEARING IN

JOHNSON & JOHNSON PATENT DISPUTE

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 12, 2003 — Medtronic is disappointed that a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has overturned the decision by the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Del., that certain Medtronic stent products, now outdated and superceded, did not infringe the Palmaz-Schatz patents owned by Johnson & Johnson/ Cordis.  Medtronic plans to petition the full court for a rehearing in this matter.

It should be noted that the Medtronic stents at issue (the GFX, GFX2 and Microstent II) are obsolete and have been replaced.  For background, the decision by the appeals court stemmed from Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of a decision by the Delaware court overturning a December 2000 jury finding that certain Medtronic stents infringed the Palmaz-Schatz patents and awarded Johnson & Johnson $271 million in damages.

Medtronic litigation alleging that J&J/Cordis stent products such as the BX Velocity and Cypher stents and delivery systems infringe Medtronic patents is now pending in Federal Court in Delaware and Texas.

Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the world’s leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease.  Its Internet address is www.medtronic.com.

Any statements made about the company’s anticipated financial results and regulatory approvals are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties such as the risks inherent in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of medical products, competitive factors, general economic conditions, legal disputes and government actions as more fully described in Medtronic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 25, 2003. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.