Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation	Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Teleflex Incorporated and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). Intercompany transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in affiliates over which the Company has significant influence but not a controlling equity interest, including variable interest entities for which the Company is not the primary beneficiary, are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in affiliates over which the Company does not have significant influence are accounted for using the cost method of accounting. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and reflect management’s estimates and assumptions that affect the recorded amounts.
Use of estimates	Use of estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and cash equivalents	Cash and cash equivalents: All highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash equivalents approximates the current market value.
Accounts receivable	Accounts receivable: Accounts receivable represent amounts due from customers related to the sale of products and provision of services. An allowance for doubtful accounts is maintained and represents the Company’s estimate of the amount of uncollectible receivables. The allowance is provided at such time as management believes reasonable doubt exists that such balances will be collected within a reasonable period of time. The allowance is based on the Company’s historical collection experience with respect to the customer, the length of time an account is outstanding, the financial position of the customer and information provided by credit rating services. In addition, the Company maintains a reserve for returns and allowances based on its historical experience.
Inventories	Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost of the Company’s inventories is determined using the average cost method. Elements of cost in inventory include raw materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. In estimating net realizable value, the Company evaluates inventory for excess and obsolete quantities based on estimated usage and sales, among other factors.
Property, plant and equipment	Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage generally are capitalized. Costs of enhancements to internal-use computer software are capitalized, provided that these enhancements result in additional functionality. Other additions and those improvements which increase the capacity or lengthen the useful lives of the assets are also capitalized. Composite useful lives for categories of property, plant and equipment, which are depreciated on a straight-line basis, are as follows: buildings — 30 years; machinery and equipment — 3 to 10 years; computer equipment and software — 3 to 5 years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful lives of the leasehold improvements or the remaining lease term. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill and other intangible assets	Goodwill and other intangible assets: Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually during the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may exist. Impairment losses, if any, are included in income from operations. The goodwill impairment test is applied to each of the Company’s reporting units. For purposes of this assessment, a reporting unit is an operating segment, or a business one level below an operating segment (also known as a component) if discrete financial information is prepared for that business and regularly reviewed by segment management. However, separate components are aggregated as a single reporting unit if they have similar economic characteristics. In applying the goodwill impairment test, the Company may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry conditions, the competitive environment, changes in the market for the Company’s products and services, regulatory and political developments, and entity specific factors such as strategies and financial performance. If, after completing the qualitative assessment, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company proceeds to a two-step quantitative impairment test, described below. Alternatively, the Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and perform the two-step quantitative impairment test. The first step of the two-step impairment test is to compare the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value. If the reporting unit fair value exceeds the carrying value, there is no impairment. If the reporting unit carrying value exceeds the fair value, the Company would perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test, in which the Company would measure the amount of an impairment loss, if any, based on the amount by which the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by deducting the fair value of a reporting unit's identifiable assets and liabilities from the fair value of the reporting unit as a whole, as if that reporting unit had just been acquired and the fair value of the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed were being determined initially. The Company did not record a goodwill impairment charge for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company’s intangible assets consist of customer relationships, intellectual property, distribution rights, in-process research and development ("IPR&D"), trade names and non-competition agreements. The Company defines IPR&D as the value of technology acquired for which the related projects have substance and are incomplete. IPR&D acquired in a business acquisition is recognized at fair value and is required be capitalized as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until completion of the IPR&D project or upon abandonment. Upon completion of the development project (generally when regulatory approval to market the product that utilizes the technology is obtained), an impairment assessment is performed prior to amortizing the asset over its estimated useful life. If the IPR&D projects are abandoned, the related IPR&D assets would be written off. The Company tests its indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. Similar to the goodwill impairment test process, the Company may elect to perform a qualitative assessment. If, after completing the qualitative assessment, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is greater than its carrying amount, the asset is not impaired. If the Company concludes it is more likely than not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than the carrying value, the Company then proceeds to a quantitative impairment test, which consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset to its carrying amount. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized a $16.9 million pre-tax ($8.6 million after tax) impairment charge related to the abandonment of certain intellectual property intangible assets. See Note 8 for further information. Intangible assets that do not have indefinite lives, consisting of intellectual property, customer relationships, distribution rights, certain trade names and non-competition agreements, are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which are as follows: intellectual property, 5 to 20 years; customer relationships, 8 to 27 years; distribution rights, 10 to 17 years; trade names, 5 to 30 years; non-competition agreements, 1 to 6 years . The weighted average remaining amortization period with respect to the Company's intangible assets is approximately 16 years. The Company periodically evaluates the reasonableness of the useful lives of these assets. Long-lived a
Long-lived assets	Long-lived assets: The Company assesses the remaining useful life and recoverability of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. The assessment is based on various analyses, including undiscounted cash flow and profitability projections that incorporate, as applicable, the impact of the asset on the existing business. Therefore, the evaluation involves significant management judgment. Any impairment loss, if indicated, is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset.
Foreign currency translation	Foreign currency translation: Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries with non-United States dollar denominated functional currencies are translated into United States dollars at the rates of exchange at the balance sheet date; income and expenses are translated at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. The translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss.
Derivative financial instruments	Derivative financial instruments: The Company uses derivative financial instruments primarily for purposes of hedging exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. All instruments are entered into for other than trading purposes. All derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as other comprehensive income (loss), if the instrument is designated as part of a hedge transaction. Gains or losses on derivative instruments reported in other comprehensive income (loss) are reclassified to the consolidated statement of income in the period in which earnings are affected by the underlying hedged item. Gains or losses on derivative instruments representing hedge ineffectiveness or hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness, if any, are recognized in the consolidated statement of income for the period in which such gains and losses occur. If the hedging relationship ceases to be highly effective or it becomes probable that an expected transaction will no longer occur, gains or losses on the derivative instrument are recorded in the consolidated statement of income for the period in which either such event occurs. For non-designated derivatives, gains and losses are reported as selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of income.
Share-based compensation	Share-based compensation: The Company estimates the fair value of share-based awards on the date of grant using an option pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest, which is derived, in part, following consideration of estimated forfeitures, is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods. Share-based compensation expense related to stock options is measured using a Black-Scholes option pricing model that takes into account subjective and complex assumptions with respect to the expected life of the options, volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield. The expected life of options granted is derived from the vesting period of the award, as well as historical exercise behavior, and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. Expected volatility is based on a blend of historical volatility and implied volatility derived from publicly traded options to purchase the Company’s common stock, which the Company believes is more reflective of market conditions and a better indicator of expected volatility than would be the case if the Company only used historical volatility. The risk-free interest rate is the implied yield currently available on United States (or "U.S.") Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life of the option. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant based on management’s expectations regarding the extent to which awards ultimately will vest and are adjusted for actual forfeitures when they occur.
Income taxes	Income taxes: The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized to reflect the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their tax bases, and to reflect operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Provision has been made for income taxes on unremitted earnings of subsidiaries and affiliates, except to the extent that such earnings are deemed to be permanently reinvested. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and in evaluating tax positions. The Company establishes additional provisions for income taxes when, despite the belief that tax positions are supportable, there remain certain positions that do not meet the minimum probability threshold, which is a tax position that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority. In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are examined by various federal, state and foreign tax authorities. The Company regularly assesses the potential outcomes of these examinations and any future examinations for the current or prior years in determining the adequacy of its provision for income taxes. Interest accrued with respect to unrecognized tax benefits and income tax related penalties are both included in taxes on income from continuing operations. The Company periodically assesses the likelihood and amount of potential adjustments and adjusts the income tax provision, the current tax liability and deferred taxes in the period in which the facts that give rise to an adjustment become known.
Pensions and other postretirement benefits	Pensions and other postretirement benefits: The Company provides a range of benefits to eligible employees and retired employees, including under plans that provide pension and postretirement healthcare benefits. The Company records annual amounts relating to these plans based on calculations which include various actuarial assumptions such as discount rates, expected rates of return on plan assets, compensation increases, turnover rates and healthcare cost trend rates. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends when appropriate. The effect of the modifications is generally amortized over future periods.
Restructuring costs	Restructuring costs: Restructuring costs, which include termination benefits, facility closure costs, contract termination costs and other restructuring costs, are recorded at estimated fair value. Other restructuring costs include facility closure, contract termination, employee relocation, equipment relocation and outplacement costs. Key assumptions used in calculating the restructuring costs include the terms of, and payments under, agreements to terminate certain contractual obligations and the timing of reductions in force.
Contingent consideration related to business acquisitions	Contingent consideration related to business acquisitions: In connection with business acquisitions, the Company may be required to pay future consideration that is contingent upon the achievement of specified objectives such as receipt of regulatory approval, commercialization of a product or achievement of sales targets. As of the acquisition date, the Company records a contingent liability representing the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration that it expects to pay. The Company remeasures the fair value of its contingent consideration arrangements each reporting period and, based on new developments, records changes in fair value until either the contingent consideration obligation is satisfied through payment upon the achievement of, or the obligation no longer exists due to the failure to achieve, the specified objectives. The change in the fair value is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of income. A contingent consideration payment is classified as a financing activity in the consolidated statement of cash flows to the extent it was recorded as a liability as of the acquisition date. Any additional amount paid in excess of the amount initially accrued is classified as an operating activity in the consolidated statement of cash flows.
Revenue recognition	Revenue recognition: The Company primarily generates revenue from the sale of medical devices including single use disposable devices and, to a lesser extent, reusable devices, instruments and capital equipment. Revenue is recognized when obligations under the terms of a contract with the Company’s customer are satisfied; this occurs upon the transfer of control of the products. Generally, transfer of control to the customer occurs at the point in time when the Company’s products are shipped from the manufacturing or distribution facility. For the Company’s OEM segment, most revenue is recognized over time because the OEM segment generates revenue from the sale of custom products that have no alternative use and the Company has an enforceable right to payment to the extent that performance has been completed. The Company markets and sells products through its direct sales force and distributors to customers within the following end markets: (1) hospitals and healthcare providers; (2) other medical device manufacturers; and (3) home care providers such as pharmacies, which comprised 87%, 9% and 4% of consolidated net revenues, respectively, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for transferring goods. With respect to the custom products sold in the OEM segment, revenue is measured using the units produced output method. Payment is generally due 30 days from the date of invoice. The Company has made the following accounting policy elections and elected to use certain practical expedients, as permitted by the FASB, in applying ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: (1) the Company accounts for amounts collected from customers for sales and other taxes, net of related amounts remitted to tax authorities; (2) the Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component because, at contract inception, the Company expects the period between the time when the Company transfers a promised good or service to the customer and the time when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less; (3) the Company expenses costs to obtain a contract as they are incurred if the expected period of benefit, and therefore the amortization period, is one year or less; (4) the Company accounts for shipping and handling activities that occur after control transfers to the customer as a fulfillment cost rather than an additional promised service; (5) the Company classifies shipping and handling costs within cost of goods sold; and (6) with respect to the OEM segment, the Company has applied the practical expedient to exclude disclosure of remaining performance obligations as the contracts typically have a term of one year or less. The amount of consideration the Company receives and revenue the Company recognizes varies as a result of changes in customer sales incentives, including discounts and rebates, and returns offered to customers. The estimate of revenue is adjusted upon the earlier of the following events: (i) the most likely amount of consideration expected to be received changes or (ii) the consideration becomes fixed. The Company’s policy is to accept returns only in cases in which the product is defective and covered under the Company’s standard warranty provisions. When the Company gives customers the right to return products, the Company estimates the expected returns based on an analysis of historical experience. The reserve for returns and allowances was $4.2 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017. In estimating customer rebates, the Company considers the lag time between the point of sale and the payment of the customer’s rebate claim, customer-specific trend analyses, contractual commitments, including stated rebate rates, historical experience with respect to specific customers (as the Company has a history of providing similar rebates on similar products to similar customers) and other relevant information. The reserve for customer incentive programs, including customer rebates, was $18.1 million and $12.2 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company expects the amounts subject to the reserve as of December 31, 2018 to be paid within 90 days subsequent to period-end.
Recently issued accounting standards	Recently issued accounting standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), in a joint effort with the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"), issued new accounting guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. This new guidance, as amended by additional guidance issued in 2015 and 2016, is encompassed in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) and is designed to enhance the comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets, and affects any entity that enters into contracts with customers or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets, unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. The new guidance establishes principles for reporting information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. The core principle of the new guidance is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The Company adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, applying the modified retrospective method to all of its contracts; as a result, the Company recognized the cumulative effect of adopting the guidance as a $1.2 million increase to the Company's opening balance of retained earnings on the adoption date. In addition, in connection with its adoption of the new guidance, the Company reclassified the reserve for product returns from a reduction of receivables to a liability. The reserve for returns and allowances was $4.2 million at December 31, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations, cash flows and financial position. Additional information and disclosures required by this new standard are contained in Note 3. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that will change the requirements for accounting for leases. Under the new guidance, lessees (including lessees under both leases classified as finance leases, which are to be classified based on criteria similar to that applicable to capital leases under previous guidance, and leases classified as operating leases) will recognize a right-to-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet, initially measured as the present value of lease payments under the lease. Under previous guidance, operating leases are not recognized on the balance sheet. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, subject to certain practical expedients that an entity may elect to apply to the transition. The Company will adopt the new guidance on January 1, 2019 and will recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard, if any, as an adjustment to the Company's opening balance of retained earnings rather than at the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. As permitted under the new guidance, the Company has made an accounting policy election not to apply the recognition provisions of the new guidance to short term leases (leases with a lease term of 12 months or less that do not include an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise); instead, the Company will recognize the lease payments for short term leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition, the Company has elected to apply certain practical expedients available under the new guidance. As a result, and in connection with the transition to the new guidance, the Company will not reassess (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the classification of any expired or existing leases, or (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company will apply the practical expedients described above to its entire lease portfolio at the January 1, 2019 adoption date. Furthermore, as permitted under the new guidance, the Company has made, as a practical expedient, an accounting policy election to not separate lease and non-lease components and instead will account for each separate lease component and the non-lease components associated with that lease component as a single lease component. While the Company continues to assess the effect that the new standard will have on its financial position and results of operations, the Company expects to recognize additional assets and corresponding liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets because it maintains an operating lease portfolio at January 1, 2019, the date of adoption of the new standard. The Company has made substantial progress in implementing a new lease accounting system and updating its controls and procedures to enable the Company to aggregate lease data and improve lease accounting processes in a manner that facilitates financial reporting in accordance with the new guidance. The Company estimates that it will recognize a right-to-use asset and corresponding lease liability of approximately $90 to $110 million upon adoption of the new guidance. In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance requiring companies to recognize the income tax effects of intra-entity sales and transfers of assets, other than inventory, in the income statement as income tax expense (or benefit) in the period in which the transfer occurs. Previously, recognition was prohibited until the assets were sold to an outside party or otherwise utilized. The Company adopted the new standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method of adoption; as a result, the Company recognized the cumulative effect of adopting the guidance as a $1.8 million increase to the Company's opening balance of retained earnings on the adoption date. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations, cash flows and financial position. In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the quantitative test for goodwill impairment. Under current guidance, if a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, the entity must determine the implied value of goodwill. This determination is made by deducting the fair value of a reporting unit’s identifiable assets and liabilities from the fair value of the reporting unit as a whole as if the reporting unit had just been acquired. Under the new guidance, a determination of the implied value of goodwill will no longer be required; a goodwill impairment will be equal to the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The revised guidance is effective for fiscal years, and any interim goodwill impairment tests within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for any impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance, but currently does not anticipate the guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations. In March 2017, the FASB issued guidance for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans. The guidance requires that these employers disaggregate specified components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost (collectively, "net benefit cost"). Specifically, the guidance generally requires employers to present in the income statement the service cost component of net benefit cost in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018. The adoption of the guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In August 2017, the FASB issued guidance with the objective of improving the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity's risk management activities in its financial statements. The new guidance provides for changes to previous designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and to the method of presenting hedge results. In addition, the new guidance includes certain targeted improvements to ease the application of previous guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, but the guidance permits early adoption, and the Company adopted the guidance effective October 1, 2018; the adoption did not result in any cumulative-effect adjustments to retained earnings. In February 2018, the FASB issued new guidance to address a narrow-scope financial reporting issue that arose as a consequence of United States tax legislation adopted in December 2017 and commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("the TCJA"). Existing guidance requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be adjusted for a change in tax laws or rates with the effect included in income from continuing operations in the reporting period that includes the enactment date. The guidance is applicable even in situations in which the related income tax effects of items in accumulated other comprehensive income were originally recognized in other comprehensive income (rather than in net income), such as amounts related to benefit plans and hedging activity. As a result, the tax effects of items within accumulated other comprehensive income (referred to as stranded tax effects) do not reflect the appropriate tax rate. The new guidance permits a reclassification of these amounts from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings, thereby eliminating the stranded tax effects. The new guidance also requires certain disclosures about the stranded tax effects. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The new guidance can be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate under the TCJA is recognized. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. From time to time, new accounting guidance issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies is adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date or, when permitted by the guidance and as determined by the Company, as of an earlier date. The Company has assessed recently issued guidance that is not yet effective, except as noted above, and believes the new guidance that it has assessed will not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.