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


                                January 29, 1996
                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)


                             ST. JUDE MEDICAL, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)




   Minnesota                        0-8672                     41-1276891
(State or other                  (Commission                  (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                   File Number)              Identification No.)
incorporation)



                     One Lillehei Plaza, St. Paul, MN     55117
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (612) 483-2000
                Registrant's telephone number including area code

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



ITEM 5.           OTHER EVENTS


On January 29, 1996, St. Jude Medical, Inc. (the "Company"), Partner Acquisition
Corp. and Daig Corporation ("Daig"), executed an Agreement and Plan of Merger
(the "Agreement"). Pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will acquire all the
outstanding shares of Daig common stock in exchange for Company common stock.
Each share of Daig's outstanding common stock will be converted into the right
to receive .651733 shares of Company common stock. The transaction is expected
to close during the second quarter of 1996.

Daig is a Minnetonka, Minnesota based manufacturer of specialized cardiovascular
devices for the electrophysiology and interventional cardiology markets. Daig
will continue to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Based on the 15,364,144 shares of Daig common stock shares outstanding and
exercisable stock options, St. Jude will issue approximately 10,000,000 shares
to acquire Daig. The acquisition will be accounted for as a pooling of interests
and is intended to qualify as a reorganization (tax free to the Daig
shareholders) under the provisions of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue
Code. The transaction is dependent upon regulatory clearance and the favorable
vote of Daig's shareholders.

Prior to the commencement of negotiations between the Company and Daig, there
were no material relationships between Daig and the Company, any affiliate of
either company or any officer or director of either company.


ITEM 7.           EXHIBITS

                  Exhibits:

                           2.1      Agreement and Plan of Merger dated January
                                    29, 1996 (incorporated herein by reference
                                    to Exhibit 1 to Schedule 13-D filed on
                                    February 7, 1996 by St. Jude Medical, Inc.).

                           2.2      Shareholders Agreement, dated as of January
                                    29, 1996, by and between St. Jude Medical,
                                    Inc., Daig Corporation, John J.
                                    Fleischhacker and Daniel J. Starks
                                    (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
                                    2 to Schedule 13-D filed on February 7, 1996
                                    by St. Jude Medical, Inc.).
 
                           99.1     Press Release dated January 30, 1996.

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


                                    ST. JUDE MEDICAL, INC.


Date             2/13/96            By
           -------------------          ----------------------------------------
                                        Stephen L. Wilson
                                        Vice President - Finance
                                        and Chief Financial Officer


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


   Exhibit
     No.            Description
-------------       -----------------------

                                                                                
2.1                 Agreement and Plan of Merger among St. Jude Medical, Inc.,
                    Partner Acquisition Corp., and Daig Corporation dated as of
                    January 29, 1996, (incorporated herein by reference to
                    Exhibit 1 to Schedule 13-D filed on February 7, 1996 by St.
                    Jude Medical, Inc.)

                    Pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K, the registrant
                    has omitted the following schedules and exhibits and agrees
                    to furnish supplementally a copy of any such omitted
                    schedule or exhibit to the Commission upon request.
                     
                    Schedule 3.1.2 - Events Deemed to cause a "Material Adverse
                                     Effect"

                    Schedule 3.3 - Subsidiaries and other Ownership interests of
                                   Daig

                    Schedule 3.4.2 - Government Authorization; Comments

                    Schedule 3.5 - Non-Contravention

                    Schedule 3.9 - Material Events since September 30, 1995

                    Schedule 3.10 - Properties; Liens Schedule 3.11 - Litigation

                    Schedule 3.12 - Taxes

                    Schedule 3.13 - ERISA

                    Schedule 3.16 - Patents, Trademarks, Trade Name, Service
                                    Marks and Copyrights

                    Schedule 3.18 - Contracts

                    Schedule 3.19.2 - Products; Regulation

                    Schedule 3.22 - Employee Relations

                    Schedule 3.23 - Insurance 

                    Schedule 3.24 - Potential Conflicts of Interests

                    Schedule 3.25 - Bank Accounts.

                    Schedule 5.8.1(ii) - Employees not deemed "Affected
                                         Employees"

                    Exhibit 10.2 - Form of Affiliate Agreement

2.2                 Shareholders Agreement, dated as of January 29, 1996, by and
                    between St. Jude Medical, Inc., Daig Corporation, John J.
                    Fleischhacker and Daniel J. Starks (incorporated herein by
                    reference to Exhibit 2 to Schedule 13-D filed on February 7,
                    1996 by St. Jude Medical, Inc.).

99.1                Press Release dated January 30, 1996