Segment information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 26, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 26, 2016 USD ($) segment market	Jun. 28, 2015 USD ($)
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Number of reportable operating segments | segment			6
Number of end markets | market			2,000
Revenue	$ 473,553	$ 452,045	$ 898,446	$ 881,475
Operating profit	98,441	76,986	165,938	142,594
Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	111,738	96,319	201,810	179,973
Unallocated expenses
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	(13,297)	(19,333)	(35,872)	(37,379)
Vascular North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	88,111	81,165	169,699	161,931
Operating profit	21,994	17,055	41,650	32,805
Anesthesia North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	49,194	45,579	95,151	91,028
Operating profit	15,050	11,434	27,227	21,394
Surgical North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	43,136	40,520	82,077	78,579
Operating profit	12,348	14,315	25,604	26,642
EMEA | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	131,705	129,132	253,800	258,414
Operating profit	23,944	19,343	44,987	45,678
Asia | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	63,191	62,042	112,347	110,571
Operating profit	21,751	18,951	34,759	27,097
OEM | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	40,298	37,918	74,275	72,633
Operating profit	9,215	8,366	14,404	16,409
All other | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	57,918	55,689	111,097	108,319
Operating profit	$ 7,436	$ 6,855	$ 13,179	$ 9,948