| **Debt (Schedule Of Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified** | Jan. 03, 2015                                                                                                                                                                                   | Dec. 28, 2013                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | $ 3,866us-gaap_LongTermDebt                                                                                                                                                                     | $ 3,580us-gaap_LongTermDebt                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Long-term debt                                                                                 | 2,273us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent                                                                                                                                                             | 3,518us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent                                                                                                                                                             |
| Less: current debt obligations                                                                 | 1,593us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent                                                                                                                                                                | 62us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Loans Payable [Member] | Term loan due June 2015 [Member]                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 500us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TermloandueJune2015Member/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember                                                    | 500us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TermloandueJune2015Member/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember                                                    |
| Loans Payable [Member] | Term loan due August 2015 [Member]                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 250us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TermloandueAugust2015Member/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember                                                  | 0us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TermloandueAugust2015Member/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LoansPayableMember                                                    |
| Senior Notes [Member] | 2.50% Senior Notes Due 2016 [Member]                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 506us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TwoPointFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandSixteenMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember                     | 512us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TwoPointFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandSixteenMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember                     |
| Senior Notes [Member] | 3.25% Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty-three [Member]              |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 896us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_ThreePointTwentyFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyThreeMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember         | 896us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_ThreePointTwentyFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyThreeMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember         |
| Senior Notes [Member] | 4.75% Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Fourty-three [Member]              |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 696us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_FourPointSeventyFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandFourtyThreeMemberMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember   | 696us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_FourPointSeventyFivePercentSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandFourtyThreeMemberMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember   |
| Senior Notes [Member] | 1.58% Yen-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]                   |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 68us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_OnePointFiveEightPercentYenDenominatedSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember | 78us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_OnePointFiveEightPercentYenDenominatedSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |
| Senior Notes [Member] | 2.04% Yen-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]                   |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 107us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TwoPointZeroFourPercentYenDenominatedSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember    | 122us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_TwoPointZeroFourPercentYenDenominatedSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember    |
| Line of Credit [Member] | Yen Denominated Credit Facilities [Member]                           |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | 54us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_YenDenominatedCreditFacilitiesMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember                                          | 62us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_YenDenominatedCreditFacilitiesMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember                                          |
| Commercial Paper [Member] | Commercial paper borrowings [Member]                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **Debt Instrument [Line Items]**                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Total debt                                                                                     | $ 789us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_CommercialPaperBorrowingMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember                                          | $ 714us-gaap_LongTermDebt/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis= stj_CommercialPaperBorrowingMember/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis= us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember                                          |

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| - Definition
Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, including current and noncurrent amounts. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.
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| - Definition
Amount of long-term debt, after unamortized discount or premium, scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.
+ References
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| - Definition
Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, excluding amounts to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer (current maturities). Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.
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